Bastille Day Best Bets: Campagne's Post Alley, Corson Building's Garden Party

Every year, the Campagnes grande et petite block off their stretch of Post Alley to be filled with revelry, revelers and performance. It's like an old fashioned block party in the market. Cafe Campagne keeps the concessions simple; everything is five bucks. Red, white and pink wine and simple food will be served, including variously stuffed baguettes and pommes frites. Nothing fancy, this is a day to vive la revolution! Live music will fill the quartered off patch of Post Alley, featuring the Djangomatics (bien sur), Greg Ruby Trio and Casey McGill's Blue4 Trio. Starting at 3:00 p.m. and going until 8:30 p.m., entertainment will run on 45 minute sets, half of it just music, the other half filled with random acts from some of the town's top burlesque performers fan dancing, can canning, gay go going, and singing. (Campagne & Café Campagne, 1600 Post Alley, 3:00-10:00 p.m., admission free.)

The Corson Building enlisted the ladies of local event planning company The Adventure School to help them throw a Frenchified fete in the picture-perfect, wrought iron enclosed little farmhouse of a restaurant located off the main drag of industrially quirky Georgetown. You will be able to buy tickets good for purchasing drinks and a variety of street food like crepes and falafel. The day's festivities will include games for kids and adults alike, such as petanque (French bocce ball),... a bouncy castle (ceci n'est pas francais) and beaucoup music. Caspar Babypants (aka Chris Ballew from the Presidents), The Pharmacy, Schoolyard Heroes will preform, and a DJ will spin in between. (The Corson Building, 5609 Corson Avenue S., 3:00 p.m. to midnight, $20 admission (kids under 12 free), + cost of food & drink tickets.)

(photo courtesy of the French embassy in Washington, D.C.)