Alexandria City Council is hosting a town hall meeting on Thursday (June 12) from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Charles Houston Recreation Center Gymnasium (901 Wythe Street).
All council members will be present to discuss issues affecting Alexandria residents and provide updates on upcoming projects.
Alexandria City Council members expressed concerns about proposed changes to the School Resource Officer program that would give police direct access to student information during a lengthy discussion at Tuesday’s legislative meeting.
The debate centers on updates to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) and the Alexandria Police Department (APD) regarding School Resource Officers (SROs).
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…)
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Good morning, Alexandria! Today is Wednesday, June 11, the 162nd day of 2025. There are 203 days left in the year.
☀️ Today’s weather: Widespread haze after 8 a.m. Sunny, with a high near 88 degrees. Calm wind becoming west around 6 mph in the afternoon. Mostly clear tonight, with a low around 67 degrees. Light south wind.
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
Alexandria City Council is set to hold a public hearing on Saturday, June 14, at 9:30 a.m. to tackle various city matters.
The council will review special use permit requests, including one for an additional drive-through at the McDonald’s on S Van Dorn Street and another for a vehicle towing service on Colvin Street.
With six candidates on the ballot, the June 17 Democratic contest for lieutenant governor is the second most-crowded statewide primary in modern Virginia history.
If history is any guide, a congested primary can generate uncertainty and makes it possible that someone can claim the nomination with considerably less than a majority of votes cast.
With a years-long renovation breaking ground this summer, the move-out dates have been set for staff at George Mason Elementary School (2601 Cameron Mills Road).
Staff began packing up in early May, according to ACPS, and the main move, a 3.5-mile relocation to the building at 1703 N. Beauregard Street, is scheduled for June 16-20. The newly renovated George Mason Elementary is planned to reopen for students in August 2027.
With 167 senior residents and a police officer being forced out of the Ladrey Senior High-Rise by the end of the year, Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority CEO Erik C. Johnson says there’s actually an opportunity to capitalize on the situation.
“This comes down to whether or not the city is going to support seniors the way that we want to support seniors,” Johnson told ALXnow. “We’re not asking the city to finance it, nor is the city taking a first position loss in the event that something goes wrong.”
Get your lawn chairs ready, because Alexandria’s birthday celebration is right around the corner.
On Saturday, July 12, the city will celebrate its 276th and the U.S.’s 249th birthdays along the waterfront at Oronoco Bay Park (100 Madison Street). The free party includes food trucks, live performances by the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra, appearances by the town crier, poet laureate, and Mayor Alyia Gaskins, as well as cupcakes for thousands of attendees.
