by Becky Robbins

Created on: July 11, 2009

If you are unable to go to the Bastille Day celebrations in France, bring the celebrations to a location near you. There are many ways that you can ring in the celebration marking the end of monarchy in France. You can make the celebration as simple or as extravagant as you would like, just set your budget and the rest will fall into place. As with any event, a little bit of planning goes a long way.

First things first, you must decide how big you want this event to be. If it is something that is just for you and your closest friends, the cost may be minimal to none. If you want to plan an event that includes your 50-100 closest friends and family along with your mailman, you will have to plan a larger budget. Maybe you want to turn it into a neighborhood celebration with a block party.

Location, location, location. The biggest or smallest part of your budget will fall with the location. Are you thinking of a simple quiet affair? An intimate picnic in the park will not cost you, but a large picnic in the park where you rent the picnic shelter will. A quiet dinner or party at home will not cost a penny. Renting a ballroom at a hotel will incur a cost. A neighborhood block party can easily be located at the end of a cul-de-sac.

What is an event without food? The next important item you need to consider is whether you are just going to have appetizers or a full several course meal. An intimate dinner at home may start with an appetizer or salad course. It may then move to a meat dish. And what meal is complete without dessert? If you are hosting a party, you may keep the focus on appetizers and desserts. Again, as the size of the event, type of the event, and location of the event fall into place, it makes deciding what types of food to serve a lot easier.

If you are focusing on appetizers, beignet au fromage, essentially cheese puffs, or a nice quiche, like quiche Lorraine, might be possible. If you want to get a little fancier, you might make foie gras, pate, or even baked brie. Maybe you are throwing a wine and cheese tasting event and only need four or five types of cheese and two or three types of wine. Perhaps you want to be fancy and serve Coquilles St. Jacques A la Provencale. A popular dessert, depending again on location, would be crepes with Nutella and strawberries. A picnic would be complete with a tarte aux peches, a peach pie. There are so many delicious options, but don't forget the baguette!

When planning an event such as a block party or an event in a park, it is important to have some activities involved. Since soccer, better known in Europe as football, is one of the favorite sports in France, it's a great activity to have at your Bastille Day event. Set up a penalty kick tournament for the kids or have 3-on-3 matches. To set the mood at any event, pop in some French music or show some movies that are set in France. If you are feeling adventurous, you can even rent some French movies, with English subtitles if you need them.

Now that you have some ideas to get that party started, it's time to take the planning into your own hands. Whatever you choose, you will have an exciting Bastille Day Event full of the most important ingredients, food, folks, and fun. Don't forget to start or end the day with a rousing rendition of "La Marseillaise."

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