What a day for a parade it was in Old Town on Saturday, Dec. 6.
The wailing of bagpipes sailed through Alexandria’s historic streets as thousands of community members gathered to watch the 54th annual Scottish Christmas Walk Parade.
Northern Virginia’s local and legislative leaders are preparing for a full-court press — and perhaps an uphill battle — in wringing additional transit funding out of the General Assembly.
Aimee Seibert, a lobbyist for the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission, said at the commission’s Dec. 4 monthly meeting that four different bills, two in each house of the legislature, are being prepared for consideration as part of an effort to add nearly a half-billion dollars annually in regional transit funding.
On This Day in Alexandria History — “On Dec. 8, 1953, the Alexandria City Council passed a resolution that ‘no discrimination be shown in the employment of city government personnel because of race, creed or national origin.’ Though the first African American to serve as an Alexandria police officer would not be hired until 1965, African American women had served as crossing guards since 1951.” [Historic Alexandria]
Freedom House Closes for Repair — “Due to a plumbing repair, Freedom House Museum (1315 Duke Street) is closed to the public on Saturday, Dec. 6. The Office of Historic Alexandria asks all guests to check the Freedom House website for updates on its re-opening.” [Historic Alexandria]
Good Friday 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 — Dec 5, 2025.
- 7:30 am: Morning Notes for December 5, 2025 | 🗣️ Comments
- 8:15 am: Adoptable Pet of the Week: Max, your ‘loving sidekick’ | 🗣️ Comments
- 9:30 am: A dessert shop serving churros seeks to open in vacant Old Town storefront | 🗣️ Comments
- 10:30 am: School Board seeks more time to address concerns about APD contract | 🗣️ Comments
- 11:15 am: Snowfall continues in Alexandria ahead of holiday parade weekend | 🗣️ Comments
- 11:45 am: Man found guilty of voluntary manslaughter in 2023 West End homicide | 🗣️ Comments
- 12:15 pm: Alexandria will close lane to repair sewer pipe in Old Town North next week | 🗣️ Comments
- 12:30 pm: Despite seasonal decline, city’s apartment rents remain above pre-COVID levels | 🗣️ Comments
- 1:30 pm: NWS issues another Winter Weather Advisory throughout N. Va. tonight | 🗣️ Comments
- 1:45 pm: Annual holiday Toys4ALX Collection Drive ends next week | 🗣️ Comments
- 2:45 pm: New Alexandria bus route with service to downtown D.C. launches this month | 🗣️ Comments
- 3:45 pm: Fairfax man found guilty of aggravated involuntary manslaughter, DUI for fatal King Street crash | 🗣️ Comments
Here are today’s most-read articles:
- New Alexandria bus route with service to downtown D.C. launches this month (1056 views)
- A dessert shop serving churros seeks to open in vacant Old Town storefront (856 views)
Since it’s Friday, we’ve also compiled a list of the most-read articles of the week, below.
- WBJ: Longtime D.C. Italian restaurant is coming to Old Town (5647 views)
- Mixed-use apartment building proposed in Old Town near King Street Metro station (4994 views)
- Alexandria police investigate armed robbery near Holmes Run Trail (3486 views)
- Alexandria murder suspect claims insanity in 2023 homicide case (3461 views)
- Long Bridge Project construction prompts rail service changes in Alexandria next month (3441 views)
- Four Mile Run Kayak Launch set to open this week following delays (2953 views)
- Alexandria woman scammed by suspects pretending to work for Sheriff’s Office (2839 views)
- Del Ray-founded pet shop expands to new Belle Haven storefront (2338 views)
- Potomac Yard residential buildout plans receive Planning Commission approval (2207 views)
📅 Upcoming events
Here is what’s going on Saturday in Alexandria, from our event calendar.
- 9:00 am: Mount Vernon High School – 2025 PTSA Holiday Market
- 10:00 am: Friends of Barrett Library Book Sale
- 10:00 am: Scottish Walk Parade Open House
- 10:00 am: Open House (The Del Ray Montessori School)
- 10:00 am: The Art League of Alexandria – Student Holiday Ceramics Sale
- 12:00 pm: Slavery and Freedom at Woodlawn
- 1:00 pm: Hotel AKA Alexandria Holiday Market
- 6:00 pm: Club America Arlington & Alexandria Ice Skating
- 7:00 pm: Punk rock Show
Here are the events planned for Sunday:
- 9:00 am: Mount Vernon High School – 2025 PTSA Holiday Market
- 10:00 am: Friends of Barrett Library Book Sale
- 10:00 am: Scottish Walk Parade Open House
- 10:00 am: Open House (The Del Ray Montessori School)
- 10:00 am: The Art League of Alexandria – Student Holiday Ceramics Sale
- 12:00 pm: Slavery and Freedom at Woodlawn
- 1:00 pm: Hotel AKA Alexandria Holiday Market
- 6:00 pm: Club America Arlington & Alexandria Ice Skating
- 7:00 pm: Punk rock Show
- 👉 9:00 am: 4th Annual 4MR Holiday Makers’ Market
- 9:00 am: Christmas Marketplace every Sunday in December at Nepenthe Gallery!
- 9:00 am: Holiday Makers Market
- 11:00 am: Advent Lessons & Carols
- 12:00 pm: 50th Annual Senior Citizens’ Holiday Luncheon
- 👉 12:00 pm: First Baby? Mom Deserves This Gift… (Online Event)
🌤️ Saturday’s forecast
Patchy fog is expected to clear by 11am, making way for a partly sunny day with a high of around 42. Winds will be light and variable. For Saturday night, the sky will be mostly clear, and temperatures will drop to around 29 accompanied by light and variable winds. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.”
– Abraham Lincoln
🌅 Tonight’s sunset
We hope you have a great weekend, Alexandria!
Event location
Duvall House
305 Cameron Street
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
Add to Calendar
Join George Washington at the beautiful, historic Duvall House—the site of his “coming home” celebration after the Revolutionary War! Libations and hearty hors d’oeuvres will be served. Tickets are $150 per person, with proceeds benefiting the 2027 George Washington Birthday Parade in Alexandria. Reserve your space at the event website, or email us at [email protected] if you prefer to pay at the door.
A jury today (Friday) found a Fairfax man guilty of aggravated involuntary manslaughter and driving under the influence of alcohol for a series of crashes on April 16 that killed a teenager.
Jilmar Doria-Medina, 42, who lives in the Alexandria area of Fairfax County, has been held without bond in both the Fairfax County and Alexandria jails since the incidents that took the life of 19-year-old Abdullahi Mumin.
A new Metrobus route in Alexandria will offer transfer-free service to downtown D.C. starting later this month.
The new A29 bus will begin service on Sunday, Dec. 14, with rides offered every 24 minutes in the morning and afternoon via the I-395 Express Lanes, including during rush hours. Morning service will operate north to Metro Center, with afternoon service running south toward Van Dorn Street.
Science kits, race cars, Legos and sport balls.
Those are just some of the donation ideas Volunteer Alexandria is calling on the community to contribute to its annual holiday drive, Toys4ALX, which closes next Thursday, Dec. 11. Volunteers are aiming to collect more than 3,500 new, unwrapped toys for 700 kids and counting across the city.
Following this morning’s wintry weather, the National Weather Service has issued another Winter Weather Advisory for Northern Virginia and the D.C. region.
The advisory goes into effect at 7 p.m. this evening (Friday) and will last until 1 a.m. Saturday, warning of freezing rain and drizzle, with a “light glaze of ice expected.”
Alexandria’s apartment rental costs have cooled over the past year, but remain well above pandemic-era lows.
The city’s median apartment-rental rate in November was $1,996 for a one-bedroom unit, $2,452 for two bedrooms and $2,179 for all units, according to the monthly data analysis by Apartment List.