Around Town

Eight Alexandria artists have advanced as finalists in the 37th annual Wammie Music Awards, as competition narrows down in the regional program.

Several musicians made the cut from Alexandria’s initial 14 nominees, receiving 12 finalist nominations for their work across multiple genres, including hip-hop, pop, funk and more. Winners will be announced during this year’s live awards show on Saturday, March 28, at D.C.’s Capital Turnaround.


Around Town

The Little Theatre of Alexandria has garnered two dozen nominations in a regional awards program for D.C.-area theatre.

The Old Town-based theater secured 24 nominations in this year’s Washington Area Theatre Community Honors Awards (WATCH) for five productions across 36 categories, the program announced Sunday. A total of 94 productions received nominations this cycle, split between 37 musicals and 57 plays across the region last year.


Around Town

A new six-week series of comedy shows with local comedians is launching tonight at Vola’s Dockside Grill in Old Town.

The Best of DC Comedy Show will be held at 101 N. Union Street every Thursday night between now and Feb. 19, from 6-8:30 p.m. Tonight’s show (Thursday) is sold out, but $25 tickets are available for upcoming shows.


Around Town

Tickets go on sale tomorrow (Wednesday) for a new production at The Little Theatre of Alexandria next month.

The Old Town theatre is preparing to show “School of Rock,” a musical based on the 2003 movie of the same name starring Jack Black. The production will run from Feb. 7-28, with 8 p.m. showings Thursday through Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. at 600 Wolfe Street.


Around Town

Fourteen Alexandria artists and groups have received nominations in a program recognizing musical talent across the D.C. area.

Alexandria’s nominees for the 37th Annual Wammie Music Awards represent several genres, from funk and folk and hip-hop and pop. The voting period for the 2026 awards is now open and will run through Jan. 15, ahead of the March 28 awards show in D.C.


Around Town

The 19th annual Alexandria Film Festival kicks off this weekend with over 60 film screenings in store, from immersive documentaries to experimental films.

Three days of screenings start tomorrow (Friday) and run until Sunday, Nov. 9. Tickets cost $16.79 at each venue, while an all-festival pass costs $85. Federal workers affected by the government shutdown may also receive complimentary tickets at the box office with a valid government ID, while supplies last.


Around Town

An Alexandria artist is preparing to host her first-ever portrait exhibition at the Torpedo Factory Art Center this fall.

Lifelong artist Mahua Mazumdar’s new exhibition, “Expressions of Light,” features 15 portraits “exploring the nuances of human presences, vulnerability, complexity and joyous moments,” she told ALXnow. The collection will be available to view at The Art League Gallery from Nov. 12-Dec. 7 at 105 N. Union Street.


News

Sandy Williams IV’s proposal for an art installation in Alexandria to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence was approved this week by the city’s Commission for the Arts.

The work, entitled “10:00,” will feature 600 limestone rulers stacked into a 40-inch-by-48-inch-by-50-inch box. Williams has calculated that if you walk at a pace of 1 mile per hour, you cover 17.6 inches every second. Every ruler in the piece will be 17.6 inches long, and Williams says that it takes about 10 minutes (600 seconds) to read the Declaration.


News

Grammy winner Macy Gray is performing her greatest hits at The Birchmere Music Hall in Alexandria next month, and spoke with ALXnow for a few minutes.

Gray is performing across the country this and next month on the final leg of an international tour marking the 25-year anniversary of the release of her hit album “On How Life Is”. The Nov. 4 concert is her second appearance performing in Alexandria, after she sang at The Birchmere in 2023, and she says she’ll be performing the entire album, plus a few covers and new songs.


News

Next week, Sandy Williams IV will submit his proposal for an art installation in Alexandria to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Williams’ proposal for public art to adorn the courtyard of the Alexandria Circuit Court (520 King Street) from April to November must first receive approval from the city’s Commission for the Arts. The design is still under wraps, although the artist, who is known for creating pieces that defy convention, says that the issues the signers of the Declaration of Independence wrestled with in 1776 are similar to those faced by contemporary Americans.


News

Ready to solve a mystery at home?

Four years ago, a group of Alexandrians combined their talents to launch the Literary Adventure Society, a play-at-home mystery game series based on classic detective stories set in Victorian London, featuring sleuths Sherlock Holmes and Loveday Brooke. Would-be detectives (up to six at a time) can order the $55 interactive mystery boxes that include audio plays, clues, as well as custom tea blends and scented candles to get everyone in the right frame of mind to unravel mind-bending crimes like A Scandal in Bohemia, The Dancing Men, and The Mystery of the Black Bag.


View More Stories