By Bob Tagert

Well, here it is again, we are rounding out another year of publishing the Old Town Crier, a tradition that began in January 1988. One of our better ideas was to include coverage From the Bay to the Blue Ridge. These are two entirely different destinations with Alexandria lying in between. These are also areas that all of us visit. We have the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains to our west with changing seasons, skiing, camping, mountain climbing as well as the famous Virginia Wine industry. To the east we have the Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the United States. Here you can find islands to explore, sail and enjoy the serene beauty of the Bay, not to mention the delicious Maryland Blue Crabs and local oysters! All this being said, we are welcoming in the holiday season in all of areas of our coverage.

Here in Old Town, the Scottish Christmas Walk and Boat Parade of lights officially kicks off the season on the 7^th. Lots of activities and markets catering to both the young and old taking place throughout the month as well including the Del Ray Tree and Menorah Lighting on the 8th. More information is available in the Calendar of this issue.

In To the Blue Ridge this month, Julie Reardon writes about sourcing your own Christmas Tree and explores all of the holiday events in the small towns in and around Fauquier and Loudon Counties. She also includes the holiday happenings at the wineries. In From the Bay, Erik Evans explores Midnight Madness in Downtown Annapolis and the Eastport Parade of Lights -a Bay holiday tradition – are a couple of the highlights.

Here is a roundup of some more of what awaits you in the following pages:

In Exploring VA Wines, Doug Fabbioli shares his thoughts on the 2024 Vintage…a dry year. In First Blush, Kim Putens shows us how to get our Holiday Glow On! In Fitness, Nicole Flanagan hits home with “Start Early and Walk Away Winter Weight”.  At my age I need to develop a plan for routine walking. In From the Trainer, Ryan Unverzagt helps us to keep holiday stress at bay. In Gallery Beat, Lenny Campello says, “Question everything!” The truth only evolves when we ask questions! In Grapevine, Matthew Fitzsimmons explains Virginia wines that showcase innovation and how the “Old World” still dominates the state. In Let’s Get Crafty, Tim Long relates to Pizza and Beer, Atlas Brewing in Alexandria. He also pairs a cigar with the brand new Copper Fox release, Foxfire. Check out the activities across the river in National Harbor. The Conservatory in the MGM, the Harbor tree lighting and the activities in the Gaylord Resort are not be be missed. In Last Word, Miriam Kramer reviews the Christmas Novella Brightly Shining. In Open Space, Lori Welch Brown vents about the rush of the holidays and looks for calmer moments.

We at the Old Town Crier wish all of you a very happy and stress-free holiday season. 2025 is around the corner and it is coming in like a freight train.

200 Block of King Street Update

If you remember in my column last month, I mentioned the proposed upcoming closing of the 200 Block of King Street here in Old Town to accommodate pedestrian-only traffic like we have had in the 100 Block since the days of the pandemic. We published a photo of the August 1994 OTC cover that featured a watercolor of what we thought the 100 & 200 Blocks would look like if turned into a pedestrian “mall”. The pilot program got underway on November 22^nd and runs through mid-January. The photo on this page was taken from the intersection of Fairfax and King. Lots of opinions are flying around. Some of which are: 15 or so parking spots are gone, there are only 4 restaurants in the block, the uphill grade of the street isn’t conducive to level dining and goods displays, etc. While I have my personal views, I am going to see what actually transpires. Let’s see how forward thinking we were 20 years ago.