by Ellie Markovitch You may find yourself asking about the relationship between fireman and the France’s most important holiday. The answer is that firemen host the largest dancing parties to celebrate Bastille Day in all of Paris’s fire stations July 13 and 14 .
Party goers do not seam to be bothered that they have to wait for more than an hour to get into the annual Fireman’s Ball in the 6th district. They brought their friends, their wine and they could enjoy the music from the streets.
The celebration continues with a military parade up the Champs Elysées and fireworks on the Champs de Mars.
by Ellie Markovitch Hundreds of musicians and music lovers flooded the streets of Paris June 21 for the annual Fête de la Musique. Since the much-anticipated event began a quarter century ago, more than 300 cities have followed the Paris beat. This year, New York and Amsterdam were the latest to embrace the music.
The festival traces its roots to 1982 when honchos at the Ministry of Culture realized there were millions of musical instruments collecting dust across France. They envisioned a day when free music, by professionals and amateurs alike, filled the squares and arcades of Paris. (For more history: www.makemusicny.org/history.php)
