Good morning, Alexandria! 👋 Today is Saturday, Aug. 9, the 221st day of 2025. There are 144 days left in the year.
On this day in 1974, a day after his resignation as President of the United States, Richard Nixon departed from the White House for his home at San Clemente, California. According to Historic Alexandria, Vice President Gerald R. Ford, who lived on Crown View Drive in Alexandria, was sworn in as the 38th president of the United States. After taking the oath of office, President Ford spoke to the nation in a television address, declaring, “My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over.”
☀️ Today’s weather: Sunny, with a high near 83 degrees. Calm wind becoming northeast around six mph in the afternoon. Clear tonight, with a low around 63 degrees. Light southeast wind.
🚨 You need to know
Alexandria transforms into a shopper’s paradise this weekend as the annual Sidewalk Sale spreads throughout Old Town and beyond, offering deals and discoveries alongside a packed calendar of farmers markets, live music, and community events. The all-day Saturday shopping extravaganza provides the perfect backdrop for a weekend that celebrates both the city’s commercial spirit and its rich historical heritage.
Saturday’s early risers can fuel up at two bustling farmers markets – the Old Town Farmers’ Market at Market Square Plaza starting at 7 a.m. and the Del Ray Farmers’ Market at Pat Miller Neighborhood Square an hour later. History buffs can delve into Alexandria’s Civil War past with a “Beyond the Battlefield” walking tour at 10 a.m. and a specialized Civil War Hospital Tour at 2 p.m., both offered at the Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden. Meanwhile, fitness enthusiasts can choose between yoga on the Magnolia Terrace at Carlyle House or “Fitness At The Brewery” at Aslin ALX.
The weekend’s entertainment scene spans from intimate acoustic sets to full-scale theatrical productions, with The Little Theatre of Alexandria presenting “Kinky Boots” both Saturday and Sunday. Music lovers can catch everything from the Sharon Clark Trio at Laporta’s Restaurant to tribute band 1964 at The Birchmere, while comedy takes center stage with improv at The Lyceum Saturday night and Comedy Night at Alexandria Bier Garden. Community spirit shines through events like the 3rd Annual Project Backpack Giveaway and the Back-2-School Slam Jam, ensuring families have plenty of ways to connect while preparing for the new school year.
Sunday maintains the momentum with three different farmers’ markets spread across the city, from the West End to Four Mile Run Park, giving residents multiple opportunities to stock up on local produce. The day winds down with chamber music at The Lyceum and a magical specialty tour of the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum, capping off a weekend that perfectly balances Alexandria’s role as both a modern community hub and a keeper of American history.
📈 Friday’s most read
The following are the most-read ALXnow articles for August 8, 2025.
- Man dies jumping from 15th-floor balcony during FBI arrest attempt on King Street
- Notes: Umiya Sushi opens at long-vacant Alexandria site
- Local Acting Opportunities: Three film projects currently casting in Alexandria
- French bakery and cafe files paperwork to open at 701 King Street in Old Town
- Proposed 24-Hour Mexican restaurant in Del Ray draws neighbor opposition
📅 Upcoming events
Here is what’s happening today and this weekend in Alexandria, courtesy of our event calendar.
- 👉 9:00 am Saturday: Del Ray Vintage & Flea Market
- 9:00 am Saturday: Yoga on the Magnolia Terrace
- 10:00 am Saturday: METWC 2025 Annual Community Back-2-School Slam Jam Events
- 3:00 pm Saturday: 3rd Annual Project Backpack Giveaway
Saturday, August 9
Things To Do
- All Day: Alexandria Sidewalk Sale throughout Old Town and Alexandria
- 8 a.m.: Hypergoat One Year Celebration at Hypergoat Cafe
- 7 a.m.: Old Town Farmers’ Market at Market Square Plaza
- 8 a.m.: Del Ray Farmers’ Market at Pat Miller Neighborhood Square
- 8:30 a.m.: Murphy’s Saturday Run at Murphy’s Grand Irish Pub
- 9 a.m.: Yoga on the Magnolia Terrace at Carlyle House
- 9 a.m.: Del Ray Vintage & Flea Market in Del Ray
- 10 a.m.: METWC 2025 Annual Community Back-2-School Slam Jam Events at Patrick Henry School
- 10 a.m.: Trash Trekkers – Burke Branch Walking and Litter Pickup Club at Coolidge Burke Branch Library
- 10 a.m.: Fitness At The Brewery at Aslin ALX
- 10 a.m.: Beyond the Battlefield: A Civil War Walking Tour of Alexandria at Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden
- 10:30 a.m.: Pedals & Pints at Handy Bikes
- 2 p.m.: Civil War Hospital Tour at Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden
- 2 p.m.: Good Pet, Great Life! – Behavior 101 for Cats, Dogs, and Their Humans at Kate Waller Barrett Branch Library
- 3 p.m.: 3rd Annual Project Backpack Giveaway at Blaszkow Legal Injury Lawyers
- 3:30 p.m.: DIY Teens: Galaxy Jars at Kate Waller Barrett Branch Library
- 8 p.m.: Improv Comedy Show with the Auxiliary at The Lyceum
Live Music & Entertainment
- 219 Restaurant: Rich Russman at 9 p.m.
- Alexandria Bier Garden: Comedy Night at 8 p.m., DJ & Karaoke Night at 9 p.m.
- Blackwall Hitch: Black Coffee at 9 p.m.
- Daniel O’Connell’s: Juniper Lights at 9:30 p.m.
- Galactic Panther Art Gallery: Two Least Likely at 8 p.m.
- Hops N Shine: Karaoke at 9 p.m.
- Laporta’s Restaurant: Sharon Clark Trio at 7 p.m.
- Makeda Restaurant: Negussie & Nani at 10 p.m.
- Murphy’s Grand Irish Pub: Tyler Goldstein & Pat Gravey at 9 p.m.
- Rock It Grill: Karaoke at 9:30 p.m.
- The Birchmere: 1964: The Tribute at 7:30 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 & Alexandria City Public Schools
- 10 a.m.: Storytime for Little Historians at Alexandria Black History Museum
- 12 p.m.: Commission for Women Retreat at Department of Community and Human Services
Sunday, August 10
Things To Do
- 8:30 a.m.: West End Farmers Market at 4800 Brenman Park
- 9 a.m.: Four Mile Run Farmers’ Market at Four Mile Run Park
- 1 p.m.: Kids Arts & Crafts at Hops N Shine
- 1:30 p.m.: Board Game Bliss at Ellen Coolidge Burke Branch Library
- 2:30 p.m.: Preschool STEAM Sundays at James M. Duncan Jr. Branch Library
- 3 p.m.: Summer Sundays Chamber Music at the Lyceum by WMPA
Live Music & Entertainment
- 219 Restaurant: Kev Powe Thang at 9 p.m.
- Blackwall Hitch: Black Coffee at 10:30 a.m.
- Daniel O’Connell’s: Bobby Reed at 5 p.m.
- Galactic Panther Art Gallery: Lud Roes, Gardenia, and No One Sphere at 3 p.m., Open Mic at 7:30 p.m.
- Laporta’s Restaurant: Steve Ragsdale at 11:30 a.m., Walt Johnson Trio at 6 p.m.
- Murphy’s Grand Irish Pub: O’McPub Band at 4 p.m., Rook Richards at 8:30 p.m.
- Rock It Grill: Karaoke at 9:30 p.m.
- The Birchmere: Switch at 7:30 p.m.
- The Little Theatre of Alexandria: Kinky Boots at 2 p.m.
City of Alexandria & Alexandria City Public Schools
- 11 a.m.: Specialty Tour: A Magical Apothecary at Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum
