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July 14 is the anniversary of the Storming of the Bastille and the beginning of the French Revolution. Bastille Day is celebrated throughout France and in many other places around the world.
Bastille Days in Cathedral Square Park in downtown Milwaukee is one of the largest French themed outdoor festivals in the world. The festival is celebrating its 42nd anniversary in Milwaukee. This free four day festival attracts more than 250,000 people each year. They’ll enjoy live music, French and Cajun cuisine, on international marketplace and roaming performers. The festival will be happening on July 9, 10, 11 and 12, 2026. Admission to the celebration is free.
Bastille Day Hours
- Thursday, July 9 – 11 am to 11:30 pm
- Friday, July 10 – 11 am to 11:10 pm
- Saturday, July 11 – 11 am to 11:30 pm
- Sunday, July 12 – 11 am to 7 pm
The celebration will kick off with the Storm The Bastille 5K Run/Walk on Thursday at 9 pm. The starting point is North Jefferson Street, right by Cathedral Square Park.
Named one of the ‘Best Bastille Days Celebrations in the World’ – National Geographic
Live Entertainment
There will be live entertainment throughout the festival with hundreds of individual artists across four stages.
Other Festivities
The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist will offer Coffee and Yoga in the Garden, Cathedral tours, a free concert historic pipe organ. The traditional French Mass will take place at 5:15 pm on Saturday, July 19.
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Saturday is Kids Day at the festival from 10 am to 2 pm. Activities include art projects, French language lessons from Milwaukee French Immersion School, live performances by School of Rock Sherwood, the French Bulldog Kissing Booth and more.
Bastille Days has an international marketplace that makes for a unique shopping experience. Enjoy delicious French and Cajun food and treats.
If 4 days of nonstop fun sounds good to you, then you should attend Milwaukee Bastille Days.
French Food
If you enjoyed the French food at the festival and want to learn more about French cooking, try these cookbooks. And you can use our links to see how much money you can save on each of them.
- “Barefoot In Paris: Easy French Food You Can Make At Home” by Ina Garten
- “My Paris Kitchen: Recipes & Stories” by David Lebovitz
- “Plat du Jour French Dinners Made Easy” by Susan Herrmann
Or you can enjoy French cuisine at the 6 Best French Restaurants in Milwaukee as chosen by the users of TripAdvisor.
- Bartolotta’s Lake Park Bistro
- Lupi & Iris
- Beerline Cafe
- Reynold’s Pastry Shop
- Lupi & Iris
Visiting Milwaukee
If you’d like to visit Milwaukee for Bastille Day, you should consider booking your hotel here. You’ll find some great deals with discounted rates as low as $88.
If you’ll be flying to Milwaukee, you can use a promo code to save money on your flight.