Good morning, Alexandria! 👋 Today is Friday, Aug. 22, the 234th day of 2025. There are 131 days left in the year.
🌧️ Today’s weather: Sunny, with a high near 83 degrees. Light and variable wind becoming north around 6 mph in the morning.
Clear tonight, with a low around 61 degrees. Southeast wind around 5 mph, becoming calm in the evening.
🚨 You need to know
Alexandria Restaurant Week kicks off today with dozens of participating restaurants offering special prix fixe menus across the city’s diverse neighborhoods through Aug. 31.
The 10-day culinary event, one of Alexandria’s biggest summer events, features multi-course prix fixe dinner menus at $30, $40 or $50 per person at participating restaurants. Select fast-casual restaurants throughout Alexandria are also offering additional special offers, making it easy to sample a wide range of cuisines at every budget. The event showcases the creativity of local chefs and the global cuisine available in neighborhoods throughout the city, including Old Town, Old Town North, Del Ray, Carlyle and Eisenhower, Arlandria-Chirilagua and the West End.
First-time participants this year include exciting new additions to the city’s dining scene: the newly opened Alexandria location of farmer-owned Founding Farmers in Potomac Yard and Southern comfort spot Milk & Honey. Also joining for the first time is local favorite Loft at Lena’s, with its Havana 151 theme. The participating restaurants span price points and cuisines, from Bugsy’s pizza and Daniel O’Connell’s Irish pub food at the $30 level to upscale options such as Chart House’s seafood and Bastille’s contemporary French cuisine at the $50 price point.
Visitors can extend their dining experience with the Love, Alexandria hotel package, which includes more than $200 in added value at participating hotels throughout the city. Diners can also download the ALX Open Rewards app to earn 3% back on Restaurant Week dining and purchases across the city’s small businesses year-round.
A digital menu book featuring all participating restaurants and their special offerings is available at AlexandriaRestaurantWeek.com.
What else to know
🚨 Alexandria police launched a search early Friday morning for a 27-year-old man reported as a critical missing person.
🏘️ Developer JBG Smith will soon discuss an updated proposal to build a mix of multifamily, townhome and committed affordable housing across from the Potomac Yard Metro station.
🆕 Story Update: Comments from Mayor Gaskins and the ARHA Board have been added to this story -> Alexandria council member calls for investigation into housing authority CEO living in public housing.
👉 ICYMI: ALXnow recently caught up with Alexandria Poet Laureate Cristi Donoso. Read the interview.
🍽️ Alexandria Restaurant Week, one of the city’s biggest summer events, begins today with more than 90 participating restaurants offering special prix fixe menus across the city’s diverse neighborhoods.
🎶 Here’s our weekly roundup of all the events, entertainment, and live music happening out there. Have a great weekend!
📈 Thursday’s most read
The following are the most-read ALXnow articles for Aug. 21, 2025.
- Alexandria council member calls for investigation into housing authority CEO living in public housing
- Alexandria police searched for 2 suspects in S. 28th Street shooting that injured
- Congressional candidate alleges wrongful arrest by Alexandria sheriff’s deputies
- Pedestrian injured in Old Town crash Thursday morning
- Woman found dead during eviction process in Alexandria
📅 Upcoming events
Here is what’s happening today in Alexandria, as per our newsletter and event calendar.
Things To Do
- Alexandria Summer Restaurant Week
- 10:15 a.m.: Baby Storytime at Ellen Coolidge Burke Branch Library
- 11 a.m.: Double Beer Release: Schwarzbier & Watermelon Gose at Port City Brewing
- 3:30 p.m.: Fun Friday at Ellen Coolidge Burke Branch Library
- 6 p.m.: Trademark x Quattro Theory Wine Pairing Dinner at Trademark
- 6:30 p.m.: Friday Night O’Connell’s Run at Daniel O’Connell’s Irish Restaurant
- 7 p.m.: Trivia Nights at Historic Sites – 1920s at Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden
- 7 p.m.: Guided Meditation With Cats at Mount Purrnon Cat Cafe Wine Bar
- 219 Restaurant: Bobby Thompson Trio at 9 p.m.
- Alexandria Bier Garden: Rebel Rose at 9:30 p.m.
- Augie’s Mussel House & Beer Garden: Tory Grace at 5 p.m.
- Blackwall Hitch: Mike Ferro Duo at 9 p.m.
- Daniel O’Connell’s: Franklin Music Duo at 9:30 p.m.
- Hops N Shine: Live music at 6 p.m.
- Laporta’s Restaurant: The Satin Doll Quartet at 7:30 p.m.
- Lost Boy Cider: Handpan w/ Erik Rasmus at 6:30 p.m.
- Makeda Restaurant: Mesfin & Tsehay at 10 p.m.
- Murphy’s Grand Irish Pub: Pat Carroll & The Too Extra Band at 9 p.m.
- O’Shaughnessy’s Pub: Kingpin at 9 p.m.
- Rock It Grill: Karaoke at 9:30 p.m.
- The Birchmere: Magical Mystery Doors – Beatles, Zeppelin, Doors Tribute at 7:30 p.m.
- The Light Horse: Climb On at 9 p.m.
- The Study at Morrison House: Live Piano Music at 6 p.m.
City of Alexandria Events & Public Meetings
- 8:30 a.m.: Planning Commission Retreat
Organizing an event? Submit your event to ALXnow’s Event Calendar.
