Good Saturday morning, Alexandria!
🗓️ Today is Saturday, July 19, the 200th day of 2025. There are 165 days left in the year.
⛈️ Today’s weather
- Hazardous Weather Outlook
- Today: Showers and thunderstorms are likely, mainly between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 88 degrees. Calm wind becoming south around five mph in the afternoon. The chance of precipitation is 60%—new rainfall amounts between a tenth and a quarter of an inch, except higher amounts are possible in thunderstorms.
- Tonight: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 8 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74 degrees. Calm wind. The chance of precipitation is 30%.
- Tomorrow: A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93 degrees. Heat index values as high as 102 degrees. Calm wind becoming west 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon. The chance of precipitation is 40%.
🚨 You need to know
History enthusiasts and families have a rare opportunity today to explore Alexandria’s rich firefighting heritage, as the Friendship Firehouse Museum opens for one of its limited monthly opportunities. Located at 107 South Alfred Street in Old Town Alexandria, the museum is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., offering visitors their only chance this month to discover the courageous stories behind the city’s first volunteer fire company.
The Friendship Fire Company, founded in 1774, holds the distinction of being Alexandria’s inaugural fire company, staffed entirely by volunteers whose deep commitment to protecting their neighbors and city shaped the community’s character. The current firehouse building, constructed in 1855, now serves as a museum honoring the legacy of these brave citizens who risked their lives for public safety.
Among the museum’s most prized exhibits is the newly conserved Rodgers Suction Engine, a stunning piece of firefighting history crafted by Robert Prettyman right here in Alexandria. Visitors can also explore an impressive collection of early firefighting tools, including buckets, hoses, axes, and ceremonial regalia such as helmets and capes that tell the story of how firefighting evolved in the 18th and 19th centuries.
The historic Meeting Room provides insight into how the fire company extended beyond emergency response, participating in parades and civic ceremonies that helped shape Alexandria’s community spirit. With the museum only opening one Saturday per month, today represents a valuable opportunity to step back in time and experience this unique piece of local history.
Admission is $2 for adults, while children 5 and under, as well as City of Alexandria residents, can visit free of charge. Visitors can park for free at The Lyceum’s parking lot at 201 South Washington Street, just two blocks away, making it easy to explore both historic sites in one trip.
For more information on the Friendship Firehouse Museum, click here.
Here’s what else you should know
👉 Alexandria’s calendar of events this weekend offers something for every taste.
🍦 Sunday is National Ice Cream Day. Use our recent Readers’ Choice poll for inspiration or to try somewhere new – Best Ice Cream Shop in Alexandria.
👉 Speaking of polls, don’t forget to vote in our current one – Best Barbecue Restaurant in Alexandria.
📈 Friday’s most read
The following are the most-read ALXnow articles for July 18, 2025.
- Milk & Honey opens in Old Town
- Continues Arcade soft opens next week in Alexandria with 60+ classic games
- New coffee shop and wine bar pitched for Queen Street in Old Town
- Hundreds march in ‘Good Trouble Lives On’ rally in Alexandria
- Notes: Alexandria’s $4M ‘Versailles’ townhouse goes viral, featured on Zillow Gone Wild
📅 Upcoming events
Here’s what’s happening today and this weekend in Alexandria, courtesy of our event calendar.
- 9:30 am Saturday: Alexandria – Viringia Housing Homebuying Seminar
- 6:00 pm Saturday: Summer Movie Nights
- 👉 7:00 pm Saturday: EP Summer Movie Night: SHREK!
Saturday, July 19
Things To Do
- 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
- 9:30 a.m.: Alexandria – Virginia Housing Home Buying Seminar at Samson Properties
- 10 a.m.: Fitness At The Brewery at Aslin ALX
- 1:30 p.m.: 12th Annual Old Town Pub Crawl in Old Town
- 6 p.m.: EP Summer Movie Night: SHREK! at AlexRenew Terrace
- 6 p.m.: Jellyfish Terrarium Workshop at PlantHouse
Live Music & Entertainment
- 219 Restaurant: Holly Montgomery at 9 p.m.
- Alexandria Bier Garden: Maggie Shot Burns at 9:30 p.m.
- Blackwall Hitch: Levi Stephens at 9 p.m.
- Daniel O’Connell’s: Rook Richards at 9:30 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: The Wavos & Pat Carroll at 9 p.m.
- O’Shaughnessy’s Pub: Squid Ink at 9 p.m.
- Rock It Grill: Karaoke at 9:30 p.m.
- The Birchmere: Tell Me Lies – The Fleetwood Mac Experience at 7:30 p.m.
- The Light Horse: Broken Ground at 9 p.m.
- The Study at Morrison House: Live Piano Music at 6 p.m.
City of Alexandria & Alexandria City Public Schools
- 10 a.m.: Specialty Tour: Hamilton’s BFF & Frenemies
- 11 a.m.: Friendship Firehouse Museum Open
- 5 p.m.: Apothecary Night Shift
Sunday, July 20
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
- 2 p.m.: Alexandria Oddball Cinema – Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame at Charles E. Beatley Jr. Central 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: Jack Gregori at 5 p.m.
- Galactic Panther Art Gallery: Open Mic at 7:30 p.m.
- Hops N Shine: Marvel Trivia Night at 5 p.m.
- Laporta’s Restaurant: Steve Zubrick 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.
- O’Shaughnessy’s Pub: Karaoke at 9 p.m.
- Rock It Grill: Karaoke at 9:30 p.m.
- The Birchmere: Hubert Laws at 7:30 p.m.
City of Alexandria & Alexandria City Public Schools
- 11 a.m.: Outlandish Tour at the Apothecary Museum
- 2 p.m.: Family Day with Young Historians
