Eastern State Penitentiary's 'Storming of the Bastille' on July 12 Will Feature 2,000 Tastykakes Flung From the Prison's Medieval Towers
More News related to Press Releases
- PPC Jumps to #2 for Industry Impact on Nationwide Patent Board Scorecard
- Revolutionary New In-Office Evolve(R) Laser Prostate Treatment Available in the Chicago Area
- GibbsCAM Featured in Mori Seiki Exhibit at IMTS 2008
- Fontana and Downtown Records Partner for Exclusive Distribution Deal
- Hillenbrand, Inc. Announces Dividend of $0.1825 Per Share
PHILADELPHIA, July 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Philadelphia's Fairmount neighborhood will host its annual Bastille Day Street Festival on Saturday, July 12th from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm in front of Eastern State Penitentiary, located at 22nd Street and Fairmount Avenue in Philadelphia. The festival will include kids' craft activities, a "Tricycle Tour de France," and a French-themed Pet Parade. Special tents will include French wine tips from Mouton Cadet & Wine School of Philadelphia, a "How Do I Say it in French?" tent, and French travel, language, recipe and history books from Fairmount's Book Haven. There will be live music entertainment from Musette.
The Street Festival will reach its climax at 5:30 pm, when dozens of French revolutionaries, armed with muskets and cannon, and singing "La Marseillaise," will storm the grim walls of "the Bastille" (Eastern State Penitentiary, which has an historic connection to the French Bastille). They will capture Marie Antoinette (played by Terry McNally, owner of London Grill) and, ignoring her mocking cries of "Let them eat Tastykake!" drag her to a real, functioning guillotine, built for the occasion as 2,000 Tastykakes are flung from the prison's towers.
The Bastille Day Festival is free and open to the public. Visitors are encouraged to dress as French Peasants or Royalty. More information about the event can be found at http://www.easternstate.org/events/bastille.php.
Local restaurants, including London Grill, The Belgian Cafe, Bishop's Collar, Mug Shots Coffeehouse, Rembrandt's, St. Stephen's Green, Trio, and Urban Saloon will provide great French fare. Menu items will include crepes, baguette sandwiches, pain au chocolat, croissants, French pastry, Kronenbourg 1664 Beer, French wine and champagne specials.
The celebration includes tours of Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site (admission fee $12) between 10 am and 5 pm. The penitentiary will stay open for special Twilight Tours from 6:30 pm to 8 pm. Meant to be a quick introduction to the penitentiary and its history, these abbreviated tours last 20 minutes and are available for $5.
Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site is open every day, year round. For more information and schedules, please call (215) 236-3300 or visit www.easternstate.org.
SOURCE Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
Stocks Mentioned
Sign up for StreetInsider Free!
Receive full access to all new and archived articles, unlimited portfolio tracking, e-mail alerts, custom newswires and RSS feeds - and more!
