annual events - RVing with Rex

Sacré bleu! Celebrate the toppling of the long-standing French monarchy symbolized by the storming of a fortress and political prison in Paris on Bastille Day on July 14. Nearly a dozen countries around the world organize events and parties to commemorate the day. How will you celebrate Bastille Day?

Longfellow-Evangeline State Historic Park, Louisiana *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

History of Bastille Day

Bastille Day is commonly known in Franceas Fête Nationale or the National Celebration. However, the English-speaking world has taken to calling it Bastille Day to honor the moment in 1789 when a mob of French revolutionaries charged into Paris’ Bastille, a major point in the French Revolution. The first celebration can be traced back to July 14, 1790, exactly one year after the Bastille fell. Since then, it has continued to grow and parties are held around the world.

Bastille Day marks the anniversary of the fall of the Bastille in Paris and later the monarchy. Originally constructed as a medieval fortress, the Bastille was eventually used as a state prison. Prisoners who were directly sent there under orders of the King would get no trial or right of appeal. At times they included political prisoners who spoke against the rules and laws set by the ruling king. Detained citizens awaiting trial were also held at the Bastille. Despite plans to demolish the building in the late 18^th century, the Bastille had come to represent the Bourbon monarchy and its harsh acts.

During the unrest of 1789, on July 14, a mob approached the Bastille to demand the arms and ammunition stored there and when the forces guarding the structure resisted, the attackers captured the prison and released the seven prisoners held there. The taking of the Bastille signaled the beginning of the French Revolution and it thus became a symbol of the end of the ancient monarchical régime.

The holiday is known as Fête Nationale in France and officially became a holiday in 1880. From the beginning military parades, fireworks, speeches, and public displays were a part of the celebrations reveling in the downfall of monarchical rule. The slogan Vive le 14 juillet! (Long live the 14th of July!) is associated with the day. Former French colonies and countries with friendly relations with France also started observing the holiday. French Polynesia, in particular, adopted the holiday into its own culture with dancing, singing, and entertainment performances held throughout July.

Bastille Day timeline

July 14, 1789: French revolutionaries storm the Bastille in a victory both strategic and symbolic
July 14, 1790: Fête de la Fédération takes place on the one year anniversary of the storming of the Bastille to celebrate French unity
July 6, 1880: The first Bastille Day Ball takes place and becomes an annual tradition from this year onwards

Traditions of the day

Bastille Day is more than just a historical holiday; it is a celebration of French culture. Large-scale events take place all over the country and some other parts of the world with meals, parties, and fireworks.

The annual military parade on the morning of July 14 is a patriotic display of French solidarity. The national flag of France is displayed everywhere and while candy is not thrown during the parade it does in some aspects, resemble the American Fourth of July parades.

It wouldn’t be a French holiday without a completely lavish, delicious meal. In some areas of France, it is a tradition to have a picnic on Bastille Day while in other regions families enjoy an elaborate meal at their homes in the middle of the day. If not a picnic, these meals are enjoyed in gardens or backyards to enjoy the pleasant weather. The menu is generally lighter with less cream and butter and more fruits and vegetables.

Bastille Day by the numbers

2: Number of towers in the original construction of the Bastille
75: Height in feet of the original two towers
8: Number of towers after the building was turned into a rectangular fortress
55: Number of captives held at any given time by Cardinal Richelieu in the 17^th century
7: Number of prisoners freed after the storming of the Bastille
5: Number of years that aristocrat Marquis de Sade was jailed in the Bastille
60 francs: Amount of money donated to families of the revolutionaries by Thomas Jefferson
91: Number of years it took for Bastille Day to become a national holiday
6,300: Number of soldiers marching in the 2022 Bastille Day military parade
25: Number of helicopters at the 2022 Bastille Day military parade

Bastille Day activities

Celebrate Bastille Day in Paris: If you’re fortunate enough to spend Bastille Day (La Fête Nationale) in Paris, you’ll get to experience the biggest summer celebration in the city. Festivities kick off with a military ceremony followed by a huge military parade down the Avenue des Champs Élysées and flyover by military aircraft. You can gather on the Champ de Mars with a blanket and picnic to relax and enjoy free concerts before the fireworks, attend one of the popular Bals des Pompiers (Firemen’s Balls), cruise down the Seine River while enjoying dinner and fireworks, or visit one of the many museums open for the occasion.

Find a party near you: In the United States, more than 50 cities have established some form of an official Bastille Day celebration. Some of the largest are found in New York, Milwaukee, St. Louis, and New Orleans—all of which have large pockets of strong French influence. In Montreal, Bastille Day is celebrated with a large public festival called L’International des Feux Loto-Québec.

Watch a documentary: The storming of the Bastille set in motion a chain of events that not only shaped the course of French history but had a profound impact on the forms of government that emerged in the 19^th century. Take some time to learn about the wars, treaties, and shifting borders that all arose after the French Revolution by watching a documentary on the topic.

Throw your own party: Can’t make it to any of the biggest Bastille Day celebrations? No problem! Throwing a French-themed party is easy. If you’re not into the cliches and stereotypes you can have a more authentic experience by serving what the Parisian locals actually drink. Citron Pressé on a hot summer’s day anyone?

Honestly, what’s not to love about champagne, cheese, haute couture, and Edith Piaf? Even if you disagree (mon dieu!), there’s much to fete in today’s lineup.

Worth Pondering…

No dictator, no invader, can hold an imprisoned population by force of arms forever. There is no greater power in the universe than the need for freedom. Against that power, governments and tyrants and armies cannot stand.

—J. Michael Straczynski

Feel the earth tremble as the hooves of more than 1,300 American buffalo pound through the valley in Custer State Park. At the annual Buffalo Roundup in the Black Hills of South Dakota, herdsmen on horseback spur them over the ridge, down the hill and into corrals for sorting.

Buffalo Roundup © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Each fall, the ground rumbles and the dust flies as cowboys, cowgirls, and park crews drive the thundering herd of approximately 1,300 buffalo (number of animals vary depending on rangeland conditions). Up to 20 volunteer cowboys and cowgirls are selected each year through an application process.

Clouds of dust and flying turf envelopes the 1-ton animals as they come running by, a mass of horns, hooves, and muscle on the move. You would think such large, lumbering animals would be slow, but they can stop on a dime and easily jump a 5- or 6-foot fence. Your jaw will drop at their speed and agility.

Riding herd on the stampede takes both organization and an understanding of bison intellect. The herd moves easily from prairie grasses to asphalt and into the holding pen. Over the years, there had been numerous runaways trying to turn back.

The big bull bison are not included in the Roundup because they are more aggressive and are simply hard to round up. Because of this, visitors may see them scattered throughout the park during the Roundup weekend.

Not only is the roundup a spectacular sight to see, it is also part of the park’s management plan to maintain a healthy balance between the number of bison and the available rangeland forage. The park can only sustain a certain number of bison, based on the condition of the grassland and how much food is available.

The Buffalo Roundup also allows for some of the animals to be sorted out of the herd. The excess animals are then auctioned off to buyers in November wanting to supplement their herds or start new ones elsewhere in the country.

The annual roundup, held the last Friday in September, is open to the public. In 2019, the 54^th annual Roundup is scheduled for Friday, September 27.

Wild burros also via for attention © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

There is no admission fee for the event and a park entrance fee is not required the day of the Buffalo Roundup. Parking lots open at 6:15 a.m. (but be prepared to wait in line). Visitors who are in the park by 7:00 a.m. will have plenty of time to get to the viewing areas. The Roundup does not start until 9:30 a.m.

Pancakes, sausages, and beverages are available at 6:15 a.m., in both viewing areas. Lunch is served, until 2:00 p.m., at the corrals once the buffalo are rounded up. There is a fee for both meals.

Pronghorn antelope share the range with the buffal0 © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Both viewing areas have unique vantage points and visitors get great views from either location. Visitors may not move between viewing areas.

The Roundup is generally over by 11:30 a.m., but visitors need to be prepared to stay in the viewing areas until the bison are safely in the corrals. Shuttles are available after the Roundup for visitors wishing to visit the corral area.

Fun activities continue the entire weekend following the Roundup. The Buffalo Roundup Arts Festival, with up to 150 vendors, is held Thursday, Friday, and Saturday near the Peter Norbeck Visitor Center. Saturday features the annual Cabela’s Challenge Dutch Oven Cook-off.

If you’re not in the mood to browse or buy and you want to escape the crowds, there’s plenty of daytime wildlife viewing along Wildlife Loop Road and other scenic byways. September is the rut season for the elk and the pronghorn antelope. With the elks’ mating calls and sparring, along with the antelope racing after each other, wildlife watching is quite entertaining.

The spectacle of these animals moving across the plains is a thrill rarely seen elsewhere. So is the silence that shrouded the hills once the beasts are corralled.

Once placed in the corrals, park staff sorts out approximately 200 animals to be sold, vaccinates the new members of the herd, brands the new calves, and checks the cows for pregnancy. It takes about four days to work the entire herd.

Worth Pondering…

Oh, give me a home where the Buffalo roam
Where the Deer and the Antelope play;
Where never is heard a discouraging word,
And the sky is not clouded all day.

—Dr. Brewster Higley (1876)

Tag: annual events

Celebrate Freedom on Bastille Day: July 14

Round ‘Em Up: The Ground Rumbles & The Dust Flies