Summer Events in Alexandria
Photo above by Todd Wright.
This summer, enjoy an abundance of festivals, outdoor music, pub crawls and more in Alexandria, Virginia, located minutes from Washington, D.C., on the Potomac River and recognized by Travel + Leisure among the Best Places to Travel in 2023 and voted a Condé Nast Traveler Top 3 Best Small City in the U.S. 2023. As part of the City of Alexandria’s 275th anniversary celebrations, visitors can kick off the summer season at special events including Portside in Old Town Summer Festival and a special 275th iteration of the Alexandria and USA Birthday Celebration in July. Celebrate Pride Month in June with the 7th Annual Official Pride Bar Crawl throughout Old Town, and come August, enjoy the sights, sounds and flavors of dozens of nations at the Around the World Cultural Food Festival. Plus, don’t miss summer celebrations in the Carlyle, West End and Del Ray neighborhoods.
Find details on the top summer events and happenings in Alexandria below, and head to VisitAlexandria.com/Summer for more summer experiences.
2nd
15th Annual Taste of Del Ray
1 to 3 p.m.
Admission: $20 per person
Mount Vernon Recreation Center fields
2701 Commonwealth Avenue
visitdelray.com
Top area restaurants are slated to participate in the 15th Annual Taste of Del Ray. The event, named one of Virginia Living Magazine’s top food festivals in the state, will take place on Sunday, June 4 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Mount Vernon Recreation Center fields. Ticket holders will enjoy a wide range of tastes from top Del Ray restaurants and can cast their votes for the People’s Choice award. A VIP ticket option will also be offered, giving foodies the first bites with early admission at 12 p.m. and a wine tasting at 1 p.m. For more information and tickets, head to visitdelray.com.
15th & 16th
Juneteenth African American History Bus Tour
15th – 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
16th – 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Admission: $35 per person
Meets at The Alexandria Black History Museum
902 Wythe Street
Join Manumission Tour Company for the annual Juneteenth African American History Bus Tour. Ride along on a 90-minute bus tour to visit various historic sites that will tell the story of African Americans in early Alexandria. Some of the sites discussed on the tour include several historic African American churches in the city, including Alfred Street Baptist Church, Barrett Library, site of the 1939 Library Sit-In, Freedom House and many more.
Portside in Old Town Summer Festival
Friday, June 21, 2024, 6 to 9 p.m.
Saturday, June 22, 2024, 1 to 8 p.m.
Free Admission
Waterfront Park, 1A Prince St., Alexandria, VA 22314
PortsideFestival.com
Kick off summer with the return of the Portside in Old Town Summer Festival. This free festival features an array of live music, local craft beer from Port City Brewing Company and fun for the whole family on the Alexandria waterfront. The event includes Friday evening jazz performances and readings by Alexandria poets as part of the ALX Jazz Fest @ Portside. Saturday, the festival continues with an eclectic musical lineup, local food, hands-on art and history activities and more. New this year, as part of the City’s 275th anniversary celebrations, Port City Brewing Company will serve an original hoppy India Pale Ale called ALX275, brewed with 275 lbs. of hops.
The Portside in Old Town Summer Festival and the ALX Jazz Fest @ Portside are produced by Visit Alexandria and the City of Alexandria’s Office of the Arts.
7th Annual Official Pride Month Celebrations
Pride Pop-up Bar: Expected to open this month, Del Ray’s seasonal pop-up bar from Homegrown Restaurant Group (HRG) transforms into “Pride on the Avenue,” featuring an interior rehaul and an extensive new craft cocktail program. The pop-up will extend throughout the summer, and HRG will donate $500 each week to Equality NOVA, a local nonprofit dedicated to supporting the LGBTQ+ community.
14th – Pride at Torpedo Factory Art Center: Torpedo Factory Art Center is open until 10 p.m. for the monthly themed “2nd Friday” event with special activities celebrating Pride Month. Explore the building full of artists, live music and art activations.
22nd – Bar Crawl: The 7th Annual Official Pride Bar Crawl, hosted by Crawl With Us, invites participants to dress in vibrant attire and express their true selves. Registrants can check in at Alexandria Bier Garden, then enjoy handpicked inclusive bars, exclusive drink specials and freebies that are available only to Pride Bar Crawl participants. 20% of the event proceeds will be donated to Safe Space NOVA.
22nd – Drag Brunch: Also on the 22nd, King & Rye hosts a Pride drag brunch, pairing Southern fare with some of the region’s top entertainers.