Bastille Day celebrations took place Monday in the heart of Frenchtown, closing out a weeklong tribute to French heritage on St. Thomas.
Community members gathered for an open house at the French Heritage Museum, where they toured exhibits highlighting the rich seafaring and cultural legacy of the French Caribbean community. A brief program and live entertainment brought neighbors and visitors together in a vibrant display of pride and tradition, honoring a local history of Bastille Day celebrations that dates back nearly 90 years.
French Heritage Week has evolved from a single-day event into a full week of activities, officially recognized each year by gubernatorial proclamation. The tradition dates as far back as 1935, when newspaper accounts described residents of Carenage, now known as Frenchtown, decorating their homes with French flags and gathering for informal receptions. Over the decades, celebrations expanded to include boat races, softball games, concerts, dances and, more recently, fishing tournaments and cultural presentations.
During the evening program, Gabrielle Querrard delivered a powerful address that underscored the deeper meaning behind the museum and the festivities.
“History is not just about the past. It is about who we are, who we become, and how we see ourselves in the world,” she said. Her speech reminded attendees that the French Heritage Museum is not just a collection of artifacts but a living archive shaped by voices, struggles, and triumphs across generations.
Querrard, a digital creator and content curator with a focus on Caribbean culture, history and news, spoke of the importance of intentional archiving that honors both joy and pain, and encouraged all present to see themselves as co-authors of this collective history.
“When we collaborate, when elders share memories, when artists reinterpret the past, when scholars and community members work side by side, we don’t just build an archive. We build a living conversation across generations,” she added, inviting the community to preserve and share the stories that define their identity.
