News

We made it to Friday in Alexandria! Here’s a look at our top stories of the week.

Our top post was on the plan to close Waterfront Park and Point Lumley Park for two years. It’s part of the city’s efforts to fight flooding by rebuilding sections of sea wall and installing a pump station to recirculate floodwaters to the Potomac River.


News

Kids and their parents can bring in gently used books to an Alexandria recreation center this Friday and swap them for fresh books from other locals.

The event, hosted by Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities, is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 28, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the Leonard “Chick” Armstrong Recreation Center (40 Dale Street). The event is co-sponsored by the Duncan Library.


News

Old Town bookstore Hooray for Books!, a beloved local spot for children’s books and author signings, announced that it will close for good at the end of this year.

In a message on the bookstore’s website, staff said the shop is fully stocked for the holidays but the store will remain closed in 2025 because the landlord is not extending the bookstore’s lease.


News

Any adult Alexandrians missing that high of browsing the Scholastic book fair at schools can get a hit of it at the Old Town Book Fair next week.

The Old Town Book Fair: Adult Edition is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 9, at Morrison House (116 S. Alfred Street) from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.


News

Hispanic Heritage Month just returned to Alexandria, and here’s how to celebrate.

Live music, author discussions and book readings are just a few of the offerings for the annual month-long recognition that officially kicked off this past Sunday (Sept. 15) in Del Ray.


News

Old Town Books Junior recently opened at 130 S. Royal Street, and its owner says that last week’s first story time under the new indoor reading tree was packed.

“It looked like a nightclub for toddlers in here,” store owner Ally Kirkpatrick told us. “We soft-launched last week and had more than 40 families come out for story time.”


News

Think about getting comfortable, because there’s a silent reading party happening in Old Town North later this month.

The realm of the imagination is the destination for participants in the latest venture between Old Town Books (130 S. Royal Street) and Hotel AKA Alexandria (625 First Street). From 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Aug. 24, you can finally get the peace and quiet needed to move the bookmark along and find out who did the deed in that Agatha Christie murder mystery.


News

Wizards and muggles are invited to a special tour in Old Town on Sunday (July 28).

In recognition of Harry Potter’s birthday, the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum (105-107 S. Fairfax Street) is hosting a magical tour and potion-making clinic.


News

A group of mystery writers are meeting together at Elaine’s (208 Queen Street) this month for a discussion about writing the genre’s archetypal characters.

Elaine’s, once a restaurant called Bilbo Baggins, opened last year with a second floor designed to hold literary events like author interviews and book launches.


News

Salma Faqirzaava wants to be an attorney, but that future was impossible in Afghanistan. Now she’s back in school and learning English in Alexandria.

Eight months ago, Salma and her parents moved to Alexandria, where she enrolled in Alexandria City High School, finding herself navigating the busy hallways of the second largest high school in Virginia.


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