To mark America’s 250th anniversary, the Alexandria Beautification Commission is hoping to meet a goal of 250 “patriotic gardens” planted by residents and business owners.
The Beautification Commission is launching a Plant for America250 challenge, seeking to have 250 properties to plant red, white and blue native plants this spring.
On This Day in Alexandria History — “On March 19, 1855, a fire destroyed the Friendship Firehouse on South Alfred Street. The fire broke out around 11 p.m. and though the equipment and engine were saved, the structure was destroyed. A new firehouse, which still stands today, was completed later that year.” [Historic Alexandria]
City Hosts Potomac Sewage Spill Meeting on Thursday — “The City of Alexandria invites the community to a Town Hall with DC Water on the Potomac Interceptor Response at 7 p.m. on Thursday, 3/19 in the Lee Center Auditorium (1108 Jefferson St.). Attendees can also participate online via Zoom. [City of Alexandria/X]
Good Wednesday evening, Alexandria. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.
🕗 News recap
The following articles were published earlier today — Mar 18, 2026.
Here are today’s most-read articles:
- Townhouse development pitched on vacant lot, barbershop site in Parker-Gray (918 views)
- City Council considers next renaming of street referencing Confederate military figure (626 views)
- ACPS seeks to hire new Alexandria City High School principal by late May (560 views)
📅 Upcoming events
Here is what’s going on Thursday in Alexandria, from our event calendar.
☀️ Thursday’s forecast
Expect mostly sunny skies with a high near 55 degrees and a gentle south wind at 5 to 7 mph. Thursday night will be partly cloudy with temperatures dropping to around 40 degrees and a light south wind. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“Do not watch the clock. Do what it does. Keep going.”
– Sam Levenson
🌅 Tonight’s sunset

Thanks for reading!
A proposed conversion of a vacant lot and a one-story barbershop in the Parker-Gray Historic District into five four-story townhomes is headed to city review.
Eric Bernstein and Kirby Holdings are proposing to build the homes at 724, 726 and 728 N. Patrick Street, located at the intersection with Madison Street. The Alexandria Board of Architectural Review will conduct a public hearing on the concept review proposal at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 8, at Charles Houston Recreation Center, which is directly across the street from the site.
Join us Saturday June 13 for a special edition of the Gustave Art & Craft Market, celebrating Father’s Day and the 2026 World Cup! Find that special gift for Dad from local artisans & crafters and enjoy family fun, community & Gustave’s delicious World Cup specialties. Plus, singer songwriter Chris Fotos performs before the game.
Gustave Art & Craft Market takes place the Second Saturday of the month at Gustave Boulangerie, 2213 Mt. Vernon Avenue in the heart of Del Ray. Each month features special kids’ activities. Mark your calendars for the Second Saturday and see you at Gustave!
As cherry blossom season gets into full swing in the D.C. region, Alexandria will try to draw visitors with its own cherry blossom-themed events.
The National Cherry Blossom Festival kicks off Friday (March 20) and runs through April 12. According to the National Park Service’s prediction, the Tidal Basin’s famous cherry blossom trees could reach peak bloom from Sunday, March 29 to Wednesday, April 1. The start of the festival coincides with the first day of spring on March 20.
Alexandria City Council’s Naming Committee will host a public hearing next month on a proposal to rename a street in Seminary Hill named after Confederate Brig. Gen. Alfred Iverson.
Ahead of the public hearing, the city wants public feedback on the proposal to rename Iverson Street as Edmonson Street. The proposed name references sisters Mary Edmonson and Emily Edmonson, who were born into slavery, earned their freedom and became important figures in the abolitionist movement.
Alexandria City Public Schools has started the process of selecting a new principal for its high school in time for the next school year.
Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt announced a hiring process and timeline for the next principal of Alexandria City High School. A job posting was released on Monday, and a community survey to gather input will open today (Wednesday) through March 23.
On This Day in Alexandria History — “On March 18, 1784, Revolutionary War hero Friedrich Wilhelm August Heinrich Ferdinand Steuben, better known as Gen. Baron Von Steuben, passed through Alexandria after visiting with his former commander, General George Washington at Mount Vernon. The Prussian-born military genius was Washington’s chief of staff during the final years of the war and a brilliant scholar on tactics and discipline. He was also the author of the military drill manual for the United States that remained in effect until the War of 1812.” [Historic Alexandria]
Traffic Signal Upgrades Continue — “Our team continues installing adaptive signal control technology to help traffic flow more efficiently. The work locations for the week of March 16 are Van Dorn/Braddock and Van Dorn/Eastbound Duke.” [Alexandria T&ES/X]
Good Tuesday evening, Alexandria. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.
🕗 News recap
The following articles were published earlier today — Mar 17, 2026.
Here are today’s most-read articles:
- Del Ray restaurant owners to open concept at former pizza shop (1573 views)
- Woman assaulted, flashed in West End park assault (1290 views)
- MacMillan Spirit House closes in Old Town North amid landlord rent dispute (1090 views)
📅 Upcoming events
Here is what’s going on Wednesday in Alexandria, from our event calendar.
☀️ Wednesday’s forecast
Expect mostly sunny weather with a high near 42 degrees and light, variable winds shifting to the south at 6 mph in the afternoon. Wednesday night will be partly cloudy with a low of around 31 degrees and a southeast wind at about 5 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”
– Lao Tzu
🌅 Tonight’s sunset

Thanks for reading!