Les Halles News and Events
Liberty Festival July 14, 2005
Summertime in New York means
outdoor fun, parties, and barbeque
food. Brasserie Les Halles Bastille
Races and festivities have now become an
annual summer tradition of family and
fun. After an extremely successful event
last July, Les Halles brings back the
Liberty Festival and Bastille Races, the
summer celebration in the heart of
Manhattan’s Financial District. “The
Liberty Festival amplifies the vibrant
spirit of downtown New York,” notes
Philippe Lajaunie, proprietor of the Les Halles brasseries. Les Halles Downtown will be
celebrating the most important dates in the U.S. and France – the 4th of July, America’s
Independence Day, and the 14th of July, Bastille Day.
This year, Liberty Festival featured
live music from The New Deal
Orchestra band, can-can dancers,
Lady Liberty, Marie Antoinette, our
very own Les Halles Cow, food and
drinks, and of course our famous
Bastille Races. Festival goers line the
race course to cheer on the contestants,
and enjoy the often hilarious
anticsof these unique games. In the
Waiter’s/Waitress’ Race, restaurant
wait-staff from all over the city
speed-walked the race course balancing
a tray with a bottle and a wine
glass on 
one hand. A team of 10
waiters, winners of the Stockholm
Waiter’s Race, flew in from
Scandinavia to compete. The
Scandinavian waiters swept the races
last year, giving the French/American
waiters and waitresses a reason to
band together and beat the global
champs. This year, one of our very
own from
Les Halles, Jed Schultz was
the winner of the Waiter’s Race. (as
appeared on Metro, NY p.4 of July 15-
17, 2005) The suggested entry fee for
all races is $10, with all proceeds
going to benefit Best Buddies
Charity. (Best Buddies is a not-for profit
organization dedicated to
enhancing the lives of people with
intellectual disabilities by providing
opportunities for one-to-one friendships
and integrated employment.)
So if you missed us this year, please
join us for next year!
"The Waiter’s Race has been so
popular, that we created more
races so kids, chefs and even
guests could participate,"
— PHILIPPE LAJAUNIE
Click images to enlarge.