Heroes, villains and all in-between marched to the Alexandria City High School zombie band at Del Ray’s 30th annual Halloween parade on Sunday.
Thousands turned out for what USA Today has dubbed one of the 10 best Halloween parades in the country. The weather was crisp and cool, about 65 degrees and considerably cooler in the shade.
Spooky season will be in full swing throughout Alexandria this weekend.
Led by the return of Del Ray’s popular Halloween parade for its 30th year, the next few days will also bring Old Town’s annual trick-or-treat event, an exploration of 18th-century mourning at Carlyle House, and even themed improv comedy shows and fitness crawls.
Alexandria residents looking for a healthier meal on the go can find a new health food cafe and juice bar opening this week in the Carlyle neighborhood.
Currently in soft opening, Fresh Healthy Cafe will be hosting a ribbon cutting at 9:55 a.m. on Friday (Oct. 23). Customers can buy one 12-ounce smoothie and get another for free, and get 25% off paninis or protein snack bowls.
Four restaurants in the Alexandria area have been named among the region’s best for 2026 by Northern Virginia Magazine, though only two are located in the city proper.
While the city’s dining scene was completely left out of the magazine’s ranked top 10, which were unveiled last Friday (Oct. 16), it received a bit more love in the full list of Northern Virginia’s 50 Best Restaurants released at noon today (Wednesday).
A new Ted’s Bulletin location is under construction in the Carlyle neighborhood.
The all-day breakfast spot is shooting to open next month at 2471 Mandeville Lane, according to a Facebook post.
A new teahouse is opening in Old Town, offering a variety of teas, tastings and shopping opportunities for tea lovers.
Seven Teahouse is under construction at 101 S. Royal Street in Old Town Alexandria near City Hall. Signs on the windows indicate an opening sometime this fall.
Seven Teahouse got its start in a Loudoun County farmers market before opening its original location in Leesburg in 2024. The Leesburg spot will stay open, and more locations are in the works.
A women’s bar crawl launched earlier this year is bringing the festivities to Old Town this weekend.
The Old Town Alexandria Women’s Crawl will take place 1-8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24 at six participating restaurants. The Del Ray Psych & Wellness team and its podcast Shrinks On Tap launched the Women’s Crawl earlier this year. The Old Town event is the third stop following its debut in Del Ray during March and its second in Falls Church in May.
People don’t generally smile when they see zombies, but there were plenty of smiles at the base of King Street on Saturday evening.
A flash mob of about 100 people dressed like zombies performed a dance to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” as hundreds of spectators gathered around. The event was so crowded that parents hoisted their children up onto their shoulders, and some people watched through their phone cameras held above their heads.
Alexandria City High School football legend Keith Burns’ name was immortalized last Friday (Oct. 16).
The field at Alexandria City High School’s Parker-Gray Memorial Stadium was renamed in honor of the 1990 graduate. Flanked by city and school leaders, Burns thanked his friends and family and said that he hopes to serve as an example.
Blackbeard and brothels and bootleggers — oh, my!
Alexandria Colonial Tours has launched a new tour featuring both ghosts and pirates, and it has quickly become the historic tours company’s most popular option.
Halloween festivities are starting to ramp up in Alexandria as October continues on.
This weekend, the “Thriller” Zombie Flash Mob descends upon Old Town, retailers will host the new Sticker Treat sticker crawl, and the Spooky Mad Science Expo returns for an 11th year at Patrick Henry Recreation Center. The Ethiopian Fall Festival has also been rescheduled for this weekend.
