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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
All you fancy-pants, book-reading edumacated readers out there mark your calendars: there’s an upcoming trivia contest for you.
The brewery at 3950 Wheeler Avenue is having its first ‘Port City Book Worm Trivia’ on Thursday, Jan. 18 at 7 p.m.
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.
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.
Editor’s note: Kirkpatrick said the store remained open when the article was published and the store was only closed for 36 hours. ALXnow apologizes for the error.
Ally Kirkpatrick, owner of the beloved local book shop Old Town Books (130 S. Royal Street), is contending with sudden vision loss.
Where’s Waldo? Kids and parents with eagle eyes can spot him this month in 25 Alexandria businesses.
After you find Waldo at 10 businesses, spotters can collect prizes at Hooray for Books (1555 King Street) in Old Town. Collectors with at least 20 stamps on a passport (found at any participating business) can claim a Waldo temporary tattoo and store coupon.
