An annual Alexandria City High School alumni fundraiser at Chadwicks (203 Strand Street) on Oct. 22 (Wednesday) will benefit the Scholarship Fund of Alexandria, and will feature some special guests.
Starting at 6 p.m., former ACHS Executive Principal Pete Balas will act as bartender, along with current teachers Andrew Orzel and Matt Zahn. The event, which includes raffles, is a great way to reconnect with former classmates, according to the online event announcement.
The music of Amadeus Mozart, Scott Joplin, and Felix Mendelssohn is coming to Alexandria next month.
On Nov. 8 and 9, the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra (ASO) will play its second concert of the season with special guest Michael Rusinek, principal clarinetist of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, who will play Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto. The concert includes Joplin’s Overture to Treemonisha and Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 4 “Italian.”
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.
Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) says the 16-day government shutdown can only be resolved if President Trump becomes directly involved in negotiations, arguing that Republican congressional leadership lacks the independence to act without White House direction.
“Donald Trump rules the Republican Party with an iron fist, and he has to be in the negotiations to get this dispute resolved,” Warner said during a media availability with Virginia media on Thursday. “The idea that there would be any kind of independent acting Republicans, and I’ve been proud to work on all of those gangs in the past, at least at this moment in time, would be simply a fantasy.”
Georgetown Olive Oil Co. is opening at the end of this month at 1314 King Street in Old Town, its owner tells ALXnow.
Emil Merdzhanov and his team have been working on the interior of the space since July, and said he’s excited to reopen a brick and mortar location since his Georgetown location closed on M. Street four years ago. The company was founded in 2016, and bottles and sells dozens of olive oil and balsamic vinegar flavors, among other items, in their warehouse, distribution center and showroom at 4719 Eisenhower Avenue.
**Sips & Shells: Holiday Oyster Shell Workshop at Hank's Oyster Bar**
Gather your girlfriends for a creative night out in Old Town Alexandria!
Discover all that’s happening for events, entertainment, and live music happening around Alexandria this weekend, Thursday, October 16, through Sunday, October 19.
Organizing an event? Submit your event to ALXnow’s Event Calendar.
There are 76 items up for bid in the Animal Welfare League’s Paws in the Park silent auction. The final day to make a bid is 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 19.
The cancelation of the Paws in the Park fundraiser at Oronoco Bay Park due to weather on Oct. 12 was a blow to the AWLA, as it’s the biggest moneymaker for the nonprofit every year. Consequently, the silent auction deadline was extended, and items include second-row seats for the Washington Capitals game against the New York Rangers on Dec. 23, a week-long vacation in the Outer Banks, a U.S. flag flown over the Capitol, and lunch with U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-8th).
A new Northern Virginia chapter of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library announced Thursday it is launching a fundraising campaign to provide free books to young children, with Alexandria the first city in the region to host the program.
The Northern Virginia Imagination Library aims to begin registering Alexandria children by summer 2026, with plans to expand throughout Northern Virginia eventually. The program will mail one age-appropriate book per month to enrolled children from birth to age five at no cost to families.
Meet Nova, a delightful dog in search of her forever home.
Nova is a big girl with a soft white coat, adorable brown ears, and large soulful eyes. At four years old and 56 pounds, this playful pup is well past the puppy stage but still full of life and always up for an outdoor adventure.
The Institute for Defense Analyses has selected retired Adm. Charles “Chas” Richard to serve as the Alexandria-based organization’s next president, effective March 14, 2026.
Richard brings more than 40 years of service in the U.S. Navy, culminating in his role as commander of U.S. Strategic Command from 2019 to 2022. In that capacity, he was responsible for the global command and control of all strategic U.S. nuclear forces, overseeing a workforce of more than 150,000 personnel focused on strategic deterrence, nuclear operations, and missile defense.
