About 1,200 people are expected to line the sidewalks of Route 1 on Saturday, Oct. 18, as part of a national day of protests targeting the Trump administration, according to organizers.
The “Hands Across Alexandria” demonstration will run from 9:30 to 11 a.m. along northbound Route 1 between Powhatan Park and Potomac Yard, Indivisible Do Something Alexandria announced Tuesday.
Two Alexandria-based choruses have qualified to perform in the Barbershop Harmony Society’s international competition next year in St. Louis, Missouri.
The Alexandria A Cappella Collective’s choruses, the Harmonizers and Metro Voices, recently competed at the Barbershop Harmony Society’s Mid-Atlantic District Competition in Cape May, New Jersey, qualifying to compete at the event, which will take place from June 28 to July 6.
Game, set, Gala! On Saturday, Nov. 14, the USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation’s annual Tennis Creates Gala, presented by QTS, comes to The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner, celebrating the transformative power of tennis.
The evening raises critical funds to make the sport accessible to all across Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia and eastern/southern West Virginia.
Every dollar goes back into local communities through programs like Girls Rule the Court™, which has served more than 2,000 girls, along with Junior Player Scholarships and Tennis in Schools. Gala funds also help restore public courts. Over the last three years, the Foundation has invested $505,000 across 17 public facilities.
Emceeing the evening is Emmy Award-winning ESPN journalist Malika Andrews, host of NBA Today and NBA Countdown, who joined ESPN’s tennis coverage this year for the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open.
Andrews has pointed to the electric moment American tennis is having, with stars like the DMV’s own Frances Tiafoe reaching the 2026 US Open men’s semifinals, and says she’s grateful for the chance to support the sport at the local level.
Joining the celebration is new USTA CEO Craig Tiley, who took the helm of the national governing body in July after over 20 years at Tennis Australia. As he leads the USTA toward its goal of 35 million players by 2035, the USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation drives the grassroots work to grow the sport right here in the region.
The Foundation will present its Tennis Creates Impact Award to Vice Admiral Sean S. Buck, U.S. Navy (ret.), 63rd Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy, recognizing his leadership in fostering character, community, and well-being through tennis.
The heart of the night is the 2026 Tennis Creates Awards, honoring local changemakers. Alexandria’s Leigh Ann Jackson receives the Adult Leader Award for coaching Girls Rule the Court at Groveton Elementary, where she has served 130 students over five seasons and championed the program’s expansion to Hybla Valley.
Arlington’s Gabrielle Berg earns the Youth Leader Award for founding a Northern Virginia chapter of Tennis For Fun, which runs free year-round clinics for people with special needs in partnership with the Arlington YMCA. Burke’s Khoi Truong, head coach at Lake Braddock Secondary School, is the 2026 Coach of the Year.
They’ll be joined by fellow honorees Dr. Ellen Markowitz (Community Champion), James Skinner (Provider Champion), and Janelle Nichols (Tennis in the Classroom Awardee).
Tickets and tables are now available. Can’t make it? Make a gift to USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation or bid in the silent auction to help put a racquet in the hands of the next generation of players.
The Tennis Creates Gala takes place Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026, from 6:00 – 11:00 p.m. at The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner, 1700 Tysons Blvd., McLean, VA 22102.
For more information, visit TennisCreatesGala.com.
Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., whose district includes Alexandria and has one of the largest concentrations of federal employees in Congress, said Tuesday that federal workers are guaranteed back pay “without question or exception,” pushing back against Trump administration warnings that retroactive pay is not assured during the government shutdown.
Beyer, who sponsored the 2019 bipartisan legislation guaranteeing back pay, called the administration’s memo an attempt “to frighten federal employees and their families as a negotiating tactic, which is despicable.”
Alexandria’s DASH bus system will break ground later this month on its expansion project to build a new electric bus charging station at a city impound lot next to the transit company’s headquarters at 3000 Business Center Drive. The groundbreaking will be held on Thursday, October 30, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. With a completion goal of early 2027, the project will “support our growing fleet and the City of Alexandria’s transition to 100% zero-emission buses,” DASH said in an email.
“This expansion project is about looking ahead, and as we see more people choose transit, this will help ensure DASH is ready to support cleaner, more efficient service,” said DASH General Manager & CEO Josh Baker. “The new facility will give us the space to grow, the infrastructure to charge electric buses, and the flexibility to improve how we operate.”
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Alexandria, Virginia 22302
The Alexandria A Cappella Collective – composed of award-winning men's and women's choruses the Harmonizers and Metro Voices, respectively – is excited to announce that registration is open for the ’26-’27 season of its youth chorus, Capital Force! Students learn a unique form of a cappella from top educators and will perform locally and on the Barbershop Harmony Society International stage in February.
The kick off rehearsal includes voice placement, an informal audition, vocal warm-ups, and singing together. You will also learn about the season’s dates and rehearsal expectations. Interested singers are welcome to try the first rehearsal before deciding whether to join.
Where should Alexandria City Public Schools prioritize funding in the upcoming Fiscal Year 2027 budget? The school system is soliciting feedback from the public at an upcoming meeting at Alexandria City High School’s Minnie Howard Campus.
While the School Board will unveil its fiscal forecast and budget priorities at its meeting on Thursday, Oct. 9, the public forum will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 15, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. The theme of this year’s budget is Nurture, Educate, Inspire. Respondents who can’t attend can submit questions and comments to [email protected].
Local authors and artists will converge in Old Town later this month for the inaugural Alexandria Book and Craft Festival.
The free event from Elaine’s Literary Salon and Made in Alexandria will be held Oct. 18 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., in the Tavern Square courtyard behind 415 King Street in Old Town’s Historic District. More than 15 artists and 25 authors will be on hand to display and sell their work.
Alexandria has claimed the No. 3 position on Condé Nast Traveler’s 2025 “Best Small Cities in the U.S.” rankings, extending its streak of top-five placements to eight consecutive years.
The city placed behind Charleston, South Carolina, and Santa Fe, New Mexico, while surpassing popular destinations including Savannah, Georgia, and Honolulu, Hawaii, according to results from the magazine’s 38th annual Readers’ Choice Awards announced Tuesday.
A 24-year-old Alexandria woman who was the subject of a critical missing person alert has been safely located, police said Tuesday morning.
Robin Jacobs was found safe, the Alexandria Police Department announced at 8:44 a.m. in a social media post thanking the public for sharing the alert and assisting in the search.
The second season of “Neighborhood Favorites with George Worrell” launched Monday night with a watch party at Cooper Mill in Old Town, bringing together local business owners and community members to celebrate the show’s continued spotlight on small businesses.
Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins served as the special guest, delivering opening remarks that emphasized the city’s unique character driven by its independently owned businesses.
