Named one of Oprah Daily’s Most Magical Christmas Towns Across the World and Condé Nast Traveler’s Best U.S. Cities to Visit at Christmas, Alexandria, VA, is filled with nostalgic wonder during the holiday season. Stroll along the King Street mile and feel transported into a European Christmas village as you pass by lantern-lit doorways and pop into buzzing shops and eateries, leading to the bustling Potomac River waterfront, within eyesight of Washington, D.C. Enjoy cherished holiday traditions happening throughout Alexandria including the 52nd Annual Alexandria Scottish Christmas Walk Parade, featuring dozens of Scottish clans dressed in colorful tartans; the 23rd Annual Alexandria Holiday Boat Parade of Lights sponsored by Amazon on the Potomac River; and “Shop Small” events kicking off with Plaid Friday: Alexandria’s Small Business Black Friday and Small Business Saturday. Plus, discover open-air markets, seasonal musical celebrations, candlelit tours at historic sites and more. For more holiday events and activities, visit VisitAlexandria.com/Holidays. November 18th City of Alexandria Tree Lighting Ceremony 6 to 8 p.m. Admission: Free Market Square 300 King Street alexandriava.gov/calendar Ring in the city’s official start to the holiday season with the lighting of the 40-foot tree adorned with nearly 40,000 twinkling lights, plus enjoy appearances from Alexandria’s Town Crier and Santa himself. 24th Plaid Friday: Alexandria’s Small Business Black Friday Throughout Old Town Alexandria and beyond visitalexandria.com/blackfriday Celebrate Plaid Friday: Alexandria’s Small Business Black Friday as shops in Old Town and beyond offering some of their best deals of the year, including early bird, store-wide discounts and free gifts with purchase. Shoppers will find one-of-a-kind deals on self-care products, artwork, jewelry, fashionable finds, home goods and more. 25th Small Business Saturday Throughout Old Town Alexandria and beyond visitalexandria.com/smallbusinesssaturday Celebrate Alexandria’s Small Business Saturday with special in-store and online specials at dozens of shops in Old Town and beyond. Stroll historic streets twinkling with holiday traditions as you enjoy special discounts, sip and snack…
By Lani Gering Since Thanksgiving is strictly an American tradition, I imagine there are several residents of our great nation who have immigrated from other countries that may not know some of the following tidbits about the holiday. In fact, I bet there are several naturalized citizens, including myself, that are/were unaware of a few of them. I consulted the History Channel as my resource so I feel pretty good about the legitimacy of the information. The first on the list is a fact that I totally didn’t realize. I actually thought it was one of the few holidays that isn’t commercialized! Fact or Fiction: Thanksgiving is held on the final Thursday of November each year. Fiction. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln designated the last Thursday in November as a national day of thanksgiving. However, in 1939, after a request from the National Retail Dry Goods Association, President Franklin Roosevelt decreed that the holiday should always be celebrated on the fourth Thursday of the month (and never the occasional fifth, as occurred in 1939) in order to extend the holiday shopping season by a week. Fact or Fiction: One of America’s Founding Fathers thought the turkey should be the national bird of the United States. Fact. In a letter to his daughter sent in 1784, Benjamin Franklin suggested that the wild turkey would be a more appropriate national symbol for the newly independent United States than the bald eagle (which had earlier been chosen by the Continental Congress). He argued that the turkey was “a much more respectable Bird,” “a true original Native of America,” and “though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage.” Fact or Fiction: Macy’s was the first American department store to sponsor a parade in celebration of Thanksgiving. Fiction. The Philadelphia department store Gimbel’s…
By F Lennox Campello For several years now, off and on a year here and there, it has been my honor and pleasure to have been one of the jurors for the panels which select artists from the DMV for the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities’ Art Bank program. Art Bank is essentially the process via which the city of Washington, DC selects artwork for its collection – it is a free and now totally online process for the artists to apply. As such, the only investment that an artist from the DMV has to do is set aside some time (once the call for applications has been made) to submit the required entry forms, etc. All online and free… and yet, each year I am surprised by the relative low number of visual artists who bother to apply to the call. It is one of my pet peeves when I hear local artists complaining about lack of opportunities in the area. I often point out Art Bank and I usually get a “Whatta bank… what?” look. That is why it is important to get information, and stay in tune with the DMV art scene. The most recent call for artists had a lot of good entries, and over the years the Commission has slowly but surely improved the process itself. I still have some serious peeves with this process, such as the fact that in the entire history of Art Bank, the city has never, ever acquired a work of art depicting a nude. And that’s OK if that’s a policy, but for simplicity’s sake: Put that info in the call for art prospectus so that artists do not waste their time sending nude artwork for a prudish process in a city which has hundreds of WPA…
By Ron Powers The year is winding down and I’ve got just the song to keep your spirits up and hips swaying through the rigmarole of the holidays. With one of the most danceable beats ever pressed to wax, “Fantasy”, by Mariah Carey, sounds as fresh in 2023 as it did the day it hit the airwaves. Upon its release in 1995 the song garnered praise by critics around the world and shot to number 1 on the Billboard charts in the United States, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. “Fantasy” is composed of perfectly catchy melodies, lyrics, and an upbeat feeling that is sure to deliver high spirits and funky fun. The song begins with an arrangement of dreamy synthesizers conveying an almost fairytale-like feeling. Additionally, we hear Carey’s extended melody notes mix with the music deepening the enchanted vibe. As the brief intro draws to a close, a pause in the music opens a space for Mariah’s iconic high-pitched voice to belt out a culminating melody. This is followed by the song’s ultra catchy beat. A beat that’s been making bodies move for nearly three decades now. For the verse music, a three-part melody arrangement composed of overdubs sung by Carey provides not only a snappy hook but an airy and soaring feeling as well. Scat guitar is also sprinkled throughout the music enhancing the funky feeling pulsating around this song. Additionally, snare mixed with claps and thumping kick drum hold down the rhythm of the verse while the bass follows the kick deepening the groove. The verse lyrics feature Carey singing about her boyfriend and expressing how attracted she is to him. With its relatable words and perfectly poppy melody, “Fantasy” has had little trouble connecting with millions around the world. Flowing seamlessly from the verse Carey transitions…
By Miriam R. Kramer Witches, vampires, and daemons, oh my! The bitter winds and darkening days of November will inspire you to enjoy Deborah Harkness’s absorbing historical fiction trilogy: A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, and The Book of Life. Drawn from her experience as a professor, she explores an enticing world of academia and ancient lore, dipping into history as her vivid characters take life, some in more ways than one. Start reading on November 2, All Souls Day, for fun. A Discovery of Witches, published in 2011, features Diana Bishop, descendent of a Salem witch and tenured professor of protochemistry at Yale. While living in Oxford for a year, she keeps denying her powers, keeping away from fellow witches and other non-human creatures, and attempting to control her environment and research her area of expertise as if she were a human. In particular she pours herself into studying the natural philosophy of alchemy. Alchemists focused on transmuting base metals such as lead into precious metals such as gold while looking to create the philosopher’s stone, an elixir of mortality known to many Millennials from the Harry Potter books. They also searched for panaceas to disease. If the paragraph above sounds tedious, don’t let it scare you off. Harkness is a vivid storyteller who weaves academia into an enjoyable, fast-moving tale of escapism. It involves romance, time travel, and the innate powers that people find when they explore what and whom they love, who they are, and become the best versions of themselves. At Oxford’s Bodleian Library, Diana asks to review a medieval text, labeled Ashmole 782 for the man who owned it. When she receives the book, she realizes that it is set apart by its imagery unusual to alchemy. A magical palimpsest, it is a text…
By Lani Gering w/PanIQ Escape Room How many of you readers knew that Old Town has two “Escape Room” options on King Street within three blocks of each other? I confess that I knew there was the one above Random Harvest and I’ve been inside the one in National Harbor just to see what the Scooby Doo Room was all about but that’s it. That said, I thought it would be fun to put out the “Escape Room” experience suggestion for you and your holiday company. Would be way more fun to “escape” on Black Friday than be stuck in the house or out shopping with the hoardes! I have always been intrigued with the concept and wanted to get a group together but wasn’t quite sure what the drill was. After getting a bit of inside scoop from our designer, I thought I would see what I could find via social media. Well, I hit the jackpot with the PanIQ Escape Room site – http://www.paniqescaperoom.com. PanIQ has locations globally and their site is a wealth of information on and above the beginners guide they were willing to share with me for this write up. Beginner’s Guide to Beating the Room We could sit here all day and give up lots of generalized, “insider-edge” escape room tips on how to solve the kinds of puzzles you’re likely to find in escape rooms. But that’s really not the best way to go. First off, there are lots of different room developers out there, and some of them employ different strategies. So whatever tips we might offer would actually work against you if they don’t fit your developer’s style. But more important than that, it takes away from the fun to be had in escape rooms and kills that sense of accomplishment…
Witches have had a long history with Halloween. Legends tell of witches gathering twice a year when the seasons changed, on April 30 – the eve of May Day and the other was on the eve of October 31 – All Hallow’s Eve. The witches would gather on these nights, arriving on broomsticks, to celebrate a party hosted by the devil. Superstitions told of witches casting spells on unsuspecting people, transforming themselves into different forms and causing other magical mischief. It was said that to meet a witch you had to put your clothes on wrong side out and you had to walk backwards on Halloween night. Then at midnight you would see a witch. When the early settlers came to America, they brought along their belief in witches. In America, the legends of witches spread and mixed with the beliefs of others, the Native Americans – who also believed in witches, and then later with the black magic beliefs of the African slaves. The black cat has long been associated with witches. Many superstitions have evolved about cats. It was believed that witches could change into cats. Some people also believed that cats were the spirits of the dead. One of the best known superstitions is that of the black cat. If a black cat was to cross your path you would have to turn around and go back because many people believe if you continued bad luck would strike you. The Witches Caldron “Eye of newt, and toe of frog, Wool of bat, and tongue of dog” “Adder’s fork, and blind-worm’s sting, Lizard’s leg, and owlet’s wing” “For a charm of powerful trouble, Like a hell-broth boil and babble” “Double, double, toil and trouble, Fire burn, and caldron bubble” -William Shakespeare Stingy Jack – The Legend of the…
Autumn brings favorite art events, outdoor festivals, Halloween haunts and bright-hued foliage to Alexandria. Treat yourself to a goosebumps-inducing Ghost & Graveyard Tour. Browse al fresco art festivals including the 21st Annual Alexandria Art Festival in Carlyle and Del Ray’s 28th Annual Art on the Avenue, plus attend ever-popular autumn events at George Washington’s Mount Vernon like the Fall Wine Festival & Sunset Tour. New this year, enjoy inaugural Halloween events hosted by tall ship Providence at the newly-opened Senator John Warner Maritime Heritage Center on Alexandria’s waterfront. Dive deeper into fall events and activities in Alexandria with the listings below and at VisitAlexandria.com/Fall. Alexandria Colonial Tours’ Ghost & Graveyard Tour Nightly in October at 7:30 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30, 8:30 and 9 p.m. Admission: $15 for adults; $10 for children; free for children under 6 years old Tours meet at the Alexandria Visitor Center 221 King Street alexcolonialtours.com Walk your way through the charming streets of historic Old Town Alexandria. Follow a colonial-costumed guide by lantern light for an engaging history tour on Alexandria’s original Ghost & Graveyard Tour. During this entertaining tour, you’ll hear ghost stories, legends, folklore, unsolved mysteries, tales of romance and angry ghosts looking for revenge. 6th – 8th Fall Wine Festival & Sunset Tour 6 to 9 p.m. Admission: Friday: $49 for members, $59 for general public; Saturday: $53 for members, $63 for general public; Sunday: $43 for members; $53 for general public George Washington’s Mount Vernon 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway 703-780-2000 mountvernon.org Taste samples from Virginia wineries after hours at George Washington’s estate. Bring a blanket and relax on the east lawn overlooking the Potomac River and meet General Washington. 7th 28th Annual Art on the Avenue 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission: Free Mount Vernon Avenue between Hume and Bellefonte Avenues artontheavenue.org The 28th annual arts festival held in the Del Ray features more than 350 juried artists, from…
By F. Lennox Campello Along with hundreds of other visitors to Old Town Alexandria, a few days ago I spent about three hours wandering around the Torpedo Factory, visiting every single space, gallery and studio that was open. The place was very busy, full of tourists, locals, artists, and all kinds of people walking around the DMV’s most precious art jewel. Over the years I’ve written multiple articles and blog posts about this very special place, including two recent ones via this column discussing my thoughts on what is happening at the Factory since the City of Alexandria took over. On the subject of “open”, I was both surprised and very disappointed by the significant number of studios which were closed on a Saturday afternoon. “Saturdays are our busiest day,” noted a prominent Torpedo factory artist who has been there for decades… as I left her studio after chatting with her for a while, she was working to close an $8,000 sale. On the third floor alone, I would estimate that half the studios were closed, which in my opinion is not acceptable, especially when they are apparently routinely closed. By that I mean that I saw signs on the studio doors that stated the open hours, and in several of them they were Monday through Friday, with Saturdays and Sundays being either “Closed” or “By Appointment Only.” Since the heavy hand of the city now dictates every and all things Torpedo Factorish, I would recommend that the City Commissars order the next wave of artistic comrade workers selected (when the three year leases expire) to be open on weekends. In an amendment to that motion, as there are 52 weekends a year – let’s settle on 42 weekends. Current artists are exempted, since this is a new rule. At…
By Miriam R. Kramer From the Vault, September 2015: These novels remain compelling and evergreen. I also recommend The Kremlin’s Candidate, which was published as the last in this trilogy after I wrote this review. As one who lived in Russia twice since the fall of the Soviet Union and visited the American Embassy in Moscow several years ago as part of a diplomatic delegation, I consider them among the best Russia-set spy thrillers I have read in recent years. What would Jason Matthews, Graham Greene, or someone as gloomily introspective as John Le Carré write about gathering intelligence during Russia’s war on Ukraine? May Vladimir Putin end his reign and the Ukrainian people resoundingly repel his aggression. Ripped from the heart of Mother Russia, Jason Matthews’s spy novels Red Sparrow and Palace of Treason are two very enjoyable ways to while away this month. Red Sparrow won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel by an American in 2014. Its successor is a worthy follow-up, packed as completely with inventive plots, the type of burned-on-the-retina characters that make thrillers actual page-turners, and a dizzying variety of locales that would satisfy even Jason Bourne’s lust for travel. The characters dancing first in Red Sparrow are the SVR operations officer, Corporal Dominika Egorova, and CIA case officer Nathaniel Nash. Egorova, a once-promising prima ballerina and pure-blooded Russian patriot, sidelined by a foot injury, is introduced to the world of Russian spycraft by her sleazy uncle, First Deputy of the Foreign Intelligence Service Ivan Egorov. He uses her beauty to sideline one of Vladimir Putin’s rival oligarchs during an evening à deux in the oligarch’s apartment on Moscow’s Arbat. After her training in traditional operations, her uncle sends her to Sparrow School, a degrading Soviet-style institution where she must learn to act…
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