Alexandria residents and visitors have plenty to choose from this weekend as the city’s popular Summer Restaurant Week extends through Labor Day weekend, offering diners special menus and pricing at participating establishments. The long weekend features a mix of outdoor markets, cultural events and live entertainment across the city’s neighborhoods.
Saturday highlights include the weekly Old Town and Del Ray farmers markets, while Sunday adds the West End and Four Mile Run markets to give shoppers multiple opportunities to browse local produce and crafts. Music lovers can catch performances ranging from jazz at The Birchmere to traditional Irish sessions at Daniel O’Connell’s, while families can explore history at Gadsby’s Tavern Museum’s Family Day with Young Historians on Sunday.
Numerous venues in Alexandria are ready for football fans as the 2025 NFL season kicks off on Thursday, September 4.
Need a go-to spot this season? These local sports bars and restaurants offer happy hour deals and screens aplenty for watching with friends, in addition to hosting local fanbases and alumni groups.
Noteworthy: 1004 Virginia Ave: luxe new build, corner lot, Braddock Heights living
Some homes are built. Others are thoughtfully composed. Welcome to 1004 Virginia Ave—an elevated new construction in Braddock Heights where every detail feels intentional and effortlessly refined.
Good morning, Alexandria! Today is Thursday, Aug. 28, the 240th day of 2025. There are 125 days left in the year.
☀️ Today’s weather: Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 80 degrees. Calm wind becoming southwest 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon. Partly cloudy tonight, with a low around 62 degrees. South wind 3 to 6 mph.
The City of Alexandria will host the second Duke Street Land Use Plan Community Meeting on Thursday, Sept. 25, at Bishop Ireton High School cafeteria to discuss draft guiding principles based on community feedback.
The meeting will take place at 201 Cambridge Road beginning at 6:30 p.m. with a presentation and question-and-answer session, followed by facilitated discussion on draft principles from 7:15 to 8:30 p.m. The presentation portion will also be available online via Zoom.
Come celebrate the 250th anniversary of America’s War for Independence with renowned music historians David & Ginger Hildebrand for performances of special period music. The Hildebrands will don period attire to discuss and perform music associated with Alexandria’s sister cities: Caen, France; Dundee, Scotland; Helsingborg, Sweden; and Gyumri, Armenia. Scottish music was especially influential in the American colonies, and once the French joined the Revolutionary cause there were musical celebrations for Generals LaFayette, Rochambeau and other French leaders. This concert event is part of the “Alexandria commemorates America’s 250” campaign. David & Ginger specialize in researching, recording, and performing early American music. Since 1980 they have presented concerts and educational programs throughout the country and abroad at museums, historic sites, schools and universities. Mount Vernon, The National Gallery of Art, The National Archives, and Colonial Williamsburg are among their many past sponsors.
Tickets are $20.
A commercial property at 1503-1505 Mount Vernon Ave. that currently houses The Garden restaurant is being marketed for lease with availability starting Sept. 1, according to a listing from PVIM LLC, a commercial real estate brokerage based in Old Town Alexandria.
The property features 1,100 square feet of interior space on a 10,706-square-foot lot with 100 feet of street frontage and three parking spaces. The asking rent is available upon request, according to the marketing materials.
The City of Alexandria is accepting applications for Virginia’s Farm Market Fresh program, which provides eligible older adults with $50 benefit cards to purchase fresh produce from local farmers.
The Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program offers one benefit card per qualifying resident aged 60 or older. Cards can be exchanged for fresh, locally grown fruits, vegetables and herbs at approved farmers’ markets and roadside stands throughout the region.
Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins will sit down with ALXnow next Tuesday for her regular monthly conversation with the community, offering residents a direct line to city leadership as the City Council prepares to resume meetings after its August recess.
The live virtual discussion, scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 2, at 11 a.m., provides a platform for community members to get answers about pressing city issues and municipal priorities. The 30-minute session will be hosted by ALXnow Publisher Ryan Belmore.
The Oswald Durant Center (1605 Cameron Street) in Old Town will be closed from Sunday, Aug. 31, until Friday, Sept. 5, to undergo annual maintenance and cleaning.
“This brief closure ensures that our facility remains safe, clean, and welcoming for all who use it. During this time, no programs, rentals, or public access will be available,” the city said in a statement. “We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we complete this essential upkeep.”
Dozens of Alexandria-based nonprofits seeking assistance will be on hand at the second-annual Community Volunteer Fair next month.
On Saturday, Sept. 13, Volunteer Alexandria and JustServe will host the free, family-friendly event inside The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (2810 King Street). From 2 to 4 p.m., representatives from more than 45 nonprofits will showcase their services.
