Bastille Day and Petanque in Portland, Oregon!

This past weekend, the French community in Portland celebrated Bastille Day, their Independence Day, in a nice little downtown park. As many as 5,000 attended and were treated to live French music and song, a waiters' race, dog show, fencing demonstration and of course, petanque, all while enjoying merguez sausages, French beverages and an offering of French themed merchandise by local merchants.

The fellow from the San Francisco French Consulate was astonished and very pleased to see such an active petanque community so far from France.
Special thanks are due to Petanque America for boules sets awarded to participants in a free raffle.

Organized by the Portland Petanque Club with help from volunteers from other petanque groups, spectators enjoyed the boules pointing activities, the on-going petanque games, and a selection of literature about petanque and where and how to play our favorite game.



Our group was attracted to this activity because it seems to us that francophiles are ideal prospects for this wonderful past time. Maybe there is a similar opportunity in your community.

Here are a few waiters, walking fast and hoping their drinks don't spill! A player in the Portland Club won this race and several hundred dollars!