Dublin celebrates Bastille Day and all things French with the Bastille Festival at Smithfield Plaza from the 14th to the 16th of July.
Summer in Dublin 2006 presents Bastille Festival at Smithfield Plaza, three funfilled days of French culture with a Continental Market, Face painters, Balloon Modellers, Games, Bouncy Castles, interactive French themed street performers and the music of Derriére La Cravate.
The Bastille Festival kicks off on Friday evening, July 14th at 9.30pm with a performance from the world renowned French Aerial Company Transe Express that will intrigue, shock and entertain audiences with wonderful performances of Mobile Homme.
Inspired by the child's mobile, the Transe Express artistic director, Gilles Rhodes, has created something visual stunning with colourful characters, musicians and aerial artists taking off into the nighttime sky on beautifully crafted mobiles.
French Aerial Company Transe Express creates a world of movement with Flying Drummers, Aerial Trapeze, Rich Beats and Strident Rhythms perfomring their amazing feats suspended in mid air. Each mobile is a poetic machine which transports the imagination of the spectator, you or old, lifting their spirits and emotions.
On Saturday July 15th and Sunday July 16th visitors to Smithfield can enjoy the Continental Market, the music of Derriére Le Cravate, The Hot Club of Dublin and a wide range of exciting Family Fun events.
The Continental Market will feature stalls selling such wares as Lavenders, Soaps, Specialised Biscuits and Dried Fruits, Jams and Mustards, Delicacies including French Dried Sausages, German Sausages, Turkish Delights, Tarti-flette (a delicacy particular to the Alps), Olives and many more continental flavours.
French Music Trio, Derriére La Cravate will engage audiences with their own special brand of French music with David on guitar and vocals, accordion player Monsieur Franco and clarinet player Olivier performing classic French songs from Brel to Francois Béranger as well as their own compositions.
Families are encouraged to come to Smithfield Plaza and enjoy the French ambience and join in the celebrations with Face painters, Balloon Modellers, Games, Bouncy Castles and interactive French themed street performers. You can soak up the French atmosphere and relax with your own picnic.
You can also enjoy jazz standards by The Mills Brothers, Frank Sinatra and Django Reinhardt with The Hotclub of Dublin featuring the musical talents of the well known Gilligan brothers and Russian violinist Oleg Ponomarev.
Bastille Festival will also feature colourful Historical Re-enactments Performances with Bastille Day court cases, duel fencing and French tea parties at City Hall on Saturday, July 15th and Dublin City Gallery - The Hugh Lane on Sunday July 16th.
A great weekend of French Culture, the Bastille Festival will be fun for all the family.
Bastille Festival Listings:
Friday July 14th
Smithfield Plaza
French Aerial Company Transe Express @ 9.30pm
Saturday July 15th
Smithfield Plaza
Continental Market 12pm - 5pm
Derriére La Cravate 10am - 5pm
The Hot Club of Dublin 12pm - 2pm
Family Fun 12pm - 6pm
Murder Mystery 4pm
Dublin City Hall
Historical Re-enactment Performance 1pm - 3pm
Sunday July 16th
Smithfield Plaza
Continental Market 10am - 5pm
Derriére La Cravate 10am - 5pm
The Hot Club of Dublin 12pm - 2pm
Family Fun 12pm - 6pm
Dublin City Gallery - The Hugh Lane
Historical Re-enactment Performance 2pm - 4pm
images: (pervious page) Bastile Festival, John Scully, 2005.
