Bastille Days dishes out fresh French fare all weekend long

MILWAUKEE, Wis. (June 18, 2018) – Milwaukee’s 37th annual Bastille Days returns to Cathedral Square Park July 12 – 15 with a gourmet spread of food, libations and endless opportunities for sampling. The four-day affair boasts free food and drink demonstrations by the area’s top chefs, ticketed wine tastings and nearly 25 eateries serving French, Cajun and American cuisines. In addition, Milwaukee Brewing Co. will roll out a special Bastille Days Saison at the festival’s annual firkin tapping.

Free Chef Demos Sponsored by NUCU™
The Gutless Gourmet, Cate Miller of Cate’s Kitchen will produce and emcee the festival’s daily cooking demos sponsored by NUCU™, Thursday through Sunday between noon and 3:00 p.m. at the Madison Medical Affiliates Beaux Arts Stage. The city’s top culinary experts will share tips and recipes for mastering mealtime. This year’s lineup includes: Kyle Cherek, Host of Emmy Award-winning PBS television show Wisconsin Foodie; Chef/Owner AJ Dixon, Lazy Susan; Executive Chef Bryce Knickelbein, Mi-Key’s; Owner/Chef Karen Gill, The Focused Fork; Corporate Chef Jovan Djokovic, Sysco Eastern Wisconsin; TrueMan McGee, Funky Fresh Spring Rolls; CEO/Founder Justin Johnson, Sustainable Kitchens; Head Butcher Joe Parajecki, Kettle Range Meat Co.; Chef/Owner Michael Quinn, Maison; Chef/Owner Yollande Deacon, Irie Zulu; Owner/Chef Suzette Metcalfe, The Pasta Tree Restaurant and Wine Bar; and Pastry Chef Katie O’Neil, SURG Restaurant Group.

Free Wine, Beer & Spirit Demos
Experts from WineMasters, BeerMasters, Door County Distillery and Door Peninsula Winery will also share demos with fest-goers at 2:30 p.m., 3:00 p.m. and 3:40 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 3:00 p.m., 3:20 p.m. and 3:50 p.m. on Sunday at the Madison Medical Affiliates Beaux Arts Stage. Free samples of featured labels will be available for guests 21 and older.

Mayor Barrett Taps Official Bastille Days Brew
Milwaukee Brewing Co. will unveil their exclusive Bastille Days ale alongside Mayor Tom Barrett at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 12 at the Madison Medical Affiliates Beaux Arts Stage. The ceremonial tapping will include an informative conversation on the brew’s production. Fresh samples will be poured for of-age spectators.

Ticketed Wine Tastings on Friday & Saturday
Expert sommeliers will lead fest-goers in three sit-down wine tastings sponsored by The University Club on Friday, July 13 at 8:30 p.m. and Saturday, July 14 at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $40 at the festival or $30 in advance from bastilledaysfestival.com and include eight tasting tickets, good for 2 oz. pours.

International Mélange of On-Site Eateries
Nearly 25 restaurants and food vendors will serve up a worldly mix of French, Cajun and other ethnic cuisines. Festgoers craving traditional French fare can check out Beignets Français, Cream & Crêpe Café, Lagniappe Brasserie, Lake Park Bistro, Le Rêve Patisserie & Café and North Shore Boulangerie.

Bastille Days is sponsored by Bud Light, Madison Medical Affiliates, Associated Bank, Pepsi, Gruber Law Offices – “One Call…That’s All”, Saz’s Hospitality Group, Door Peninsula Winery, EDI, 330 Kilbourn, NUCU™, The Plaza Hotel, The University Club, Transdev, Pella Windows & Doors, 7seventy7 and Bell Ambulance.

Bastille Days

ABOUT NUCU
NUCU™ is manufactured by The Vollrath Company, LLC, a leading provider of cookware and bakeware for the professional foodservice industry. The brand makes Vollrath’s professional-grade craftsmanship available to select retailers and their customers in a collection of cookware and bakeware products designed for the sophisticated home chef. For more details, visit nucu.com, and follow NUCU™ on Facebook, Instagram ,LinkedIn, Pinterest and Twitter.

ABOUT BASTILLE DAYS
Bastille Days is presented by the East Town Association, Inc., a nonprofit downtown Milwaukee business organization that has celebrated Bastille Days in Milwaukee since 1981. Proceeds from the festival are returned to the community through neighborhood improvement programs and civic events such as the
popular Jazz in the Park and Cathedral Square Market. Bastille Days is free and open to the public. Visit www.bastilledaysfestival.com for more information.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.