Bastille Day in the Pearl District July 12, 2008

The Portland Bastille Day Committee will present the 6th Annual Bastille Day Festival at Jamison Square Park on Saturday, July 12 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The event is free, open to the public and for people of all ages. Bastille Day festivals - held in cities all around the world - celebrate the storming of the Bastille Prison on July 14, 1789, an event which is recognized as the start of the French Revolution. The 2007 event in Portland was among the largest such festivals on the West Coast, with more than 5,000 attendees. This year's festival will feature a variety of vendors and organizations offering French wine, cuisine, music, art and sport.

Bastille Day in the Pearl events will include:

- The 4th Annual Portland Waiters Race, at 2 p.m., featuring speed-walking waiters and waitresses from local area restaurants in a race around Jamison Park - the racers compete on speed and agility in balancing a serving tray. Cash prizes will be awarded to the three top finishers in the women's and men's divisions. The course is three times around the park (approximately one mile).

- Main stage entertainment acts, including Zephyr (French jazz); Carol Rossio (café jazz vocalist); Eric John Kaiser (Portland's French troubadour); Ian Clemens (traditional music from Brittany), and WEIII (jazz trio).

- French-style food and wine - everything from tasty chouquette pastries from St Honoré Boulangerie, croissants from La Provence, merguez sausage sandwiches, pommes frites and other French specialties from Fenouil Restaurant, and even French panaché (a mixture of beer and imported French limonade). And more . . .

- A French-themed market with products from France including linens from the South of France (Les Couleurs de Provence), jewelry, French-inspired Art Deco and Art Nouveau apparel from Octavine Illustration, and products from Versailles in the Pearl. Booths offering information on learning French at a number of Northwest schools and camps, for students of all ages.

- Ongoing pétanque demonstrations and lessons organized by the Portland Pétanque Club. Pointing demonstration for children at 4 p.m.

- A main stage fencing demonstration by members of the Northwest Fencing Center, and fencing lessons for children.

- Singing of La Marseillaise by soprano soloist Mel Zupan, on the main stage (words provided for public sing-a-long), 1:30 p.m.

- "Le Jardin des Enfants" (Children's Area) - performances of "Séraphine" for children aged 3 and up, by Fabulations, a local French language performance company (1 and 3 p.m.), face painting (noon to 3 p.m.) and French-themed crafts for children (all day).

- "Le Chien Chic" - a chance for dog fanciers to parade their pooches dressed in their finest.

Official Website: http://www.afportland.org/bastillepdx/index.html