Fall is art season in Alexandria.
Two popular art festivals are on the horizon — the 20th Annual Alexandria Old Town Art Festival on September 17 and 18, followed by Art On The Avenue on October 1 in Del Ray.
Both festivals draw tens of thousands of visitors to Alexandria, with hundreds of artists selling their paintings, sculptures, jewelry and photos.
20th Annual Alexandria Old Town Art Festival
For the second straight year, the Alexandria Old Town Art Festival will be held at John Carlyle Square (300 John Carlyle Street) in the city’s Carlyle neighborhood.
More than 150 juried artists will be set up along John Carlyle Square — near the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The event lasts from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“Alexandria is recognized as one of the country’s premier artistic hubs,” the event organizer said on the festival’s website. “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.”
Art On The Avenue
Art On The Avenue is widely regarded as the best day of the year in Del Ray, drawing tens of thousands of art lovers to Mount Vernon Avenue.
The festival, which is always held the first Saturday in October, will be held Saturday, October 1, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Celebrating in its 27th year, the festival now features live music on three stages, a kids art corner at Mount Vernon Recreation Center and a virtual charity pie auction.
While deemed a success for artists and visitors, last year’s Art On The Avenue event was marked by a day-long power outage that shuttered businesses along the main stretch of Mount Vernon Avenue.
Dozens of vendors participate, although they have not yet been publicly listed.
The music schedule is below.
City Stage (Mount Vernon and Oxford Avenues)
- 10 – 10:45 a.m. — Marian Hunter Band
- 11 – 11:45 a.m. — Janna Audey Band
- 12 – 12:45 p.m. — Irish Breakfast Band
- 1 – 1:45 p.m. — The Rob Hornfeck Enterprise
- 2 – 2:45 p.m. — Cast Iron Skillet
- 3 – 3:45 p.m. — The Rand Band
- 4 – 4:45 p.m. — The Rockits Band
- 5 – 6 p.m. — Rogue Johnsen Project
Americana Stage (1900 Mount Vernon Avenue)
- 10 – 10:50 a.m. — Justin Shaffer Duo
- 11 a.m. – 11:50 a.m. — Craig and Rick Duo
- 12 – 12:50 p.m. — Esther Haynes Duo
- 1 – 1:50 p.m. — Mike Elosh Duo
- 2 – 2:50 p.m. — Julia Kazdorf Duo
- 3 – 3:50 p.m. — Elizabeth Lane Duo
- 4 – 5 p.m. — Dire Wolves Duo
Colonel Arnald D. Gabriel Concert Band Stage (Mt. Vernon Community School basketball court)
- 10 – 10:45 a.m. — Whiskey Before Breakfast Band
- 11 – 11:45 a.m. — Alexandria Singers
- 12 – 12:45 p.m. — NOVA Concert Band
- 1 – 1:45 p.m. — NOVA Nighthawks Jazz Band
- 2 – 2:45 p.m. — Alexandria Choral Society
- 3 – 3:45 p.m. — The Alexandria Citizens Band
- 4 – 4:45 p.m. — The Alexandria Citizens SWING Band
- 5 – 6:00 p.m. — The Academy at Metropolitan School of the Arts (Vocal Performance Ensemble)
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If you had a chance to enhance a child’s future with a time commitment of less than 2 hours a week, how would you respond? You have that opportunity right now to join over 200 Alexandrians as a reading tutor volunteer with the Alexandria Tutoring Consortium (ATC).
ATC tutors work with one child in kindergarten, first, or second grade in Alexandria public schools who need extra help with reading. Tutors meet with their Book Buddy 1-2 times each week for 30 minutes October-May at school, during school hours. Many struggling readers only receive one-on-one instruction through this program, and it makes all the difference. Last year, ATC served 195 children, of whom 82% ended the year reading on grade level and 96% made substantial reading gains. But the need is great, and we are still seeing learning lags from the pandemic.
This year, ATC plans to significantly increase the size of the program to reach over 250 students and to serve every elementary school in Alexandria. This is very exciting news, but we will only succeed if we can recruit more tutors. ATC trains you, matches you with a child, and provides ongoing lesson materials and support.
If you have been thinking about buying your first home or haven’t owned one in the last three years, THIS IS FOR YOU!
In the DMV area, it can be difficult to save the downpayment necessary for you to get into your own home. We have a solution. The Funder’s Summit!
We have assembled a summit with different municipalities to tell you how to access their funds for your home purchase.
Family Fun Fall Fest
Mark your calendars and join us for the Family Fun Fall Fest on Saturday, October 7, 2023, from 11am – 2pm!
This FREE in-person event will be held at the Shoppes at Foxchase, located at 4641 Duke St, Alexandria, VA
2023 Alexandria Fall Festival
Food trucks, bounce houses, pony rides, magic shows and more at the 2023 Alexandria Fall Festival, an Alexandria Living event presented by The Patterson Group. Join us at River Farm on Sunday, Nov. 5 from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
