The Old Town North Community Partnership will host its annual Dogtoberfest celebration Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Montgomery Park, featuring live music, costume contests and activities for pets and families.
Local performer Mike Seti will perform from noon to 1 p.m. as part of the Music in Montgomery Park concert series. The free, pet- and family-friendly event will take place at 901 North Royal St. A rain date is scheduled for Nov. 2.
The Alexandria City Council will meet Tuesday for its regular legislative session, with agenda items ranging from flood preparedness funding to an update on the city’s parking enforcement pilot program.
The meeting begins with a closed executive session at 5:30 p.m., followed by the public session at 7 p.m. in the Council Chamber at 301 King St.
Before the pandemic, I ran a Reddit forum that brought people together for local happy hours. It became a great outlet for an in-person social life: you could get out, get to know people nearby, and have a familiar group to spend time with. I enjoyed being the person who helped make that happen.
Getting people together became harder after the pandemic. Friends moved away, had kids, or settled into different routines, and organizing a night out took more effort. I still wanted that camaraderie, but having people to invite didn’t necessarily mean we could get something on the calendar.
I’m in my late 30s and live in Old Town. About a year ago, I joined Choros, a local membership community that helps guys build friendships through small-group activities. Since then, I’ve been to close to 50 hangouts, and it’s given me a regular group of guys to do things with around Alexandria and beyond.
I host board game nights and help host a monthly happy hour at the Commodore in Old Town. I’ve done escape rooms on King Street, trivia, food festivals in Del Ray, movie discussions, and Dungeons & Dragons (which can be especially tricky to get going as an adult with a busy schedule). Having that variety means I can find something that fits my mood and schedule, and there are usually familiar faces when I get there.
One of my favorite things, though, is getting on my bike, picking a destination, and making a day of it. Through Choros, I’ve found a consistent crew to ride with almost every month. That’s the kind of thing I wanted more of: people who enjoy the same stuff and make time to get out and do it together.
I still like hosting and bringing people together. What makes Choros useful is having a community to draw from, so every plan doesn’t depend on the same few friends being available. Other guys suggest and host things too, which gives me plenty of opportunities to join something without organizing it myself.
Over time, seeing the same guys at different activities builds familiarity. You have conversations to pick back up and another reason to make plans together. That’s how it’s become a circle of friends for me.
If you’re in Alexandria, check out Choros and come to one of our monthly happy hours at the Commodore. I’d be happy to meet a few more neighbors, whether you’re into board games, bike rides, or just getting out for a drink. There’s plenty happening here, along with activities throughout the rest of the D.C. area.
On This Day in History: Belle Pre Glass Company Plant Burns Down Under Mysterious Circumstances — On this date in 1921, the abandoned Belle Pre Glass Company plant on Madison Street burned down under mysterious circumstances—just one day before the four-acre property was set to be sold. Once one of America’s largest milk bottle manufacturers, Belle Pre opened in Alexandria in 1902 and employed over 250 workers at its peak before filing for bankruptcy in 1912. [Historic Alexandria]
FCPD: Hit-and-Run Victim Was Alive Before Being Hit by Fairfax Police Car — A Fairfax County police officer remains on restricted duty after striking a hit-and-run victim with his police cruiser last month in Hybla Valley. Alexandria resident Trina Jones, 62, who was crossing Richmond Highway outside the Mount Vernon Crossroads shopping center, was first struck by an unknown driver who fled the scene before being hit by the police cruiser on Sept. 24. [FFXnow]
Since it was announced in August, it was no surprise that the Chamber ALX‘s 2025 Business Leader of the Year Award was presented Thursday night (Oct. 23) to the Virginia Tech DC Area Launch Team.
Still, there were a number of other contentious business awards, and ALXnow was at the Westin Alexandria Old Town (400 Courthouse Square) to see them handed out. Below are the winners of the micro, small, medium, large, rising star, non-profit, and overall businesses of the year in Alexandria.
It's that time again – The November 14 Del Ray Vintage & Flea Market!
Saturday, November 14
9am-2pm
Good Thursday evening, Alexandria. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.
The following articles were published earlier today — Oct 23, 2025.
Here are today’s most-read articles:
Here is what’s going on Friday in Alexandria, from our event calendar.
Clouds will increase throughout the day, reaching a high temperature near 61. A light west wind will shift to the northwest at 8 to 13 mph in the morning and may gust up to 22 mph. By Friday night, skies will be mostly clear and the temperature will drop to around 39, accompanied by a northwest wind at 5 to 7 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
“Let us make our future now, and let us make our dreams tomorrow’s reality.”
– Malala Yousafzai
Thanks for reading!
By OLIVIA DIAZ and DAVID A. LIEB Associated Press
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Democrats are taking steps to redraw their state’s U.S. House districts, hoping to boost their party’s chances in next year’s midterm elections and counter President Donald Trump’s push for more partisan districts in Republican-run states.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency Thursday to authorize the use of state funds to continue providing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits to more than 850,000 Virginians — including thousands of Alexandria residents — starting Nov. 1.
The emergency declaration comes as federal funding for SNAP is expected to run out after 22 days of a federal government shutdown that began Oct. 1.
The Alexandria City Council will host a town hall meeting on Nov. 5 (Wednesday) at the Nannie J. Lee Memorial Recreation Center (1108 Jefferson Street) in Old Town.
“Members of the Alexandria City Council will be present to speak about the issues impacting you and your family. You can also get the latest news on upcoming projects and initiatives in Alexandria,” the city said in a release.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification on Oct. 14, indicating 126 employees at its Alexandria headquarters will be removed from the payroll on Dec. 9, but a source familiar with the matter told ALXnow on Friday that these are not new layoffs.
The 126 employees were part of the reduction in force announced on October 1 and have been on administrative leave since then, according to the source. The WARN notice filed with the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement reflects when those employees will officially come off the agency’s books.
