Celebrate Bastille Day - 7/14/14

Celebrate independence and explore two revolutions that greatly influenced modern government with a Bastille Day Celebration at the National Register-listed University Club of Albany, 141 Washington Avenue at Dove Street on Monday, July 14 from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Bastille Day, known in France as La Fête Nationale or The National Celebration, takes place on July 14th and celebrates France’s freedom from royal rule. The holiday commemorates the storming of the Bastille, a large French jail that was a symbol of the King’s power. Similar to Independence Day in the U.S., it is a day when national pride is on full display.

The festivities marking the 225th anniversary of Bastille Day will begin at 6:00 p.m. with a tasting of French wines – red, white, and rosé – presented by University Club board member Mark Brogna, proprietor of Capital Wine & Spirits at 348 State Street in Albany. The tasting will be accompanied by Parisian pique-nique fare, including salade Niçoise; assorted pâtés, pickles and olives; cold meats; crudités; and cheeses.

At 7:00 p.m., Richard S. Fogarty, Associate Professor, Department of History at the University at Albany, will present a talk titled, “A Tale of Two Revolutions, and Two Independence Days.” He will discuss the French Revolution, its ties to the American Revolution, and how two nations commemorating their independence every July could be celebrating things at once so different and so much the same. The evening will conclude with a champagne toast and a sweet treat.

The cost for the event, which includes the tasting and pique-nique fare, is $40. Reservations are required and may be made by calling the University Club at 518-463-1151 or online.

This event is presented by the University Club of Albany Foundation, Inc., and one need not be a member of the University Club to attend. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the 501c3 Foundation, which was formed in 2009 to recognize and maintain the unique historic and architectural significance of the University Club building and property, its neighborhood and the city of Albany, where it has been located since its inception in 1901. Support for educational programming presented by the University Club Foundation is provided by AT&T.