Intertrival Creatives in Old Town (photo via Intertribal Creatives/Facebook)
Monday, Oct. 11, is Indigenous Peoples’ Day and there are some ways to celebrate around Alexandria, though locals should also be aware of what will be closed.
Visit Alexandria put together a list of activities locals can do around Alexandria if they’re looking for ways to celebrate Native cultures. Suggestions include shopping at Intertribal Creatives (106 N. Lee Street) gallery in Old Town — an art gallery that highlights Indigenous artists — or attending a virtual lecture on Chichén Itzá on Tuesday (Oct. 12) hosted by George Mason University professor Lisa Breglia.
Mayweather Boxing crew training in Braddock before the studio opens (photo via Mayweather Boxing + Fitness Old Town West/Facebook)
A new boxing/fitness studio franchise run by champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. is coming to the Parker-Gray neighborhood, with doors opening scheduled for next week.
Mayweather Boxing + Fitness, a group boxing and fitness gym, is scheduled to have a grand opening at 528 N. Henry Street on Saturday, Oct. 16. the gym will be the first Mayweather franchise location in Virginia, according to a press release.
Alexandria already feels like home. It’s the trails you walk, the restaurants you return to, and the easy reach of D.C. that make it all work. The question is whether your home feels as right as the city around it. For those who love Alexandria but want more space, more privacy, and more choice, Van Metre at Banner Heights offers a new opportunity to have it all, just minutes from I-495, I-95, and Old Town Alexandria.
Every Van Metre homesite at Banner Heights has a backyard that doesn’t face into another homesite, so the space behind your home is entirely yours, and a deck or covered terrace makes it the spot for a quiet morning or a long evening with friends. Four levels offer up to five bedrooms and an optional elevator. From there, 20+ personalization options let you decide the rest: add a bedroom on the lower or fourth levels, a great room fireplace with ceramic detailing, or a wet or dry bar, plus upgraded flooring and packages for electrical, tech, and comfort.
With more than 70 years of building across Northern Virginia, Van Metre designs homes around the way people live. At Banner Heights, that means the T-27 townhome plan with 3-5 bedrooms, 3-4 full and 1-2 half baths, 3,014+ square feet, a 2-car garage, and 20+ personalization options, starting from the $1.25Ms.*
Van Metre at Banner Heights is now open for Early Access, giving interested buyers the chance to purchase before our grand opening, when initial homesites deliver.
*Pricing, offers, and availability are subject to change without notice. Some images and renderings may represent a similar home or may have been created or edited using artificial intelligence (AI), and may depict design elements, furnishings, finishes, landscaping, views, or other features that are not included in the home or may not be available. Please see a Van Metre New Home Advisor for details.
Flooding on lower King Street in Old Town. (staff photo by James Cullum)
The foot of King Street flooded with water is a dramatic visual that comes up nearly every time there’s flooding in Alexandria, but the city is facing some sticker shock for a long-planned fix.
At a meeting of the Waterfront Commission Flood Mitigation Committee this week, city staff presented a variety of plans that could help combat flooding on the waterfront, from a pair of cost-conscious options to options that put focus more on results than staying within budget.
Revolutionary Fitness, the strength and longevity training studio for people over 50 at 215 N. Payne St., is opening 5 spots in its members-only year-end challenge.
Every year, the stretch between Thanksgiving and New Year’s knocks people off track. Workouts get skipped, schedules fill up, and the plan becomes “I’ll start in January.”
Bondsman in Karla Dominguez case charged — “The bail bondsman in the Karla Dominguez murder case has been charged with criminal contempt of court and faces trial in January in the Alexandria Circuit Court.” [Alexandria Times]
Yard waste collection shifts to today — “Yard Waste collection… will be collected Friday, October 8. Please accept our apologies for any inconveniences caused by this temporary suspension.” [Alexandria T&ES]
The grave of the mysterious Female Stranger (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Alexandria brewery Port City Brewing is bringing back an ale next week at an event that marks the anniversary of one of the city’s most famous urban legends: the Female Stranger.
The event is scheduled for next Thursday, Oct. 14, from 3-9 p.m. at Port City Brewing (3950 Wheeler Avenue). For every 16 oz pour, the brewery said $1 will be donated to the Gadsby’s Tavern Museum (134 N Royal Street).
We’re nearing the end of the first full week of October, and around the city, various homes and local businesses are starting to get into the spooky mood.
Visit Alexandria has put together a roundup of Halloween-themed activities around town. While the pandemic is still ongoing, there’s been progress since last October when some iconic Alexandria Halloween events (like Lee Street trick-or-treating) were shut down.
Diagonal Road, closed for repaving (photo via Google Maps)
Diagonal Road, the very literally named road between Duke Street and King Street near the King Street Metro station, will be closed this week during working hours to through traffic for milling and repaving.
“Work will be performed between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.,” the city said in a press release. “During this time Diagonal Road will be closed to through traffic. However, access to parking garages and the Embassy Suites Hotel will be maintained from Duke Street only.”
At its October general membership meeting, the NAACP Alexandria Branch 7043 Nominating Committee presented its slate for the 2027–2028 term and named John Hopkins-Gillispie as its nominee for Branch President.
Hopkins-Gillispie is a life member of the branch. He has chaired the Freedom Fund Dinner for the past two years, and this year’s dinner raised more than $40,000 for the branch. He serves on the Legal Redress Committee, reviewing discrimination complaints brought to the branch. He has provided input on issues from the Alexandria Police Department’s hate crimes policy to the proposed Edsall Road data center. He also represents the branch as co-chair of the host committee for the 2027 Virginia State Conference convention.
