American Independence Day, Luxembourg Style

Last summer was our first 4^th of July overseas. I spent the day stealing several moments to scroll through Facebook, wistfully reading through status updates of friends who were headed to cookouts or neighborhood picnics, Independence Day parades, and eyeing their plans to watch local fireworks displays that night. I was jealous…and more than a little bit homesick. Nick often jokes that I'm "America's #1 patriot" and, when it comes to the 4th of July, he's right!  

"Captain Mike" leads the Independence Day parade
in my old neighborhood in Ohio.

Growing up in a small town in Wisconsin, one of my favorite days of the year was the 4^th of July, when my mom spent the entire afternoon popping a giant paper grocery bag full of salty, buttery popcorn that would double as dinner and a treat when watching the fireworks later that night from the high school football field. Years later as a teenager in Ohio, our neighborhood began the terrific tradition of decorating bicycles, wagons and lawnmowers in red, white and blue; parading them up and down the streets in an unofficial Independence Day parade, complete with a “lawnmower brigade” of several dads pushing walk-behind lawnmowers that stopped to perform military-style drills at points along the route! And for the decade that I lived in Washington, D.C., not even the oppressive heat and humidity could squelch the patriotism I’d feel while watching the fireworks from the lawn of the U.S. Capitol building, beneath the Washington Monument or along the banks of the Potomac River across from the Lincoln Memorial.

Ahh, there I go, getting wistful again.

I digress.

Anyway, instead of sitting at home scrolling through Facebook and feeling sorry for myself again this Independence Day, I’ve found a cookout to attend. And you can come, too!

Click here for a larger version
of the event flyer.

For anyone in Luxembourg reading this blog who is American or who wants to celebrate like an American, mark your calendars for this Sunday, July 3. This Independence Day cookout has been a tradition in Luxembourg for more than a decade and typically attracts 400-500 people.

Everyone is invited to attend and to enjoy American music, children’s games and American-style food and drink. It’s free to attend, but be sure to RSVP in advance if you can so there’s enough food and drink to go around. (But don’t worry: if you only find out about the cookout the morning of July 3, I’m told that you can still attend without a prior RSVP.)

(And before or after the cookout, you can continue the festivities by heading to Place Guillaume II in Lux Ville for the 2011 edition of Rock um Knuedler.)

The Details

When:	Sunday, July 3 12pm – 6pm
Where:	Conterstuff  Address:  2, Place de la Mairie, L-5310 Contern Tel: 26 70 17 26 Conterstuff is a restaurant that has a large barn; enter through the barn to get to the cookout.
What:	Independence Day cookout with American food and drink available for purchase, American music and face painting and games for the kiddos.
Getting There:	By car: Conterstuff is about 11km and 20 minutes away from Luxembourg Ville by car. Click here to view directions.  By public transport: Unfortunately, there are no buses leaving Lux Ville on Sunday that will get you anywhere near this address. Train service is available, however; take the train (RB toward Wasserbillig) and exit at the Sandweiler-Contern stop. Trains depart Luxembourg Gare Centrale this Sunday every hour at :52 after the hour. To look up other CFL train times, click here.  Conterstuff is 2.8km from the train station. Walking/biking directions here. Remember: your bicycle rides for free on trains throughout Luxembourg!
RSVP	In advance, if possible, by e-mailing reinardr@pt.lu. If you’re a current member of the American Women’s Club of Luxembourg, you can RSVP to clubhouseawcl@gmail.com or post a note to their Facebook page.

 Hope to see you this Sunday, fully decked out in your brightest red, white and blue!