Around Town

PHOTOS: The George Washington Birthday Parade returns to Old Town

By James Cullum
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With the temperature in the low 60s, it was a picturesque Saturday (Feb. 14) for the annual George Washington Birthday Parade in Old Town.

Thousands participated in the annual event to commemorate the country’s founding father, including city leaders, local groups, kids and more.

Even actors portraying George and Martha Washington participated, and one of the most touching moments was when the parade briefly stopped and an actor portraying the Marquis de Lafayette approached the reviewing stage and embraced Washington, his former commander in chief during the Revolutionary War.

“The first time I ever saw Gen. Washington was in Philadelphia,” the Lafayette reenactor said. “Without ever meeting him before, I knew precisely who he was before he spoke. Simply by the majesty of his face and the way he carried himself. To me, he was truly an aristocrat without the name, a noble without the title. And from that moment forward, I said to General Washington, I shall have two countries, France and the United States of America.”

Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley rode through the parade on her electric bicycle.

“I think it was an incredible day of Alexandria’s showing who we are in a beautiful setting with people coming from all over the region to celebrate not just our beautiful streets and our town, but what we can do when we all get together,” Bagley said after the parade.

The grand marshals in this year’s parade were Michael J. Elston, the national president general of the Sons of the American Revolution, and Ginnie Sebastian Storage, national president general of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Alexandria will next celebrate the St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday, March 7, in Old Town.

Enjoy the photos!

About the Author

  • Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.