Sure, the Olympics may be calling Paris home this summer – but real ones know where the TRUE ultimate French-themed party can be found: right here in Milwaukee, as Bastille Days and Storm the Bastille will make its festive return next month. 

Hosted as always in and around Cathedral Square Park, Bastille Days will "hon hon hon" it up on July 11-14, with the Storm the Bastille 5K run/walk once again officially kicking things off on Thursday, July 11 – complete with DJ Shawna providing the soundtrack to your partying (or your panting, if you're anything like me doing run/walks). To sign up for Storm the Bastille, head right over here. 

As for the rest of the fest, Bastille Days will once again serve up four days of French fabulousness of all kinds, including more than 60 local musicians and entertainers – such as Extra Crispy Brass Band, Robin Pluer, Madame Gigi’s Outrageous French Can-Can Dancers, Breaking Cadence, Taylor & The Anti Heroes, Samba Da Vida, the Milwaukee Ballet and more – spread across five stages. The event will also feature a marketplace featuring a variety of vendors, street performers roving the Cathedral Square Park grounds, arts and crafts, dancing from ballet to can-can, drag, French lessons and, of course, all sorts of scrumptious food and refreshments to feast upon.

Bastille Days is fun for the whole family just about any day – but for particularly kid-friendly fest frivolity, Kids Day will take place this summer from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 13 with family-focused performances, arts, crafts, interactive experiences and more.

The full official lineups for both music and vendors have yet to be revealed – but stay tuned to East Town's website and OnMilwaukee for more updates. And for more even more festivals and fun around town this summer, check out both our full summer festival guide and our free live summer music series guide.