In a developed city like Alexandria, residents may soon be surprised to find four-legged landscapers wandering a West End park.
Alexandria’s Department of Recreation, Parks & Cultural Activities is launching a pilot program to bring 35 to 40 goats to All Veterans Park (4725 Duke Street). Starting Sept. 8, the herd of goats will be brought to graze on invasive plants on the slopes of the park. The invasive plants being targeted in the pilot program are kudzu, garlic mustard and multiflora rose.
This Nov. 15, the Del Ray-based bagel shop will be participating with more than 25 of the top bagel shops around the country in the coveted New York BagelFest, the world’s premier bagel-making competition. After Bagel Uprising’s application last year to participate in the international festival and competition was denied, co-owner Chad Breckinridge says it’s an honor to be featured in the competition alongside Dallas-based Starship Bagel, New York City’s Utopia Bagels and Spain’s Si Si Bagels.
This recurring Most and Least Expensive Home feature is sponsored by Adrianna Vallario of Compass, a North Ridge-based Alexandria, VA real estate agent helping buyers, sellers, upsizers, and downsizers, throughout Alexandria City and Northern VA.
In September 2026, 16 detached homes sold, 62 condos sold, and 35 townhomes sold. Detached home sales are down 56% when compared to the same time period last year, condos are down 26%, and townhomes are down 29%.
Between full venues that can accommodate larger audiences and neighborhood outposts that serve up food and drinks with performances, Alexandria residents have a range of live music options they can check out without leaving the city.
Here are the nominees for “Best Live Music Venue in Alexandria” as part of our returning ALXnow Readers’ Choice awards.
Did we miss your go-to music venue? Write them in!
Voting will close in two weeks.
Voting for the Best Dog Park in Alexandria is still taking place. Be sure to cast your vote before voting closes next Friday at 8:30 a.m.
Exercising along the Mount Vernon Trail in Alexandria (staff photo by James Cullum)
The Mount Vernon Trail has secured a place in Rails to Trails Conservancy’s catalog of the nation’s best trails.
Trails advocacy organization Rails to Trails Conservancy announced that the Mount Vernon Trail received 58% of public votes to win the Hall of Fame accolade. The other nominees were National Battlefield Trail in Texas and the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail in Ohio. Public voting was open from Aug. 5 to 16.
Don’t expect Batman to fight supervillains or give you a peek inside the Batcave. Instead, he will be a willing companion on a quiet night in watching TV on the couch or an outdoor excursion.
Tots out for a walk on King Street in Old Town (courtesy of George Brazier)
On This Day in Alexandria History — Becoming the trademark tactic of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement, the first sit-in occurred well before the era of social unrest that would characterize the decade of the 1960s. Prior to the famous Woolworth counter sit-in in Greensboro, North Carolina, five courageous African-American youths staged the first deliberate and planned sit-in at the Alexandria “public” Library on August 21, 1939 … Although this first act of defiance against the system of Jim Crow did not garner the media attention, this was the first step towards the City of Alexandria seriously considering a colored branch for its African-American citizens and facing the issue of accessibility, however unequal, for all of its citizens.” [Historic Alexandria]
Testing of Speed Cameras Happening Today — “The City of Alexandria will test school zone flashers and camera systems on Friday, August 21 ahead of the first day of school for ACPS next week. Residents may see the flashers in operation during normal weekday hours as part of the test. No citations will be issued during the testing period … School zone speed camera enforcement will resume on Monday, August 24, the first day of school for the majority of Alexandria City Public Schools.” [Alexandria T&ES]
It will be mostly sunny with a high of 82°F, with a north wind turning east in the afternoon at about 6 mph. Friday night brings increasing clouds and a 70% chance of showers and thunderstorms, especially after 2 a.m., with a low around 69°F and light east winds. Rainfall could range from a tenth to a quarter of an inch, with possibly more during thunderstorms. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Nelson Mandela
The Colasanto Interactive Fountain at 2700 Mount Vernon Avenue (staff photo by James Cullum)
Alexandria intends to open a long-awaited spray park in Del Ray early next month.
The Del Ray Gateway/Colasanto Interactive Fountain will open the week of Sept. 7, with operations continuing through October, the city told ALXnow in an email. The park is located at the triangle-shaped park at the corners of Mount Vernon and Commonwealth Avenues.
Storm over the D.C. region (staff photo by Vernon Miles)
A Tornado Watch and Severe Thunderstorm Watch have been issued for Alexandria and other parts of the D.C. region today (Thursday) as storm chances arrive.
Capital Weather is expecting scattered storms — some strong — this afternoon and evening. Forecasters believe initial storms will advance in areas north and west of D.C. from 2-4 p.m. and materialize in other parts of the region from 4-8 p.m.