Bastille Day on Selby Avenue




 

Bastille Day poster in a store window

The morning was nice and cool so an early out seemed in order before the heat of the day set in. I thought about driving to this first ever Bastille Day Block Party on Selby Avenue, but I figured I'd need to park far away so I decided to walk.
I hadn't realized that it would get really hot as fast as it did. By the time I'd covered about three-quarters of a mile, half the distance to my destination, I knew it would be impossibly hot on the way home. My head was already wet and I could feel my hair curling near the roots.

Parking was obviously not going to be a problem so I should probably have turned back to get my car, but common sense isn't my strong suite so I pressed on. Fortunately, I took some good photos along the way, so I told myself I'd done the right thing.

Maybe not. I arrived at the block party before noon. Publicity in Twin Cities media suggested that this would be one hell of a big party, so I was quite disappointed when I saw that it wasn't more than the very local block party promised by the poster.

There may have been a French flag somewhere but I didn't see one. The usual street vendors were absent so I had to rethink my vague plan of lunch at the fair. By this time the sun was beating down on me through the overcast sky and I briefly considered walking across the street for a light lunch and beer at O'Gara's, but instead settled for a macaroon at the Whole Foods tent. It was so good that I got back in line and had one more.

Most of the people milling around were about my own age, some in vintage clothing popular in the   1970s. Some of them looked a little familiar, including a woman who used to ride my 94H bus to Minneapolis back in the late 1980s. Only a few merchants had any merchandise on display, and most of it looked like yard sale material. The whole thing seemed like a half-hearted effort unworthy of the seductive event poster.

Feeling a little disappointed, I walked home on different streets, stopping to take photos of some of the lovely gardens on my route. By the time I reached Grand and Fairview I was only a half mile or so from home, a good thing because the temperature was now approaching 90F and climbing. Enough outdoor activity for the afternoon. Instead, I sat in "air conditioned comfort" and watched the Twins trounce the Tigers 7-1.

Summer pics, including photos from Bastille Day on Selby.