Oddly, it is Paris’s firehouses that are known for throwing some of the best parties of Bastille Day, France’s biggest national holiday.
By Hetty Bishop
PARIS – As Paris’s world-class, 30-minute fireworks display came to a close and crowds began to disburse, in the City of Lights the party was only about to begin. Dozens of “firehouse balls,” or firehouse-hosted dance parties, kept Bastille Day festivities flowing into the wee hours of the morning.
With the late-night parties hosted by the Brigade de Sapeurs Pompiers de Paris spreading throughout nearly all 20 of Paris’s arrondissements, or districts, these festive gatherings are difficult to miss, especially if you’re on the streets past, say, 11 p.m. Think flashing red and blue lights.
Each party is a little different, with each fire station taking a slightly different approach. But most go from about 9 p.m. to about 4 a.m. Some ask for a donation or admission fee, while others do not.
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Paris’s firefighters know how to throw a party. Shown here
is one of the many firehouse scenes throughout Paris the
night of Bastille Day.
Photo credit: Tribe, via Creative Commons
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This year, I attended the ball at 55 Boulevard de Port-Royal with a few friends. After dropping off our donations, we entered to a range of sensory experiences. Smells of smoke and sweat filled the room. The blaring set list featured Latin, American and French music. The French’s renowned disregard for personal space quickly became a theme. Smell, sound, touch.
What am I missing? Oh, sight, of course. I need to mention the hunky, clean-shaven French
Firemen: an Abercrombie & Fitch ad turned live action. And taste: The cocktails were so fruity that you barely noticed the alcohol. That made these cocktails rather dangerous concoctions, a danger evident in partiers’ alarming consumption rates.
All of these moving parts added up to a distinctively French celebration of which that I’m glad to have been a part. After a few hours, with the party still in high gear, I headed for home, content to call it a day after a rolling series of Bastille Day festivities.
So, if you ever find yourself in Paris on July 14, consider capping your day with a Brigade de Sapeurs Pompiers de Paris party you won’t soon forget.
Each pin identifies a firehouse in Paris that opens its doors on Bastille Day for a party into the wee hours of the morning.