Good morning, Alexandria! 👋 Today is Thursday, Aug. 7, the 219th day of 2025. There are 146 days left in the year.
☀️ Today’s weather: Increasing clouds, with a high near 83 degrees. East wind 7 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Partly cloudy tonight, with a low around 66 degrees. East wind 6 to 8 mph.
🚨 You need to know
Del Ray will host its monthly First Thursday event tonight (August 7) from 6 p.m. to dusk along Mount Vernon Avenue, featuring a “Surf’s Up!” theme with live music, giveaways, and activities.
The event will center at Pat Miller Neighborhood Square, located at the intersection of Mount Vernon and Oxford avenues, where The Surf Junkies will perform live surf rock music. Activities include hula hoop contests, sidewalk chalk, and an American Water misting tent. The Jen Walker Team is sponsoring the event.
Participants can pick up scavenger hunt entry forms and maps at Pat Miller Square, which will show giveaway stops from Uhler to Bellefonte streets. Local businesses will offer beach-themed goodies, with Mulberry Lane providing craft activities, Stardust Vintage offering free hot dogs and cold water, and Dairy Godmother distributing complimentary popsicles. Completed scavenger hunt forms can be turned in at Pat Miller Square or Stardust Vintage during the event, or at Stardust by the close of business Aug. 11. A prize drawing will be held Aug. 12.
The event will also collect unopened, unexpired non-perishable food donations for Cook for Vets to address food scarcity among veterans. Needed items include rice, pasta, quinoa, pickles, canned vegetables, canned tuna, vegetarian baked beans, oatmeal packets, cereal boxes, fruit cups, applesauce cups, granola bars, breakfast bars, graham crackers, animal crackers, mini muffins, crackers, chicken or beef broth boxes, raisins, apple or grape juice and water bottles. Donations can be dropped off at Pat Miller Square.
Cook For Vets Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that provides food security for veterans and their households through the distribution of healthy meals and groceries.
For more details and updates, click here.
Here’s what else you should know
🗓️ On this date in 1942, leaders from Trinity United Methodist Church and the local Masonic lodge, using George Washington’s trowel, set the cornerstone at Trinity’s new church in Beverly Hills. Bricks, furnishings and other materials from Trinity’s old church on Washington Street were used to construct the meeting house on Cameron Mills Road.
🎉 Housing Alexandria celebrated four years of community engagement at its annual summer garden celebrations, hosting residents and volunteers at The Station at Potomac Yard and The Bloom at Braddock for tours, activities, and festivities highlighting the organization’s urban agriculture efforts. The nonprofit now operates three community garden sites that collectively produce 2,500 pounds of fresh vegetables annually—including tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and leafy greens—serving more than 250 residents and advancing food equity in Alexandria.
🚓 A familiar face has left Alexandria. After 25 years with the Alexandria Police Department, Captain Courtney Ballantine retired last month and just started his new job as deputy chief of the Georgetown University Police Department.
🎶 The City of Alexandria Pipes and Drums will perform the final concert of their summer series this evening at Market Square.
👉 I’ll have a full roundup of all that’s happening for events, live music, and entertainment this weekend up on alxnow.com by noon today.
📈 Wednesday’s most read
The following are the most-read ALXnow articles for August 6, 2025.
- Proposed 24-Hour Mexican restaurant in Del Ray draws neighbor opposition
- Virginia ABC store moves from Duke Street to Pickett Street in Alexandria
- From Trump’s inner circle to MAGA’s enemy: Alexandria’s Olivia Troye on her journey from White House insider to lifelong resistance
- 2D Noodles soft-opens on Mount Vernon Avenue in Arlandria
- Van Leeuwen Ice Cream coming to Old Town
📅 Upcoming events
Here is what’s happening today in Alexandria, as per our event calendar.
- 11:00 am: Story Time: Oh No! Astro
- 6:00 pm: Happy Hour Concert Series at Carlyle Crossing: Hand Painted Swinger
- 6:00 pm: Del Ray First Thursday “Surf’s Up!”
- 6:00 pm: Nepenthe Gallery Fundraising Event to benefit “We Will Survive Cancer”
- 7:30 pm: City of Alexandria Pipes & Drums Concert on Market Square
Things To Do
- 11 a.m.: National IPA Day at Port City Brewing Company
- 12 p.m.: Line Dancing at Ellen Coolidge Burke Branch Library
- 1:30 p.m.: Thursday Afternoon Book Discussion – “Intermezzo” – by Sally Rooney at James M. Duncan Jr. Branch Library
- 2 p.m.: Old Town North Farmers’ Market at Montgomery Park
- 5:30 p.m.: Sit & Stitch at Ellen Coolidge Burke Branch Library
- 6 p.m.: Del Ray First Thursday “Surf’s Up!” in Del Ray
- 6 p.m.: Nepenthe Gallery Fundraising Event to benefit “We Will Survive Cancer”
- 6 p.m.: Happy Hour Concert Series at Carlyle Crossing: Hand Painted Swinger
- 6 p.m.: Coding Game Night – ages 6-12 – at Charles E. Beatley Jr. Central Library
- 7 p.m.: Meet & Greet with Miklo, Blood In Blood Out at Lost Toltecos
- 7 p.m.: World Short Story Discussion Group – “The Master Mourner” and “Porcelain” virtually with Alexandria Library
- 7:45 p.m.: Alexandria Pipes and Drums Summer Concert at Market Square
- 219 Restaurant: Mike Kelley & Friends at 9 p.m.
- Aslin ALX: Trivia at 7 p.m.
- Augie’s Mussel House: Live music at 5 p.m.
- Catboat Pizza: Trivia at 6:30 p.m.
- Galactic Panther Art Gallery: Rap Is Poetry Open Mic Night at 8 p.m.
- Hops N Shine: Trivia at 6:30 p.m.
- Laporta’s Restaurant: Ken Kilpatrick Trio at 6 p.m.
- Lost Boy Cider: Trivia at 7 p.m.
- Murphy’s Pub: Justina Beth-El at 8:30 p.m.
- O’Shaughnessy’s Pub: Atzlan | Context at 9 p.m.
- Rock It Grill: Karaoke at 9:30 p.m.
- Rosemont Cellar: Sleeper Car at 6:30 p.m.
- The Little Theatre of Alexandria: Kinky Boots at 8 p.m.
- The Study at Morrison House: Live Piano Music at 6 p.m.
City of Alexandria Events & Public Meetings
- All Day: ACPS Teacher Work Day
- 9 a.m.: Industrial Development Authority Meeting
- 6 p.m.: ACPS Special Called School Board Meeting
- 7:45 p.m.: Alexandria Pipes and Drums Summer Concert at Market Square
Organizing an event? Submit your event to ALXnow’s Event Calendar.
