The federal government shutdown is affecting residents and visitors across the Washington region, but attractions, restaurants, shops, and hotels in Alexandria remain fully open for business.
Visit Alexandria announced Wednesday it has launched a dedicated webpage highlighting things to do in the city during the shutdown and is offering free attraction passes to hotel guests and federal employees.
Alexandria will host its first-ever State of the Arts ALX event this month at the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus (3625 Potomac Avenue).
The city’s Department of Recreation, Parks, and Cultural Activities — Office of Arts is hosting the free event on Oct. 15 at 8:30 a.m. Speakers discussing the local art scene and artistic accomplishments in Alexandria include Poet Laureate Maria Cristina Donoso and Jen Goold, executive director of the Neighborhood Design Center.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office laid off employees on Wednesday as part of a reduction-in-force plan that has been in development for months, according to multiple sources and internal emails reviewed by Bloomberg Law.
The Alexandria-based agency cut positions across several departments, including the communications team, the Office of Public Engagement, and the Patents Unit, according to Bloomberg Law. The layoffs occur as the federal government shut down on Wednesday due to a funding impasse in Congress, although the USPTO remains open and operational, funded by operating reserves from fee collections.
The deadline to nominate a home and business in Del Ray’s annual Best Decorated Halloween House and Business Contest is Sunday, Oct. 19.
The winners of the contest will be announced at the conclusion of the 29th annual Del Ray Halloween Parade on Sunday, Oct. 26. Visit Del Ray will also present awards for the best pet costume and best stroller/group. “For over 30 years, local residents and businesses have gone all out decorating for Halloween, competing for bragging rights for best decorated house and business,” Visit Del Ray said. “A map of the finalists will be available the week before Halloween.”
An instructional assistant at Thomas Edison High School, located at 5801 Franconia Road, Alexandria (Fairfax County), has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting two students.
Derrick Burroughs, a 40-year-old Alexandria man, was arrested after Child Protective Services received two referrals that two students were “inappropriately touched,” according to the Fairfax County Police Department. Burroughs, an instructional assistant with Fairfax County Public Schools since 2023, was transported to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center and charged with two counts of aggravated sexual battery and indecent liberties by a custodian. He was released after posting a $3,000 bond, according to FCPD.
Several Alexandria businesses are offering discounts and freebies to federal employees affected by the government shutdown.
Made in ALX (415 King Street) is offering discounts on workshops, has items on sale, and is putting out one of their artists’ 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzles for anyone to work on during regular business hours. “I’m in a federal family, and have gone through several shutdowns in the past,” Beth Lawton, a cofounder of Made In ALX, told us. “I know firsthand how stressful it is, and if we can make things easier on people affected this year, we’re happy to do that.”
The Alexandria City Council’s Naming Committee is moving forward with plans to rename or rededicate four streets currently named for Confederate military leaders, focusing on honoring local historical figures and civic leaders instead.
Councilman John Chapman presented the committee’s Phase 2 recommendations during Tuesday’s council meeting, outlining proposed changes for Calhoun Avenue, Stevens Street, Frost Street, and Iverson Street. The changes are part of an ongoing effort to address street names established by a 1953 ordinance that required north-south streets to be named after Confederate leaders.
Alexandria officially received the 2025 Virginia Plan of the Year Award on Tuesday for its AlexWest Small Area Plan, with state planning officials presenting the honor to the City Council more than three months after it was announced in June.
Nick Rogers, president-elect of the Virginia Chapter of the American Planning Association, and Sophie Huemer, chair of the chapter’s 2025 awards committee, made the formal presentation during Tuesday night’s council meeting. Huemer is also the director of the Office of Capital Programs, Planning, and Design Services at Alexandria City Public Schools.
Alexandria City Council signaled support Tuesday night for spending $150,000 to study an alternative location for a controversial flood mitigation pump station. This move would pause current design work for several months.
Mayor Alyia Gaskins introduced the proposal during council member updates, explaining that the Waterfront Commission had recently requested staff examine 1 Prince Street as an alternative to the current Waterfront Park location.
Good Wednesday morning, Alexandria!
🌤️ Today’s weather: Partly sunny, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 71 degrees. Northeast wind 10 to 13 mph.Clear tonight, with a low around 52 degrees. Northeast wind around 5 mph, becoming calm in the evening.
Alexandria officials are mobilizing resources to assist residents impacted by the federal government shutdown that began at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, with City Manager James Parajon announcing comprehensive support services during Tuesday night’s City Council meeting.
“We have created a federal government shutdown information resource page on our website for the City of Alexandria,” Parajon said during his manager’s update at the council meeting. The shutdown began just hours after his comments, following Congress’s failure to reach a funding agreement by the midnight deadline.
