Thank You For Joining Us In This Year's Festivities. We Hope To See You Next Year. 

Bastille day festival live IN THE PEARL, SATURDAY, july 15, 12-6pm. 

Images from the Bastille Day Festival 2023.







The Alliance Française de Portland presents the 21th Annual Bastille Day Festival on July 15, 2023, in celebration of the French National Holiday. Like our Fourth of July, the French National Holiday celebrates a revolution that changed a nation. In 1789 the French stormed the Bastille prison, marking the birth of the modern French nation. The storming of the Bastille symbolizes the key values of Liberté, Fraternité, and Egalité which endure in the hearts of the French people.

Our Festival celebrates French culture with a day in the park – a day to enjoy music, dancing, good things to eat and drink, and amusements with friends and family. Get out and see things! Talk to people! Laugh in the sun!

Interested in being part of the Bastille Day Festival? Contact the Alliance at director@afportland.org.


The alliance franÇaise is 140 years old in 2023

This year we also celebrate the 140th anniversary of the Alliance Française worldwide. 

The Alliance Française was founded in 1883 in Paris by the scientist Louis Pasteur, the diplomat Ferdinand de Lesseps, and the writers Jules Verne and Ernest Renan, with the mission to promote French language and culture.

Today the Alliance is an international organization with
820 independent chapters in 154 countries.


What You'll Find at the Bastille Day Festival


live music

1p Robert & Paul Cajun Duo
2p La Belle Rue/Jet Black Pearl
3p Djangophiles Gypsy Jazz
4p Duo Opelio Breton
5p DJ Cecilia


french food

From coffee and croissants to moules, frites, salads, jambon pizza, merguez sausages to patisserie, our Food Court is not to be missed. Bring your appetite!


the marketplace

French-related crafts and goods bring a French market experience to our plaza. Take home table linens, French shopping baskets, jewelry and more jewelry, original art, and more.


fun for kids

From enjoying fencing demos to making something colorful at the Alliance Children's Activities table to wading in the fountain, and eating a French pastry, kids love it here. 


used book sale

A mind-boggling selection of used books in French and English, including a large selection of cookbooks! A huge range of authors and topics. Deals you won't believe!


Wine Garden

And cider! And beer! Enjoy a glass of wine as you take a seat in the wine garden and just people-watch, and sip a glass of blanc, rosé, or rouge.

Get Involved

Those interested in volunteering for the event should contact the Alliance office. Let us know a little about you and your interests. We are looking for volunteers for the entire day of the event,  from the morning setup 9-12, throughout the event 12-6, to the teardown from 6-7pm.

A few spots for food, marketplace vendors, or nonprofits are still available. Please contact the Alliance office.

Sponsorships are vital to this event and are available to businesses, organizations, or individuals. Look through our sponsorship brochure to see what opportunity may fit you best.

We also have opportunities for paid advertising in our program brochure. Contact director for more information.

Getting There

Find the Bastille Day Festival at Jamison Square in the Pearl between NW 10th and NW 11th at NW Johnson. Click here for a Google map. Metered street parking is available but limited in the Pearl.

The Jamison Square stop on the Portland street car line is NW Johnson for the NS Line,  A Loop or B Loop. Check out maps and schedules and click on the Interactive map to see Jamison Square. 

About the Alliance Française de Portland


The Alliance Française de Portland is a chartered member of an international non-profit organization founded in Paris in 1883 to promote French language and culture. There are currently 832 Alliances in 134 countries worldwide.

To fulfill our mission, we teach French classes for adults and children and hold events such as Bastille Day to help Portland get more acquainted with French culture. We offer group and individual classes year-round; please view our current term here. Our teachers are native-level French speakers trained in teaching French as a foreign language. Sign up for our newsletters and see what we're doing when.

We are a non-profit organization and are totally self-supporting through our classes, events, memberships, and donations. Click here if you'd like to make a donation.



Please note that the Alliance Francaise complies with current COVID regulations and recommendations of the State of Oregon.
The Alliance Française de Portland is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.



 

PARKING

Street parking on SW 20th St. facing the Kamm House is limited. Free parking is available in Lot A at SW 18th and SW Columbia. Please obtain a parking pass from the office. After 6 pm weekdays, students may park in the Willamette Dental lot at SW 20th and SW Jefferson as available.

OFFICE HOURS

The Alliance office is open 10am-3pm Monday through Friday.
Call us at 503.223.8388 during business hours or leave a message.
Email us at  info@afportland.org.

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