Good Tuesday, Alexandria! 👋 Today is Tuesday, Aug. 12, the 224th day of 2025. There are 141 days left in the year.
🌤️ Today’s weather: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. Patchy fog before 8 a.m. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 90 degrees. Calm wind becoming south around 6 mph in the afternoon. The chance of precipitation is 30%.
Four women arrested and charged with shoplifting in Maryland have been linked to the theft of thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise from a Lululemon store in Old Town.
On Feb. 19, the Gaithersburg Police Department arrested Precious Spivey, 18, Mone Herndon, 27, Shawn Stewart, 27, and Tanaysia Stewart, 18, all of Washington, D.C., for stealing more than $10,000 in merchandise from Bath & Body Works in Germantown and a LensCrafters and Lululemon store in Gaithersburg. The department said the group was engaged in an “organized retail theft ring.”
Visit Alexandria’s President & CEO Todd O’Leary leads with the belief that travel is a force for good, inspiring visitors to deepen their travel experiences by connecting with Alexandria’s myriad stories. That’s why 2026 National Travel and Tourism Week (May 3-9, 2026) isn’t just any week. It’s a time to reflect and celebrate the important role that tourism plays in bringing people together across cultures and geographies, creating shared understandings and memories that last a lifetime. This year’s theme, “Postmarked: Essential,” takes on special significance as Alexandria prepares to host several major events this summer, bringing the stories of our local community onto the world stage.
“This year’s National Travel and Tourism Week celebrations seem particularly fitting, given all the momentum we’re seeing in Alexandria’s hospitality industry,” said Visit Alexandria’s President & CEO Todd O’Leary. “As tourism grows in importance here, the dividends from visitor spending support our small business owners and ultimately our residents. Visit Alexandria is proud of the work done by our local industry to keep this city top of mind for domestic and international travelers.”
Last fall, Visit Alexandria announced that Alexandria’s tourism spending from travelers residing more than 50 miles away grew to $1 billion for the first time in history during calendar year 2024. Additionally, Fiscal Year 2025 city consumption tax revenues reached a record $88 million—supporting core city services, saving the average Alexandria household $832 annually, and sustaining more than 5,700 local jobs.
In conjunction with this year’s America 250th commemorations, Alexandria will host programs, exhibitions, historic tours and signature events, including the three-day Sails on the Potomac festival—all of which showcase Alexandria’s renowned historic character and ever-evolving progressive nature. As Alexandria continues to make waves on the world stage, especially as a destination for sports tourism, the city will serve as the official Team Base Camp for the Croatian National Football Team, a FIFA top ten ranked team, during the World Cup. With state-of-the-art facilities, a wide range of accommodations, a wealth of visitor experiences and incredible transportation access, Alexandria’s prominence in sports tourism is growing. (more…)
Alexandria’s congressional delegation joined a chorus of regional lawmakers Monday condemning President Donald Trump’s decision to federalize Washington D.C.’s police department and deploy National Guard troops, with U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine calling the move a “waste of taxpayer dollars” designed to distract from other issues.
U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), who represents Alexandria, joined eight other members of the National Capital Region delegation in a statement released hours after Trump’s announcement that he would temporarily take control of the Metropolitan Police Department through Attorney General Pam Bondi.
You don’t need Spanish to know how to party.
Saturday, May 9th | 7 PM – 2 AM
Virginia Tech plans to renovate its Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center in Old Town to improve accessibility with a new elevator, sprinkler system, and handicapped-accessible ramp, according to a request going before the Board of Architectural Review on Wednesday, Sept. 3.
The building at 1001 Prince Street was loaned to Virginia Tech by Alexandria in 1980, and the school bought it in 1989, according to city records.
Join us for a delightful Sunday afternoon at the BlackRock Center for the Arts as Cruise Planners Beth & Rod present a special travel-inspired matinee featuring the beloved film Under the Tuscan Sun.
Date & Time: Sunday, May 31 | 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
A quiet off-the-beaten-path area just off King Street in Old Town is getting an upgrade.
Simpson Development Company recently filed plans from Louis Barbieri, Cole & Denny Architects to renovate the entry vestibule at 100 N. Pitt Street and the small, rear plaza adjacent to 115. N. St. Asaph Street in Old Town. The request for alterations and signage will be presented to the city’s Board of Architectural Review on Wednesday, September 3.
An Alexandria man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for a “high-level drugs conspiracy that shipped significant amounts of narcotics” into Virginia, according to Commonwealth’s Attorney Bryan Porter.
Adrian Bryce Roberts, 41, was sentenced to 12 years of active incarceration on July 28 after being convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl, and transporting more than an ounce of narcotics into the state, according to Porter’s office.
Two people have been charged with possession of an illegal gambling device for operating skill games, marking the first indictments against Alexandria business owners.
The Alexandria Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office just announced that a grand jury returned indictments against Alexandria business owners Oscar Salinas, 57, and Michelle Kim, 53, both charged with one count of possessing an illegal gambling device. Salinas is an Arlington resident, and his restaurant is located in the 3800 block of Mount Vernon Avenue in the Del Ray North Shopping Center. Kim is from Montgomery County, Maryland, and her business is located in the 200 block of S. Van Dorn Street.
Alexandria residents have dozens of entertainment and community options this week, with programming ranging from library activities and farmers markets to two major beer-focused events anchoring Saturday’s lineup.
The week begins Monday with senior bingo and blood drives at local libraries, while evening venues like Port City Brewing Company and Daniel O’Connell’s host live music. Tuesday brings BeerYoga and improv comedy at Aslin ALX, continuing diverse programming across the city.
More than 30 four-story townhouses have been proposed to replace a 46-year-old office building in Old Town.
Alexandria land-use attorney Ken Wire is listed as the applicant for the project at 333 N. Fairfax St. The property is home to the Essex Building, an office building constructed in 1979.
