Located just minutes from D.C., Alexandria is one of the best places to admire new waterfront public art, enjoy cherry blossom-themed events, tour historic homes and gardens and bring your four-legged friends to canine-themed happenings around the city. It’s also a gorgeous time to explore the stories and neighborhoods of Alexandria. So, whether you’re taking in the spring scenery while enjoying a pint at the region’s longest running brewery at Port City or dining al fresco in at the many eateries, you’ll find plenty of experiences to unlock this time of year in Alexandria. Cherry Blossom Season This is the time of year to soak in the pink and white wonders as you wander Alexandria’s red-brick sidewalks, or see the D.C. blossoms up close with bike tours. Beginning in March, take a water taxi from Old Town to The Wharf for a short 10-minute jaunt to the Tidal Basin to enjoy the cherry blossoms, or take the Cherry Blossom Cruise past the Tidal Basin blossoms and into Georgetown. Discover Alexandria’s Architectural Gems Any time of the year is a good time to get outside and stroll the city’s centuries-old streetscapes, but spring time takes on a special air in Old Town. On April 18th , participate in the annual Home and Garden tour that is a part of Historic Garden Week in Virginia. This easy walking tour includes private townhomes and secluded gardens located along the tree-lined streets of the historic district. In addition, the tour ticket includes admission to two Garden Club of Virginia restoration projects within a short driving distance of the tour area – the Gardens at George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens as well as Green Spring Garden. Find more of Alexandria’s standout architectural spots to explore here – https://visitalexandria.com/things-to-do/architecture/. Explore a New Waterfront Art Exhibit New for the spring of 2026, a public art installation titled…
Work by Stuart Diekmeyer Work by Michele Banks Work by Watson and the Shark photo courtesy of National Gallery of Art By F. Lennox Campello First and foremost: Congratulations to Artists & Makers Studios in Rockville, Maryland on its 11th anniversary, which in gallery years is like 100 years. The unique model for this amazing space, under the guiding hand of its hardworking owner and Executive Director, Judith Olivia HeartSong, had grown into other spaces in Oro Valley, Arizona, and in San Gabriel and North Hollywood in California. The National Gallery of Art in DC had an interesting open call which should be of interest to most of you if it ever happens again – not sure why I didn’t hear about it sooner, but… The NGA invited anyone to submit a proposal for a 15- to 30-second social media video inspired by a work from their collection. If your video idea was selected, then you’d receive $3,000 to bring it to life. Your final video creation will be featured online and inside the museum, most likely after April 2026 or so. Cool or what? Here is how it worked: You’d choose one artwork from their curated list here: https://www.nga.gov/open-call Submit a written proposal by February 28 telling the NGA how you’d remix it. Their team reviews submissions this month. In April, the top 50 creators will be selected to make a vertical video of their idea. Each top creator will receive $3,000. Videos will be featured on the National Gallery’s social media and inside the museum. Smoking hot idea or what? Let’s hope that they do it every year – that is why I am discussing it here, so that you keep an eye out for it… and also the below. It’s not on their list, but…
By Ron Powers After making a splash on Spotify in late 2025 with their first Christmas EP, The Lords of Easton and Stan Medley have started 2026 with the release of a new song called “Mercedes (BTC) Benz”. The song is a parody of a Janis Joplin hit that replaces asking the Lord to buy a Mercedes Benz, with a request for a “Bitcoin for free”. From its humorous lyrics to its rich string arrangement, “Mercedes (BTC) Benz” offers a modern twist on a 1970s hit that’s sure to surprise and possibly delight its listeners. Things get started with a slow upright bass line that gives the track its foundation and subtle rhythm. We also hear staccato viola come in and out with eighth notes further establishing the song’s rhythm and emotional tone. Additionally a solo violin weaves a haunting melody and puts the finishing touches on a lovely musical palette. As the intro music comes to a gentle pause the vocals of the first verse are introduced with the lines, “Oh Lord won’t you buy me a bitcoin for free / my buddies bought Ether they’re mocking poor me”. Moving into the second verse the music intensifies with deep and swelling bass notes. This is coupled with increased passion in the vocal performance that is offset with additional humor in the lyrics. As the second verse draws to a close, the emotional intensity crescendos into a lush and powerful instrumental. The instrumental begins with quarter note staccato strings keeping steady rhythm. These are accompanied by droning bass drags that ring out like giant pillars in the music. Turning on a dime, things pick up and switch from a quarter note eighth note staccato rhythm. The violin also shifts to a more longing and inspirational melody line lifting the music…
By Miriam R. Kramer How to describe the highly talented author Paraic O’Donnell’s complex mysteries starring an energetic detective, his sergeant, and a then-termed “lady journalist” with tenacity to spare? In the novels The House on Vesper Sands and follow-up The Naming of The Birds, O’Donnell weaves his memorable characters together with occasional supernatural touches and a need for substantial resolutions. He has a Dickensian gift for creating a brutal and sometimes poignant atmosphere in lower-class settings, along with a moral weight to the relationships he sees between the powerful and the powerless. As his investigators put together their puzzle pieces, they endear themselves to us while evoking echoes of other classic British mysteries. The aptly named Inspector Cutter uses his sardonic and sharp-tongued sense on the people around him, adding humor that leavens tensions throughout the novels. With a blistering stride he leads his team towards justice down ethereal paths through an 1890s London fog. Secretive, he barks at his underling, the hapless, gentle Sergeant Bliss, to teach the former divinity student turned police sergeant how to write down the facts and observe them from another angle. Their acquaintance, the lively journalist and faux socialite Octavia Hillingdon, assists them by uncovering secrets with the tenacity of a dachshund disappearing down a badger hole. In The House on Vesper Sands, lower-class young women who possess an uncanny brightness of soul have begun to disappear. The supernatural element, involving the “Spiriters” and the energy they harvest, comes into focus gradually, giving the story a shimmering, otherworldly quality without sacrificing emotional realism. O’Donnell seeds his clues throughout the story with care, entwining the sergeant’s search for a missing female friend, Octavia’s investigation of worthy targets, and Cutter’s dogged and energetic pursuit of the truth. As they come together to follow a narrowing…
By Mark Edelman It may roll in like a lion and go out like lamb, but March has a whole lot of great theater to roar (or baah) about as well. Check out these fine productions as the weather warms up and those world-famous cherry blossoms burst onto the scene: LITTLE MISS PERFECT Olney Theatre Center Through March 8 There’s a lot of pressure on high school senior Noelle, who finds herself thrust into a whole new world as one of the few Black students at her predominantly white school. This new musical by Tik-Tok star Joriah Kwame takes on issues of stress and acceptance in the pressure cooker world of getting into the “right” college. Tickets at http://www.olneytheatre.org MIDICULOUS Keegan Theatre Through March 8 In this play for young audiences, middle school banter becomes fodder for public relations pros, students psychoanalyze their own teenage hijinks and post-pandemic therapy rules. Welcome to the world of Midiculous. Tickets at http://www.keegantheatre.com CHEZ JOEY Arena Stage Through March 15 Broadway’s original Michael Jackson and Tony® Award winner Myles Frost takes the eponymous role in this revisit to Rodgers and Hart’s fabled musical, co-directed by tap dance genius Savion Glover. American songbook classics like“ Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered,” “This Can’t Be Love” and “The Lady Is a Tramp,” make for another great Broadway musical production down by the Wharf. Tickets at http://www.arenastage.org. NOTHING UP MY SLEEVE Round House Theatre Through March 15 Fans of illusionist Dendy and playwright/director Aaron Posner’s previous collaboration The Tempest will be happy to see the daunting duo pull back the curtain on the history of magic and Dendy’s own journey to the land of make-them-believe. If you enjoy spellbinding prestidigitation, you will, too. Tickets at http://www.roundhousetheatrre.org ON BECKETT Shakespeare Theatre Company Through March 15 Tony Award-winning actor and master…
We here at the Old Town Crier love everything about St. Patrick’s Day including the history. We try to print this important information every year in the March issue and I am sure we have missed a few but we think it’s important that our readers know that it is more than just a day for a parade and swilling green beer! The parade takes place on the 7th this year and even though we think it’s a bit ridiculous to have it so early, it is established as the first parade in the DMV celebrating St. Patrick and truth be told, no self-respecting Irish person drinks green beer! Just Sayin’! A Bit of St. Patrick’s Day History St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17, his religious feast day and the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over a thousand years. On St. Patrick’s Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat were waived and people would dance, drink, and feast—on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage. The First Parade The first St. Patrick’s Day parade took place not in Ireland, but in the United States. Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through New York City on March 17, 1762. Along with their music, the parade helped the soldiers to reconnect with their Irish roots, as well as fellow Irishmen serving in the English army. Over the next thirty-five years, Irish patriotism among American immigrants flourished, prompting the rise of so-called “Irish Aid” societies, like the Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick and the Hibernian Society. Each group would hold annual…
We try to publish this piece each February as space allows. Alexandria has many events that revolve around this day so we think it is fitting you all know why. Presidents Day is an American holiday celebrated on the third Monday in February. Originally established in 1885 in recognition of President George Washington, the holiday became popularly known as Presidents Day after it was moved as part of 1971’s Uniform Monday Holiday Act, an attempt to create more three-day weekends for the nation’s workers. While several states still have individual holidays honoring the birthdays of Washington, Abraham Lincoln and other figures, Presidents Day is now popularly viewed as a day to celebrate all U.S. presidents, past and present. The story of Presidents Day begins in 1800. Following the death of George Washington in 1799, his February 22 birthday became a perennial day of remembrance. At the time, Washington was venerated as the most important figure in American history, and events like the 1832 centennial of his birth and the start of construction of the Washington Monument in 1848 were cause for national celebration. While Washington’s Birthday was an unofficial observance for most of the 1800s, it was not until the late 1870s that it became a federal holiday. Senator Steven Wallace Dorsey of Arkansas was the first to propose the measure, and in 1879 President Rutherford B. Hayes signed it into law. The holiday initially only applied to the District of Columbia, but in 1885 it was expanded to the whole country. At the time, Washington’s Birthday joined four other nationally recognized federal bank holidays—Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving—and was the first to celebrate the life of an individual American. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, signed into law in 1983, was the second. The shift from Washington’s Birthday to Presidents Day began in the late 1960s, when…
By Mark Edelman It’s Valentine’s month, time to take that special someone out for dinner, flowers, chocolates and how about a night of theater? There’s a lot of great work happening on DMV stages. You’re bound to earn points with your main squeeze—or even a first date—by popping for a pair of tickets to one of these fine productions. PARANORMAL ACTIVITY Shakespeare Theatre Company Now thru Feb 7 The terrifying film franchise of the same name spawned this onstage thriller, a shared production between prestigious theaters in Los Angeles, Chicago and now Washington, DC. Be prepared to be scared. Tickets at http://www.shakespearetheatrecompany.org DRACULA… A COMEDY OF TERRORS Now thru Feb 15 Atlas Performing Arts Center Bram Stoker’s vampire tale morphs into outrageous new life as a madcap comedy full of camp, lusty encounters and outre spectacle. Five actors shapeshift thru multiple roles, transforming this tale of Gothic horror into a feast of physical comedy and unhinged seduction, carried off as only the folks at Constellation Theatre can do. Tickets at http://www.constellationtheatre.org BALLOONACY Imagination Stage Now thru Feb 15 The 1956 French cinema classic The Red Ballon inspired this sweetly funny piece of clownery starring Matthew Pauli with accordion accompaniment by Tori Boutin. Gone is the little boy following his red balloon around Paris. Now he’s a befuddled big lunk of a guy, navigating his lonesome apartment just ahead of that interloping scarlet sphere, artfully operated by puppeteer Enzo Leone. At about forty minutes, the show runs just the right amount of time to keep the kiddies engaged—and by that, I mean yelling to the poor guy onstage to watch out for that balloon. If my three year old grandson is any indication, it’s a great way to start a life of theatergoing. Tickets at http://www.imaginationstage.org OCTET Studio…
Photo above by Carol Jean Stalun Photography for Visit Alexandria Just minutes from Washington, D.C. on the Potomac River, Alexandria is a welcoming winter retreat. As you ramble along the red-brick sidewalks with a special someone, many adventures await. Start the day with some self-care at a spa, salon or fitness spot, choose from the many restaurants for breakfast, lunch, dinner and a cocktal and catch the action at one of the city’s cozy sports bars. Plus, don’t miss one of the biggest parades of the year celebrating George Washington’s Birthday and experience special events during Black History Month. On these pages are just a few of the events taking place this month. Full calendar at visitalexandria.com. All Month Celebrating Black History From a self-taught mathematician who mapped out the nation’s capital, to abolitionist sisters who partnered with Frederick Douglass, to the first Black athlete to play in the NBA, African American changemakers have shaped the history of Alexandria, VA, and the United States. Minutes from D.C. and the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Alexandria offers tours, markers and more to lead you through sites and stories both harrowing and hopeful. Start exploring Alexandria’s Black history and cultural experiences for a better understanding of today. Enjoy discounts on Alexandria’s museums and more regional attractions with the Attractions Key to the City Pass. https://visitalexandria.com/things-to-do/historic-attractions-and-museums/key-to-the-city/ 6th through 28th Lunar New Year: Year of the Horse Art Exhibit Del Ray Artisans Gallery Colasanto Center 2704 Mount Vernon Avenue Del Ray Artisans presents “Lunar New Year: Year of the Horse” art exhibit celebrating traditions, mythology, and the dynamic symbolism of the horse in the zodiac through diverse interpretations inspired by movements, heritage, and storytelling with an emphasis on cultural respect and authenticity. The gallery is free, open to the public, and accessible. Gallery Hours: Thursday 12-6pm, Friday 12-9pm,…
By F. Lennox Campello Much has been written about the phenomenon of art fairs as the new salons of the 21st century, as magnets where galleries congregate and collectors and curators, and celebrities, and the illuminati go to see and buy art. Furthermore, anecdotal figures from the major fairs seem to confirm that a lot of artwork is being sold by galleries at the fairs. My own experience in doing art fairs for the last 20 years confirms this fact – I have my own positive empirical evidence. Here in the DMV, we’ve had our own taste of a major “Miami style art fair” with artDC in 2007 – and that fair was a major failure, as that basic fair model didn’t work in the Greater Washington area, which historically has a well-documented degree of apathy when it comes to actually buying art or getting the main stream press interested… or the immense reluctance that suburbanites have in driving to DC over the weekend to parking-challenged areas. Subsequently to that epic art fair failure, the (e)merge art fair – a hotel variation of the “art fair inside a huge building/tent” model, where the fair is held in a hotel (in this case the Capitol Skyline Hotel) – has had more success – but it also ended. And now the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities has been furiously planning a weeklong event that they’re calling “Art Week DC” which will (according to them) include a major art fair. And thus… an idea that I have been mulling in my head for years now keeps bugging me. There’s another “world” out there of fine art fairs that, because of the curious highbrow attitude of the “high art” cabal, never really gets any attention from the art media, etc. These are…
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