Ooh-la-la! The French celebration of independence, Bastille Day, will be celebrated Saturday in Covington from 5-10 p.m. on North Columbia Street. The street fete will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a waiter’s race beginning at the Columbia Street Tap Room and ending at the St. Tammany Homestead, one of the sponsors of the festivities.

Waiters from local restaurants will compete in a fast walk race, holding a tray with a glass of water and pitcher of water. The winner will be the first one to finish without spilling their water. The winner receives a cash award and their restaurant receives this year’s Bastille Day original painting by Suzanne King, also featured on the festival brochure and collectible fans.

After the race, the street festival opens with music by accordionist Julie Counsel, the Robert Snow Jazz Trio, the Gene Lipps Band and Sarah Quintana. The free festival will also feature an eight-foot Eiffel Tower made of spaghetti.

Galleries will also be participating in the festival with coordinated art openings by dozens of artists from the entire region.

Many of the boutiques will offer special sales, wine and food tasting, art exhibitions and music during the evening. Art demonstrations will also be a part of the festivities.

Brunner Gallery will feature new works by Lauren Leonard and Dennis Johnson as well as a selection of oil paintings, pastels and mixed media drawings by Mandeville artist Lori Seals.

Fort Isabel Gallery will be showing works by their artists Mary Andersson, Charlotte Schully Coe, Carolyn Finnell, Suzanne King, Wes Koon, Kelly Landrum-Hammell, Carol Lapari, Martin Needom, Johnny Stout and the giclee prints of Beryl Carbon.

A special Merchant Square in the parking lot at Dependable Glass will feature booths from merchants around the city.

The Covington Association of Retailers and the St. Tammany Art Association are also sponsoring Bastille Day. The fete will feature many artists in the cultural district of Covington, which means original artwork is available for purchase without paying sales tax.

In conjunction with the festivities, the Cultural Alliance of the Americas, along with the St. Tammany Art Association and Ecos Latino, will present Habanera Jazz, a concert celebrating the music of New Orleans and Honduras.

The concert will be held Friday night at 8 p.m. and will feature Don Vappie and the Creole Jazz Serenaders, Angel Rios and Bodoma Garifuna of Honduras with Patrice Fisher and Band. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at the door or at www.vappielle.com.

Prior to the performance, a meet the artists reception will be held at 6 p.m. at the STAA Art House on North Columbia Street featuring Honduran dishes.