On This Day in Alexandria History — “In the early Spring of 1907, a number of Alexandria residents came forth with reports of the unusual fecundity of fowls belonging to them, some with their eggs linked, others with their daily egg output suddenly multiplied. On April 10 of that year, it was reported that Mr. John Travers of South Henry Street had the most unusual output of all. One of his hens had laid a huge ‘triplicate’ egg, the size of a goose egg that, when opened revealed three distinct eggs inside. The event was described locally as just ‘another lusus naturae,’ meaning ‘freak of nature.'” [Historic Alexandria]
Former Del Ray Business Owner Dies — “We are heartbroken to share the news that our friend, neighbor, and Del Ray trailblazer, Barbara Mancini, passed away this week. In 1995, Barbara took a chance on an up-and-coming neighborhood and opened Mancini’s Cafe & Bakery in Del Ray, becoming one of the female small business owners who helped lead Del Ray’s transformation.” [Del Ray Business Association/Facebook]
Good Thursday evening, Alexandria. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.
🕗 News recap
The following articles were published earlier today — Apr 9, 2026.
Here are today’s most-read articles:
- The Birchmere Music Hall turns 60, several shows canceled in April lineup (1205 views)
- Alexandria city manager pushes for paid parking on Sundays, parking fee increase (1053 views)
- Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge to have drawbridge openings tonight (520 views)
📅 Upcoming events
Here is what’s going on Friday in Alexandria, from our event calendar.
☀️ Friday’s forecast
Expect patchy fog between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m., then partly sunny skies turning fully sunny, with temperatures reaching a high near 75°F. A light south wind will pick up to 5 to 9 mph by morning. Friday night will see increasing clouds and a low around 56°F, with a south wind shifting to the west after midnight at 6 to 8 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.”
– Sam Levenson
🌅 Tonight’s sunset
Thanks for reading!
With less than two weeks until the April 21 special election, candidates for an open seat on Alexandria City Council made their pitches to civic association members yesterday (Wednesday) at a forum.
Democratic candidate Sandy Marks and independent candidates Alison O’Connell and Frank Fannon joined the forum, held during Alexandria Federation of Civic Associations’ monthly meeting. Candidates answered questions on topics the civic association leaders selected, along with a lightning round of policies they would support or oppose.
The McDonald’s at 505 S. Van Dorn Street in the Landmark/Van Dorn corridor closed this week to build a second drive-thru lane.
The second drive-thru lane was approved unanimously by the Planning Commission and City Council last year and will replace an existing loading area, which will be moved to the front of the building, according to a presentation from McDonald’s.
Raise a glass to culture and camaraderie at the 2026 whisky tasting event. Guests will enjoy a guided tasting across the whisky regions of Scotland, gaining insights into the craftsmanship and culture behind each pour. This informative program will help you learn all about the rich tapestry that is Scotch whisky, enable you to sample five different whiskies from across Scotland, and provide an opportunity to ask questions and share personal insights. VIP ticket holders will receive two additional exclusive samples of rare whiskies. All attendees will take home a souvenir Glencairn glass, perfect for continuing their whisky journey. Tickets are $100 for VIP or $75 for general admission (listed as a separate event on Alexandriava.gov/Shop), with hors d’oeuvres included. Wine and non-alcoholic beverages will be available for non-whisky drinkers. A raffle will also be held with prizes, with tickets available for cash purchase at the event. Minimum age: 21. All proceeds support the Alexandria Sister Cities Committee and its mission to support the educational and cultural exchanges between Alexandria, VA and her sister cities of Dundee, Scotland and Helsingborg, Sweden.
Please note: You do not need to print off tickets. Your name will be on the registration list for the event.
Alexandria City Manager Jim Parajon is asking City Council to approve paid parking on Sundays and an increase in parking meter rates.
The initiatives are included in Parajon’s proposed $977.3 million Fiscal Year 2027 budget and have gotten mixed reviews. If approved by City Council, the measure would make Alexandria the only locality in the region with parking meter enforcement on Sundays. Additionally, Parajon is proposing to increase parking violation fines from $40 to $50.
Virginia’s top education officials were in Alexandria on Wednesday as part of a statewide listening tour on public education needs.
Secretary of Education Jeffery O. Smith was joined by Virginia Department of Education Superintendent of Public Instruction Jenna Conway, Alexandria City School Board members and approximately 100 participants at Alexandria City High School’s Minnie Howard Campus. House of Delegates Majority Leader Del. Charniele Herring (D-4) attended an earlier roundtable with the officials.
An Alexandria learning center has been chosen to host an open casting call for a new Netflix children’s competition show.
Code Ninjas Alexandria will serve as a casting site for “Schooled,” a national competition series created by Mark Rober, a former NASA engineer who worked on the Mars Curiosity rover and now runs an engineering school called CrunchLabs Academy.
The Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge will have drawbridge openings tonight through early Friday morning due to maintenance, the Virginia Department of Transportation announced.
The openings and traffic stoppages will occur between 10 p.m. Thursday and 5 a.m. Friday. Drivers on the Capital Beltway (Interstate 495) should expect delays and follow signals, according to VDOT. The maintenance work is weather permitting.
The Birchmere music hall, Alexandria’s most prominent musical venue, celebrated its 60th anniversary earlier this month.
The 500-seat music hall at 3701 Mount Vernon Avenue opened in 1966, and has featured notable musical artists and performers across various genres, including Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, Linda Ronstadt and Dave Matthews. Originally founded in Arlington’s Shirlington neighborhood, the venue moved to Alexandria’s Mount Vernon Avenue in 1981. It has been at the current 3701 Mount Vernon Avenue location since 1997.
