7th – 9th
Alexandria Film Festival
12 pm – 11 pm
Now in its 19th year, the Alexandria Film Festival brings independent films of all genres to the city of Alexandria through its signature, multi-day festival of screenings and Q&A panels with filmmakers. Beginning November 2 and continuing November 7-9, the festival will offer 60 feature-length and short films in venues across the city including Patagonia Old Town, Charles E. Beatley Library, the Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum, and Virginia Tech’s Alexandria campus. Following the screenings, film directors, producers, and actors in attendance will discuss their films and answer audience questions. The festival’s full program and tickets are available now at AFFfilmsthatmatter2025.eventive.org.
Through December 31st
Lives Bound Together – Slavery at Mount Vernon
Recurring daily
9 am – 5 pm
George Washington’s Mount Vernon
3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway
Explore the lives of the 317 enslaved people who lived and worked at Mount Vernon in new exhibit. Discover how they formed families, built tight-knit communities, earned a living, and acquired personal possessions.
Uncover the voices of the enslaved through ancestral histories and recently-excavated archaeological artifacts. Learn about the legacy of Washington’s decision in his will to free those enslaved to him—the only founding father to do so. 703-780-2000, mountvernon.org
Through December 31st
Union Navy Exhibition Open
Fort Ward Museum & Historic Site
4301 W. Braddock Road
A new exhibition, “Aboard Ship with the Jack-Tars of the Union Navy,” opened October 2nd. The theme focuses on the U.S. Navy during the Civil War, and is being held in recognition of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Navy on October 13, 1775.
The Federal Navy, which began as a small and unprepared force at the outbreak of the Civil War, quickly expanded to succeed in blockading over 3,500 miles of Confederate coastline, securing the South’s major waterways, and engaging in a number of significant combat operations. By the end of the war in 1865, the U.S. Navy was the world’s largest naval force and a key factor in the North’s eventual victory. Fort Ward is the best preserved of the extensive system of Union forts that comprised the Civil War Defenses of Washington. Fort Ward Museum and Historic Site is located at 4301 West Braddock Road in the City of Alexandria. For more information, please call 703-746-4848 or visit alexandriava.gov/FortWard.
7th – 30th
The Mini World: Small Works of Art
Del Ray Artisans Gallery
Colasanto Center
2704 Mount Vernon Avenue
Del Ray Artisans presents The Mini World: Small Works of Art, an art exhibit showcasing tiny art by artist members. Step into this miniature world and discover the joy of life’s little things. We invite you to experience the power of small, where each piece tells a story and proves that art knows no size limits.
Gallery hours are Thursday 12-6 pm, Friday 12-9 pm, Saturday 12-6 pm, and Sunday 12-6 pm. The gallery is closed on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 27), but will be open for bonus gallery hours on Wednesday, Nov. 26, 12-6pm.
The gallery is free, open to the public, and accessible. For more information, please visit delrayartisans.org.
8th & 9th
Alexandria Symphony Orchestra presents: MOZART & MENDELSSOHN
8th – 7:30 pm
Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center
BEST AVAILABILITY!
9th – 3 pm
George Washington Masonic National Memorial
VERY LIMITED AVAILABILITY!
It is Mozart’s last concerto. Sublime, gently resigned. Michael Rusinek, principal clarinet of the Baltimore Symphony, performs Mozart’s haunting Clarinet Concerto. And Music Director James Ross conducts Mendelssohn’s sunny “Italian” Symphony, Scott Joplin’s spirited Overture to his opera Treemonisha, and the exquisite Concert Românesc of György Ligeti. Tickets start at $22 – Order Yours NOW! Call 703-548-0885 or visit AlexSym.org
8th
A World War II Walking Tour of Alexandria
10:30 am – 12 pm
Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden
614 Oronoco Street
Alexandria was a bustling town during the Second World War filled with servicemen and women and civilians contributing to the war effort. On this two-mile walk around Old Town, visit sites where history took place and buildings where notable Alexandrians, including a Tuskegee Airman and a member of the 101st Airborne, lived before serving their country. In addition, learn of the top-secret intelligence facility known as P.O. Box 1142.
This tour begins at Lee-Fendall and ends at the Torpedo Factory by the waterfront. The tour will last approximately 1.5 hours. Walking shoes and water are highly recommended. The tour will take place rain or shine.
Tickets are $15 per person and free for museum members. Questions? Please e-mail contact@leefendallhouse.org or call the museum at (703) 548-1789.
11th
Mount Vernon Salutes Veterans
9 am – 4 pm
George Washington’s Mount Vernon
3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway
In honor of our nation’s veterans, George Washington’s Mount Vernon admits FREE all active duty, former, or retired military personnel on Veterans Day.
Enjoy musical performances by Mount Vernon’s fifer, the United States Air Force Strings, and the Heritage Harmony Singers, participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at Washington’s Tomb, and learn about the history of Veterans Day at the home of the first commander in chief. 703-780-2000, mountvernon.org
15th
Brother to the Assassin: Edwin Booth and the Rebirth of American Theatre
7 pm – 8:30 pm
Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden
614 Oronoco Street
This lecture will explore the career of Edwin Booth, whose work was overshadowed by the infamous act of his brother, John Wilkes Booth. Once America’s most celebrated Shakespearean actor, Booth was suddenly a man marked by association. Rather than retreat from the stage, Booth channeled his grief into a redemptive mission: to elevate American theatre and restore its moral and artistic credibility. Public historian Elizabeth M. Reese traces how Booth transformed personal grief and public disgrace into a force for artistic renewal, helping to reshape American theatre into a respected cultural institution.
Tickets are $15 to the general public and free for museum members. Members, please call at (703) 548-1789 to reserve your tickets. It is highly recommended to book tickets in advance as space is limited.
22nd
Tree Lighting 2025
Market Square
301 King Street
6 pm
The City invites the community to join the mayor and a host of holiday friends at the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony on Saturday, November 22nd, at 6 p.m. in Market Square (301 King St.). Admission is free, and the event will occur rain or shine. Tree Lighting is expected to occur sometime between 6:40 – 6:55 p.m. following the arrival of Santa by way of the King Street Trolley. Then, after 7 pm enjoy the start of the holiday season with music and merriment while Santa and Mrs. Claus walk the Square and visit with families until 8 p.m.