It’s a busy start to October as many visitors will arrive to the city for a returning arts festival.
Art on the Avenue will draw tens of thousands to Mount Vernon Avenue in Del Ray. But if you’re looking for something smaller, check out Civil War Shelter Day at Fort Ward, Immanuel Church-on-the-Hill’s Pumpkin Patch, Douglass Cemetery tour or Rosemont Citizens Association’s Oktoberfest.
From music to dance to all sorts of arts and crafts, Del Ray’s biggest arts festival will have plenty to draw visitors to the neighborhood on Saturday (Oct. 3).
The 31st annual Art on the Avenue, which closes Mount Vernon Avenue from Hume to Bellefonte Avenues the first Saturday of every October, will host more than 300 artists and dozens of activities for all ages from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The festival has become one of Del Ray’s most important events. The Del Ray Business Association estimates attendance could reach 50,000.
September is already approaching its end, and fall events are ramping up around Alexandria.
Some of the month’s biggest events are taking place this weekend — the returning Alexandria Fall Art Festival in Carlyle and sold-out 84th Annual Historic Alexandria Homes Tour in Old Town. Other highlights include the new Old Town Beauty Crawl, Alexandria Film Festival’s premiere of “Ask E. Jean,” the Friends of Beatley Central Library book sale, Wilderness Kids Alexandria Music Festival and an event with “The Silver Linings Playbook” author Matthew Quick.
Crooked Beat Records is reopening in a new location in Del Ray this weekend.
Owner Bill Daly announced on social media that the store will be open at 2101B Mount Vernon Avenue on Friday, Sept. 25, from 4-7 p.m., Saturday from 2 to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 1-6 p.m.
Washington Commanders players helped pack 500 bags of food for students at Mount Vernon Community School in Del Ray on Tuesday (Sept. 22).
Hundreds of students welcomed wide receiver Jaylin Lane, cornerback Rasul Douglas and mascot Major Tuddy in a pep rally in the school auditorium. This was the Commanders’ third annual visit to MVCS in collaboration with the nonprofit Blessings in a Backpack.
As September continues, more and more festivals and other events are happening around Alexandria.
Families will find events for all kinds of interests, from shopping and art to history. It’s a busy weekend between Alexandria Oktoberfest, The Lyceum’s Classic Car Show, Old Town Boutique Community’s Alexandria Days and Alexandria Library’s Black Family Reunion. Old Town North particularly has a lot going on — Chalk-A-Block, Alexandria Canal History Pub Crawl and Vintage Flea and Artisans Market.
For the fifth consecutive year, a Halloween-themed pop-up bar will soon open in Del Ray.
Nightmare on the Avenue is opening at the seasonal Del Ray Pop-Up Bar this Saturday (Sept. 19) at 2312 Mount Vernon Avenue. Customers can expect Halloween-themed cocktails and bites, culminating with a spooky party on the big day itself, Saturday, Oct. 31.
After collecting reports on hundreds of near-miss crashes over the last year and a half, Northern Virginia Families for Safe Streets is calling on Alexandria to deploy new authority over stop sign cameras and other measures to address driver behaviors.
Northern Virginia Families for Safe Streets, which includes an Alexandria chapter, collected 241 near-miss reports in the city between January 2025 and June 2026. While crashes are recorded on the city’s dashboard, the organization takes resident reports of near-misses by text and online survey.
It’s going to be a long public hearing with the Alexandria City Council on Saturday, Sept. 19.
New construction in the Parker-Gray Historic District, adding outdoor entertainment to a Del Ray business and increasing fines for writing bad checks to the city are just a few of the items the Alexandria City Council will consider. This is City Council’s first public hearing since returning from summer recess.
Residents and visitors in Alexandria can expect a full lineup of weekend events in September, starting with this weekend.
As Alexandrians remember 9/11, the day will be followed by a National Day of Service and Remembrance for volunteers at Alexandria National Cemetery.
Mobius Records is opening shop in Del Ray this Saturday (Sept. 12).
The new record store by Neighborhood Restaurant Group replaces Mulberry Lane Play Café at 2016 Mount Vernon Avenue, and will be one block away from Crooked Beat Records, which plans to open soon in its new location. Mobius Records will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
