Here’s your guide to First Night Alexandria

James Cullum December 20, 2023 at 2:45pm

First Night in Alexandria (via Visit Alexandria)

Alexandria’s 29th annual First Night celebration is just around the corner. Here’s what you need to know before the family-friendly event.

First Night runs from 2 p.m. until the fireworks show at midnight at the waterfront on Sunday, Dec. 31.

Tickets cost $10 for daytime activities around town and scale up to $35 per ticket for adults and $50 for a “VIP Fast Pass” ticket to various venues. Kids ages two and below can attend for free.

The alcohol-free event includes performances from Grammy-nominated Culture Queen, a juggling act with local trickster Parris Dineen, and fireworks at 6 p.m. over the Potomac River if you want to take the family home early.

Ticketholders can pick up their wristbands at the venue of their preferred performance.

“At that location you can check in up to 30 minutes prior to the start of the first performance at that venue and receive your wristband for the Pass level that you have purchased,” according to First Night Alexandria.

On parking and transportation, event organizers are encouraging ticket holders to park near the venues of their choice.

“All of the venues are within a 1 mile walking distance from the GW Masonic Temple to the Potomac River,” First Night Alexandria says on its website. “There are lots of parking garages in the area that you can consider as well as street parking, bikes, scooters and the trolley system, which is available until 11 p.m.”

The free King Street Trolley runs every 15 minutes up and down King Street from the King Street Metro station to City Hall/Market Square (301 King Street).

In the event of a washout, the rain date for the fireworks is 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 1.

The First Night Alexandria schedule of events is below:

CLEAN COMEDY CONNECTION	Comedy	GW Masonic Memorial	101 Callahan Dr.	7:30, 8:30 p.m.
COMMON GROUND BAND	Smooth Jazz	The Lyceum	201 S. Washington St.	7:00, 8:00, 9:00, 10:00 p.m.
CULTURE QUEEN*	Kids	The Lyceum	201 S. Washington St.	3:00, 4:30, 5:00 p.m.
GRANDSONS JR.*	Rocking Family Dance	GW Masonic Memorial	101 Callahan Dr.	2:30, 3:15, 4:00 p.m.
GROOVY NATE*	Kids	GW Masonic Memorial	101 Callahan Dr.	2:15, 3:15, 4:15, 5:00 p.m.
INSPIRA DANCE	Country Line Dance	Durant Arts Center	1605 Cameron St.	2:00 p.m.
IRISH BREAKFAST BAND*	Irish,Ceili Dance	Durant Arts Center	1605 Cameron St.	*4:15, 7:00 p.m.
JANNIE WILSON with BILLY COULTER & SCOTT McKNIGHT	Acoustic Roots Rock,Americana,Pop	American Legion Post 2	400 Cameron St	7:00, 8:00, 9:00, 10:00 p.m.
LINE DANCING DIVAS*	Urban Line Dance	Durant Arts Center	1605 Cameron St.	3:00 p.m.
MIKE ROSE MAGIC*	Magic,Comedy	The Little Theater of Alexandria	600 Wolfe St.	3:30, 4:15, *5:00, 6:45, 7:30, 8:15 p.m.
MUSIKANTEN	Russell Woollen’s Alexandria Suite	St. Paul’s Episcopal Church	228 S. Pitt St.	*5:00, 6:30, 8:00 p.m.
PARRIS DINEEN JUGGLING*	Juggling	GW Masonic Memorial	101 Callahan Dr.	2:15, 3:45, 5:00 p.m.
SILENT DISCO*	Dance	GW Masonic Memorial	101 Callahan Dr.	*2:00-5:00; 7:00-11:00 p.m.
THE BOB BAND	Bob Dylan Tribute	Long & Foster	110 N. Royal St.	7:15, 8:15, 9:15, 10:15 p.m.
THE STAIRWELLS	A Capella	Old Presbyterian Meeting House	323 S. Lee St.	7:00, 8:00 p.m.
THE THRILLS	50s,60s,70s,R&R,R&B	Washington St. United Methodist Church	109 S. Washington St.	6:15, 7:15, 8:15 p.m.
TOBIN JAMES BAND	Funk,Alternative Rock	GW Masonic Memorial	101 Callahan Dr.	8:00, 9:00, 10:00 p.m.
VAUGHN AMBROSE TRIO	Modern Jazz	Principle Gallery	208 King St.	6:30, 7:30, 8:30, 9:30 p.m.
PRE-FIREWORKS BLOCK PARTY	Family	Market Square	301 King St.	4:00-6:00 p.m.
TWILIGHT FIREWORKS	Family	Over the Potomac River		6:00 p.m.
FINALE COUNTDOWN TO 2024	Family	Waterfront		11:50 p.m.
Midnight Fireworks