WAMU 88.5 : News

Filed Under:

'French Maids' Fill 18th Street For Bastille Day

By: Patrick Madden // July 15, 2011
Play associated audio
comments
Crowds gather to listen to King Louis XVI's opening remarks at the Bastille Day block party and French maids' race in D.C.
Patrick Madden
Crowds gather to listen to King Louis XVI's opening remarks at the Bastille Day block party and French maids' race in D.C.

At a popular block party in Adams Morgan, hundreds had gathered to see an unusual take on the traditional Bastille Day "waiters' races" that take place on July 14 around the world.

Jim Ball, co-owner of L'Enfant Café on 18th Street NW, is sporting a powdered wig, royal costume and an impressive accent.

"Today I am not dressed up as Jim Ball, but as King Louis 16th, the king of all of France," he says in convincing broken English.

Hundreds of people have gathered outside the café to watch the "French maids" relay race, a twist on the traditional race. The event is in its 7th year.

"We have 40 people, men and women," says Ball. "The women are sexy -- the men are not so much -- running up and down the street doing a race."

Ball says he believes his Bastille Day race will become a Washington tradition.

"I say it has all the fun and excitement of the Grand Prix, but none of the elegance," he says.

Arts & Culture

NPR

A Read Down Memory Lane: Lessons From Your Former Self

Writings from childhood — cards, stories and other notes — can hide for decades, like time capsules tucked away in boxes, old bedrooms, attics and journals. Writer Jim Sollisch talks about how old thank you notes from his youth foreshadowed his adult life.

Food

NPR

Inside A Tart Cherry Revival: 'Somebody Needs To Do This!'

The revival is partly based on the humble sour fruit's growing reputation as a superfood. And in Michigan, a scientist is on a quest to introduce a whole new world of hardier, tastier tart cherries by breeding American trees with ancestral varieties from Eastern Europe.

Politics

NPR

Srinivasan's Confirmation First For D.C. Circuit In 7 Years

The partisan war over judicial nominees has accelerated in recent years. It took nearly a year to win Senate confirmation for Sri Srinivasan to the important federal appeals court for the District of Columbia, though he had no formal opposition.

Technology

NPR

3-D Printer Makes Life-Saving Splint For Baby Boy's Airway

A 3-D printer is being credited with helping to save an Ohio baby's life, after doctors "printed" a tube to support a weak airway that caused him to stop breathing. The innovative procedure has allowed Kaiba Gionfriddo, of Youngstown, Ohio, to stay off a ventilator for more than a year.

Leave a Comment

Help keep the conversation civil. Please refer to our Terms of Use and Code of Conduct before posting your comments.