From a waterfront walk to a whisky tasting to Alexandria RadioClub Field Day and more, there’s plenty going on in Alexandria this weekend.
Discover all that’s happening, new, and to do here, from Friday, June 23 to Sunday, June 25, below. Organizing an event? Submit events to ALXnow.
Eugene Simpson Stadium Park is going from natural turf to artificial turf, and feelings in the community seem decidedly mixed.
At a meeting this past Saturday, the City Council voted unanimously in favor of a new plan that will replace the field with synthetic turf. Sentiment in the public hearing was mixed, with some concerned about issues like creating a heat island and others saying the synthetic turf will make the fields more usable.
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.
Meet Connie and Pearl, a bonded pair of 1-year-old guinea pigs up for adoption at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria.
These two inquisitive girls are searching for their forever home! Connie and Pearl are both friendly and calm, according to AWLA spokesperson Erin Shackelford.
Alexandria vegans rejoice: food truck The Vegan Factory is headed to Lost Boy Cider (317 Hooffs Run Drive).
The food truck hops around the D.C. region but it’s headed to the cidery in the Carlyle neighborhood today from 3-8 p.m.
Event location
Woodson High School
9525 Main Street
Fairfax, Virginia 22031
Northern Virginia Fairfax Families for Safe Streets (NoVA FSS) cordially invites you to attend and support our upcoming World Day of Remembrance (WDoR) for Road Traffic Victims.
World Day of Remembrance is an annual event where we honor those whose lives were prematurely ended after being struck by a person driving. This year is particularly painful and sad as we think about the recent death of a 13-year-old Frost middle school student who was struck and killed by a person driving a truck on Pickett Road. We will also honor the nearly 30 other people (as of today’s date) who have been killed on Northern Virginia streets while, walking, biking, or rolling since last year’s day of remembrance.
Updated at 3 p.m. Three men broke into the 7-Eleven in Del Ray this morning, minutes after another 7-Eleven was robbed at gunpoint in the West End.
The suspects broke into the store at 2018 Mount Vernon Avenue in Del Ray at around 2:15 a.m., according to the Alexandria Police Department. Two men wearing all black broke into the closed business while a third suspect remained in the driver’s seat of a silver Mercedes with D.C. tags. The ATM machine in the store was broken into and an undisclosed amount of cash was taken, according to store staff.
Good Thursday morning, Alexandria!
⛈️ Today’s weather: A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 5pm. Patchy fog before 11am. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high near 73. Northeast wind 9 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. At night: Showers and thunderstorms before 2am, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm, mainly after 2am. Low around 67. East wind 6 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Eugene Simpson Park is getting a set of synthetic turf fields as part of a broader overhaul with city leaders saying the added usability outweighs the detriments of the artificial grass field.
At a meeting this past Saturday, the City Council unanimously voted in favor of a large-scale renovation (item 20) to eugene Simpson Stadium Park (426 East Monroe Avenue).
Get ready to loosen your belts, because Benny Diforza’s Pizza is planning to open this year in Del Ray.
The restaurant will open at 1504-B Mount Vernon Avenue, the former home to Sicilian Pizza. Their claims to fame are 28-inch pies that go for $5 to $6.50 per slice.
The Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail have done a lot of work on the eponymous trail, and now the group is offering a unique new way of experiencing it.
The group is hosting a “Fireflies and Bats Walk” on Saturday, June 24, from 8:45-9:45 p.m. The tour is free but attendees can get tickets and make an optional $10 donation online. The tour starts at 615 Slaters Lane.
