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Happy Bastille Day
Rita Novel 2004.07.15 10:07
For a few years now, Bastille Day has been celebrated in the
street in front of Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia.
July 10, 2004, 17:30
Eastern State Penitentiary
The neighborhood surrounding this historic landmark's prison walls transforms into 18th Century France with a reenactment of the storming of the Bastille followed by a block party.
I partook of the festivities 15 July 2001, and the whole event was pure camp. Prizes for best costume, either peasants (shaking sticks in the air) or Marie Antoinette (mostly drag queens). Big BOOMS and a BATTERING RAM during the storming of the Bastille. Then the Queen, up at the prison parapet, shouts "Let them eat cake!" and thousands of individually wrapped TWINKIES come flying over the parapets raining down on the crowd below. The Queen surrenders and is taking to the guillotine amidst a jeering throng--if you're standing close to the guillotine you'll get a free glass of champagne! Fortunately, the Queen is spared decapitation and a large watermelon is sliced instead. Fun Fun Fun
[remember Reenactment Season begins 14 July]
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