Named one of Travel + Leisure’s Best Places to Travel in 2023 and Best Cities in the U.S. 2023 and one of Good Housekeeping’s Best Places to Travel in December 2023, 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. For more holiday events and activities, visit VisitAlexandria.com/Holidays. Through February Ice & Lights: The Winter Village at Cameron Run Open daily from 5 to 10 p.m. Admission $$ Cameron Run Regional Park 4001 Eisenhower Avenue 703-760-0767 cameroniceandlights.com Ice & Lights: The Winter Village at Cameron Run offers a fun, unstructured outdoor family experience, just a short drive from Old Town Alexandria. Explore unique light displays, snap family pictures or selfies with a variety of displays and take a spin on the outdoor ice rink. Capacity is limited; reservations are required to ensure access on a specific date. Ice skating reservations are required. Tickets are on sale now. New this year, daytime ice skating is available December 18 to 30 and weekends and holidays throughout January and February. 3rd, 5th, 10th, 12th, 17th & 19th Holiday Markets at Old Town North December 3, 10 and 17, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. December 5, 12, and 19, from 3 to 6:30 pm. Admission: Free Montgomery Park 901 N Royal Street oldtownnorth.org Shop for local gifts while celebrating the Christmas season with dozens of vendors offering an array of baked goods and produce, specialty food items, seasonal decorations and fresh greenery and gifts. 7th Shops of Del Ray Holiday Sip & Shop 6 to 9 p.m. Admission: Free to participate Various locations throughout Del Ray visitdelray.com Join the Shops of Del Ray for special extended shopping hours…

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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…

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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…

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Autumn brings favorite art events, outdoor festivals, Halloween haunts and bright-hued foliage to Alexandria, Virginia, located minutes from Washington D.C., on the Potomac River. Voted one of Travel + Leisure’s Best Cities in the U.S. 2023, Alexandria boasts beautifully preserved historic architecture to enjoy on the 81st Annual Historic Alexandria Homes Tour or during 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. Dive deeper into fall events and activities in Alexandria with the listings below and at VisitAlexandria.com/Fall. 21st Taste of Old Town North 4 to 8 p.m. Admission: Free Montgomery Park 901 N. Royal St oldtownnorth.org Head to Montgomery Park for a celebration of greater Old Town North featuring local businesses including restaurants like Jula’s on the Potomac, Hank’s Oyster Bar, St. Elmo’s and Yunnan by Potomac Noodle House. Plus, enjoy music from New Breed Soul Consortium, formerly Three Man Soul Machine, and Sally and the Mander. Rain date is September 28. 23rd  81st Annual Historic Alexandria Homes Tour 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission: $45 per person Various locations throughout Old Town Alexandria, VA 22314 thetwig.org/homes-tour The Twig, The Junior Auxiliary of Inova Alexandria Hospital, proudly announces the 81st Annual Historic Alexandria Homes Tour to be held on Saturday, September 23. New this year, a digital tour book guiding participants through the homes will be accessible to ticket holders via their mobile device. Hard copies of the tour book are available for purchase, in advance, for $5 each. Please note that this event sold out last year, so early ticket purchase is recommended. 30-Oct 1st 21st Annual Alexandria Art Festival 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission: Free 300 John Carlyle Street artfestival.com/festivals Rated one of the top…

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Best of the West by West End Business Association 5th 1 to 5 p.m. Admission: Free (pre-registration recommended) Patrick Henry Recreation Center 4653 Taney Avenue alexandriaweba.com The West End Business Association (WEBA) invites Alexandrians and neighbors to the inaugural Best of the West event celebrating the neighborhood’s restaurants and consumer-facing businesses. Hosted at the Patrick Henry Recreation Center, the event will feature tastings from local restaurants, vendor booths, free entertainment and some friendly competition to be named “Best of the West.” Pre-registration is recommended for earlier and guaranteed entry. Alexandria Summer Sidewalk Sale 12th Throughout Old Town and Beyond AlexandriaSidewalkSale.com One of the longest running summer shopping events returns to the D.C. region’s Shop Small destination for independent boutiques, Alexandria, Virginia, with the annual Alexandria Summer Sidewalk Sale happening Saturday, August 12, 2023, throughout Old Town and beyond. The event features more than 40 Alexandria boutiques stepping out of their storefronts and offering deeply discounted summer merchandise. Plus, enjoy live music along King Street and shop pop-up vendors along the 0 block of King Street. In Alexandria’s Del Ray neighborhood, browse unique finds at the Del Ray Vintage & Flea Market and more. Learn more at AlexandriaSidewalkSale.com. Art Night in Old Town 17th 5 to 7:30 p.m. Admission: Free Various locations throughout Old Town Alexandria oldtownbusiness.org On the third Thursday of each month, discover an art gallery and/or cultural arts organization offering an evening of fine art and studio crafts. Come to Old Town for an evening of art and stay for dinner at a nearby restaurants More information on participating art galleries and restaurants can be found at oldtownbusiness.org. Del Ray Bands and Brews Summer Bar Crawl 19th 12:30 to 6 p.m. Admission: $15 Advance Tickets; $25 Day of Event Tickets Various locations along Mount Vernon Avenue visitdelray.com Join the fun and…

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3rd Old Town Arts & Crafts Fair   10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission: Free Waterfront Park 1A Prince Street volunteeralexandria.org Volunteer Alexandria presents the Old Town Arts & Crafts Fair at Waterfront Park. The fair features local and regional artists and crafters who showcase their pieces across various mediums, including pottery, stationery, fabrics, paintings, jewelry, photography and more. 4th Taste of Del Ray   1 to 3 p.m. Admission: $25 per adult and $10 for children under 12; $60 for VIP tickets Mount Vernon Recreation Center fields 2701 Commonwealth Avenue visitdelray.com Named one of Virginia’s top food festivals by Virginia Living Magazine readers, Taste of Del Ray showcases the diversity of cuisine and creativity of chefs in Alexandria’s Del Ray neighborhood. Ticket holders will enjoy tastes from top Del Ray restaurants and can cast their votes for the People’s Choice Award. The outdoor event will take place at the Mount Vernon Recreation Center fields. A limited number of VIP tickets will be sold for $60, offering foodies a noon entry into the festival and a wine tasting. Only 500 general admission and 100 VIP tickets will be sold. 15th Art Night in Old Town   5 to 7:30 p.m. Admission: Free Various locations throughout Old Town Alexandria, VA 22314 oldtownbusiness.org On the third Thursday of each month, discover an art gallery and/or cultural arts organization offering an evening of fine art and studio crafts. Come to Old Town for an evening of art and stay for dinner at a nearby restaurants More information on participating art galleries and restaurants can be found at oldtownbusiness.org.   16th & 17th Portside in Old Town Summer Festival sponsored by Ting   6 to 9 p.m. – Friday 1 to 9 p.m. – Saturday Admission: Free Waterfront Park 1A Prince Street PortsideFestival.com Kick off summer with the return of the Portside…

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19th – 21st Spring Wine Festival & Sunset Tour  6 to 9 p.m. Admission: Friday: $49 for members; $59 for non-members; Saturday: $53 for members; $63 for non-members; Sunday: $43 for members; $53 for non-members George Washington’s Mount Vernon 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway 703-780-2000 mountvernon.org Head to Mount Vernon for their most popular event of the year. Taste unlimited samples of wines from Virginia’s finest wineries. Bring a blanket and relax on the east lawn overlooking the Potomac River. Enjoy the live music of Bruce Ewan and the Solid Senders.  20th & 21st 3rd Annual Alexandria Old Town Springtime Art Festival   10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission: Free John Carlyle Square 300 John Carlyle Street artfestival.com The Annual Alexandria Old Town Art Festival is heading back to John Carlyle Square in 2023. All artwork is juried, which provides a higher level of quality, diversity and creativity of art on display, exemplifying the gifted artists in regions from all over the country. The show was rated as one of the top 100 art shows in Sunshine Artist Magazine. 21st Old Town Festival of Speed & Style  10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission: Free Market Square & Beyond 300 King Street oldtownbusiness.org The Old Town Festival of Speed & Style highlights the unique offerings of the Old Town community –​ history, architecture, great food, fabulous people, art, style and energy. View dozens of rare and exotic cars up close, made famous by their speed, performance and elegance. This will be enhanced by a presentation of style, fashion and live music provided by over 40 local merchants. All proceeds benefit ALIVE! and The Campagna Center.   More Spring Events & Tours Daily through July 15th Alexander D’Agostino: “A Shrine for the Forgotten” Exhibit Admission: Free Torpedo Factory Art Center 105 N. Union Street 703-746-4570 torpedofactory.org Baltimore-based solo artist exhibition recipient,…

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As the weather warms and cherry blossoms take center stage, springtime events abound in Alexandria, Virginia, located minutes from Washington, D.C., on the Potomac River and voted a Travel + Leisure Best Place to Travel in 2023 and a Condé Nast Traveler Best Small City in the U.S. 2022. Spring brings fresh happenings including a new waterfront public art installation, Two Boxes of Oranges and Admonia Jackson. The annual Old Town Alexandria Historic Homes & Gardens Tour, part of the 90th Historic Garden Week in Virginia. Al fresco festivals include the Alexandria Old Town Springtime Art Festival in John Carlyle Square and the Old Town Festival of Speed & Style on King Street. A new Del Ray Dog Fest joins the waterfront ALX Dog Walk for a canine theme in April. Cherry blossom-themed offerings, art and history events round out one of Alexandria’s most beautiful seasons. For more spring events and activities in Alexandria, see the listings below and learn more at VisitAlexandria.com/Spring . Featured April Events Through November Two Boxes of Oranges and Admonia Jackson Admission: Free Waterfront Park 1A Prince Street visitalexandriava.com/public-art In late March, Two Boxes of Oranges and Admonia Jackson was unveiled as the fifth temporary public art installation on Old Town Alexandria’s waterfront, part of the City of Alexandria’s Site See: New Views in Old Town series. Created by Jamaican-born, New York-based award-winning artist Nina Cooke John of Studio Cooke John, the installation is inspired by the ships uncovered on Alexandria’s waterfront in 2015 and 2018 and the many layers of history that are not readily seen. The installation forms an abstracted ship’s hull with steel vertical elements that rise and bend, referencing the curve of the hull’s frame. Visitors can stand within the space and imagine a time in Alexandria’s history when the ships carried not only cargo like tobacco, molasses, rum and limes, but also enslaved people who were traded as part of the transatlantic and domestic slave trades. The…

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Saturday, March 4th 12:30 pm Held annually on the first Saturday in March, the Parade has grown to be the largest one-day event in Old Town Alexandria. Featuring pipe bands, Irish dance schools, community groups, and a host of other musicians and performers. It is a fantastic day to spend with family or friends. For over 40 years, the Ballyshaners have been pleased to provide Alexandrians with the finest Irish celebrations. Join us as our parade steps out once again! The parade will officially start at the corner of King and Alfred Streets at 12:15 pm and proceed east on to King Street, finishing at the corner of Lee and Cameron Streets. With thousands of spectators and participants expected, parade goers are encouraged to take advantage of public transportation. The closest Metro is the Blue Line, King Street/Old Town. There is a free trolley from the Metro, or the activities can be reached by a short 10 minute walk down King Street. Come early and check out the morning’s events. The classic cars are back this year as well as the very popular dog show sponsored by the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria. Be sure to doll up your pooch and let them strut their best Irish stuff around Old Town as well. 09:00AM – 11:00AM Classic Car Show 100-111 N. Pitt Street 11:00AM – 12:00PM Animal Welfare League Dog Show 300 King Street at the Fountain in front of Grand Reviewing Stand About the Ballyshaners: Ballyshaners means “Old Towners” in Gaelic, the Irish language. Ballyshaners, Inc. was founded in 1980 by a small group of dedicated volunteers for the explicit purpose of organizing a Saint Patrick’s Day Parade in Old Town, Alexandria. The Parade is now well into its fourth decade and the number and variety of participants is…

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