C'est la fête!: Castine to celebrate Bastille Day
Hundreds are expected for the daylong event on July 19
Castine’s Bastille Day celebrations culminate with the ‘Picnic en Blanc,’ an ‘open air’ dinner that draws hundreds. Photo courtesy of Betsy Lieser.
July 8, 2026
By Annie Means
CASTINE—While the rest of Blue Hill peninsula recovers from the Fourth of July, Castine is preparing for another patriotic event—only this time it's a celebration of France. The town will host its 9th Annual Bastille Day celebration on July 19.
Bastille Day, called La Fête Nationale by French natives and francophiles alike, celebrates the beginning of the French Revolution and the storming of the Bastille. With deep historical ties to France, Castine has made the holiday a staple of both the summer season and the town’s identity.
“[The celebration] highlights the uniqueness of our community,” said Karen Koos, chair and organizing force of annual Bastille Day events. “We are a small town, but a lot of people travel here from all over the world for the summer.”
Before Castine joined the English empire, and well before the town became a beloved vacation destination, it was a French outpost.
In the 1630s, the French established Fort Pentagöet on the shores of the Penobscot River estuary, hoping to maintain their foothold over Acadia, the region between the Kennebec and St. Croix Rivers.
After two scuffles with the Dutch, and later with the British Empire, Acadia was seized by the British Empire in 1713 and Castine’s French influence began to fade.
The name of the town, however, retains its French history. Castine was named after the French Baron Jean-Vincent d’Abbadie de Saint-Castin. He was part of a French military force that, in 1674, evicted a group of Dutchmen who had occupied the area. After Castine expelled the Dutch, he stayed and established a trading post with the First Nations. He returned to France in 1700.
Now, with the wars long behind it and Castine firmly American, the celebration of the town's French heritage has become one of the signature events of the summer. On July 14, visitors can expect to find the town adorned with French flags and activities planned throughout the day.
The day’s events include French-themed activities for participants of all ages. Photos courtesy of Betsy Lieser.
Highlights of Bastille Day include a French toast breakfast at the church, historical walking tours, a French film night at Emerson Hall, a make-and-take crafts table and a French vanilla ice cream bar at the Wilson Museum, and French takeaway picnic baskets from local restaurants.
The centerpiece of the day is the “Picnic en Blanc,” which was started nearly a decade ago by resident Pat Bishop. The beloved picnic centers on a single long table, draped in white and stretching hundreds of yards down Court Street. Guests come dressed head to toe in white and gather to dine in the open air.
“The first year, they borrowed tables and chairs from churches and town hall and sat 200 to 300 people,” Koos said. Now the table stretches even further, and attendance has swelled to 500.
“We always have more people who want to come,” Koos said, adding that participants include locals and tourists. Koos herself is welcoming French guests to the event.
Seating at the center table requires advance registration, but participants are welcome to bring picnics, blankets and their own tables if they don’t get reservations in time, Koos said. To close out the evening, several restaurants stay open past their normal hours to sell drinks and food, including the Pentagöet Pub, named after the original French fort.
As the event continues to gain popularity year after year, Koos sees it not just as an economic boom for the town but “as a great way to get to know community members.”
“I hope more people get on board to support it,” she said.
2026 Bastille Day events
8:30 a.m.-10:00 a.m.: French toast breakfast, Main Street Church
10:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.: Crepe Elizabeth Food Truck, Town Dock
10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.: Dyce's Head Light Tour, Dyce’s Head Light
1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m.: Historical walking tour, Castine Historical Society, Town Common
2:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.: Ice cream social, Wilson Museum
4:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.: Auxford Market Wine Tasting, Auxford Market
5:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.: Crepe Elizabeth Food Truck, Town Common
5:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m.: Picnic en Blanc, Court Street
7:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.: French themed cocktails, The Pentagöet Inn & Pub
A note on parking: Court Street, from Main to Green, will be closed to both traffic and parking from noon until 9 p.m. on July 14 for Castine’s Bastille Day celebration.
For more information on the event, visit the Castine Events Calendar.