Author: Ryan Belmore

Ryan Belmore is a journalist based in Alexandria, Virginia. He served as Publisher of ALXnow from March to October 2025. He can be reached at [email protected].

News

Bands & Brews bar crawl, Port to Port Beer Festival highlight Alexandria’s packed week of events

By Ryan Belmore
Port City beer (photo via Port City Brewing Company/Facebook)

Alexandria residents have dozens of entertainment and community options this week, with programming ranging from library activities and farmers markets to two major beer-focused events anchoring Saturday’s lineup.

The week begins Monday with senior bingo and blood drives at local libraries, while evening venues like Port City Brewing Company and Daniel O’Connell’s host live music. Tuesday brings BeerYoga and improv comedy at Aslin ALX, continuing diverse programming across the city.

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Around Town

Del Ray’s fifth annual Bands & Brews bar crawl set for Saturday

By Ryan Belmore
The 5th Annual Bands & Brews is set for Saturday, Aug. 16 (Credit: Del Ray Business Association)

The Del Ray Business Association will host its fifth annual Bands & Brews summer bar crawl on Saturday, Aug. 16, from 12:30 to 6 p.m., featuring live music at more than 20 restaurants along Mount Vernon Avenue.

The event, sponsored by the Jen Walker Team, will benefit InspireLit, a local nonprofit that works to inspire a love of reading and promote literacy by increasing access to engaging books.

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Around Town

Around the World Cultural Food Festival returns to Alexandria Aug. 23

By Ryan Belmore
Savor the Flavors of the World at the 9th Edition of the Around The World Cultural Food Festival at Oronoco Bay Park in Old Town on August 23, 2025 (Contributed photo)

The ninth annual Around the World Cultural Food Festival will return to Oronoco Bay Park in Old Town on Saturday, Aug. 23, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., offering free admission to what organizers call the largest outdoor cultural food festival in the Washington metro area.

This year’s event will feature authentic cuisine from 24 countries, with one food vendor per country providing what organizers describe as a curated tasting experience. More than 150 traditional dishes will be available from countries including Afghanistan, China, Egypt, Ghana, Greece, Indonesia, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Korea, Lebanon, Mexico, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, among others.

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News

Alexandria firefighters help rescue driver trapped under tractor-trailer on Beltway

By Ryan Belmore
Alexandria firefighters responded to a serious motor vehicle accident on the Capital Beltway near the Woodrow Wilson Bridge early Sunday morning, rescuing a driver who became trapped underneath a tractor-trailer. (via Alexandria Fire Department)

Alexandria firefighters responded to a serious motor vehicle accident on the Capital Beltway near the Woodrow Wilson Bridge early Sunday morning, rescuing a driver who became trapped underneath a tractor-trailer.

The accident occurred just before 6 a.m. on the Maryland side of the bridge, according to a Facebook post from Alexandria Firefighters, Inc. IAFF Local 2141. When crews arrived, they found one vehicle pinned under the rear of the tractor-trailer with the driver trapped inside.

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News

Notes: Alexandria opens city pools to dogs for annual summer swim sessions

By Ryan Belmore
Annual dog swim at Warwick Pool (image via RPCA/Facebook)

Good morning, Alexandria! 👋 Today is Sunday, Aug. 10, the 222nd day of 2025. There are 143 days left in the year.

☀️ Today’s weather: Sunny, with a high near 86 degrees. Calm wind becoming southeast around six mph in the afternoon.

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News

Missing 76-year-old Alexandria woman found safe after hours-long search

By Ryan Belmore
Alexandria Police Department issued this Critical Missing Female alert on Saturday, August 9, 2025. (Credit: Alexandria Police Department)

A 76-year-old Alexandria woman who went missing Saturday afternoon has been found safe, police said.

Bernise Simpkin was located at 11:18 p.m. Saturday, according to the Alexandria Police Department. She had been missing for nearly nine hours after last being seen around 2:45 p.m. in the North Old Town area.

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Around Town

Alexandria Choral Society names Victoria Benson new Executive Director

By Ryan Belmore
Victoria Benson has been named the new executive director of the Alexandria Choral Society (Credit: Alexandria Choral Society)

The Alexandria Choral Society has named Victoria Benson as its new executive director, effective at the beginning of the 2025-2026 season.

Benson succeeds Megan Yingst and brings experience in both arts management and commercial real estate operations to the 55-year-old organization. She previously served as board chair, producer and director at Fresh Squeezed Opera Company in New York City, where she produced dozens of musical events and increased donor engagement and revenue.

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News

Notes: Alexandria Sidewalk Sale kicks off action-packed summer weekend

By Ryan Belmore
Shopping in Old Town Alexandria (via Visit Alexandria)

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.”

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News

Gov. Youngkin declares statewide ‘Day of Play’ to combat youth screen time, promote mental health

By Ryan Belmore
The Commonwealth Day of Play will take place on Saturday, August 9 (via Secretary of Health and Human Resources website)

Gov. Glenn Youngkin has declared Saturday, Aug. 9, as the Commonwealth’s inaugural “Day of Play,” a statewide initiative designed to encourage families to step away from screens and engage in outdoor activities to support youth mental health.

The celebration is part of Youngkin’s broader “Reclaiming Childhood” initiative, launched through Executive Order 43 in November 2024 following a youth mental health summit. The initiative aims to reduce screen time among young people by 25% in 2025 and promote face-to-face social connections.

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News

Alexandria police captain retires after breaking barriers in 23½-year career

By Ryan Belmore
Captain Monica Lisle (via Alexandria Police Department)

Captain Monica Lisle retired from the Alexandria Police Department this week after 23½ years of service, marking the end of a groundbreaking career that saw her become the first woman to lead the department’s Criminal Investigations Section.

The retirement comes just one day after ALXnow reported that Captain Courtney Ballantine retired from APD last month after 25 years to join Georgetown University Police as deputy chief.

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