If you’re staying in town this weekend, there’s plenty to look forward to from Alexandria’s lineup of events.
Between the Summer Sidewalk Sale in Old Town, Bands & Brews in Del Ray and the ongoing Alexandria Restaurant Week across the city, there’s no shortage of event options.
Eleven tech startups with high prospects of growth have joined Alexandria’s first-ever tech accelerator program, the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership announced with program manager FedTech and the City of Alexandria Wednesday (Aug. 12).
The 11 participants were chosen among 41 applications for the Accelerate ALX program beginning in August. According to AEDP, the companies “represent high-growth sectors including defense, aerospace, health tech, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and cybersecurity.”
Thousands will flock to Del Ray this weekend for drinks and live music at the returning Bands & Brews Bar Crawl.
The sixth annual event will take place from 12:30-6 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 15. Hosted by the Del Ray Business Association, the event will provide a portion of proceeds to The Scholarship Fund of Alexandria, which provides scholarships and personalized college advising to students seeking college, career and technical education.
Beer lovers and shoppers alike will find things to keep them busy this weekend in Alexandria.
If you want to sample beers from different places, Alexandria’s Port City Brewing Co. is gathering breweries from around the country for its Port to Port Beer Festival. Shoppers will have extra reason to head out on the town between Virginia’s sales tax holiday and Old Town Boutiques’ special Tax-Free Weekend promotion.
A 20-year-old Maryland man has been sentenced to serve nearly six months in jail for making hidden camera recordings inside the bathroom of his former workplace, a popular Del Ray restaurant.
Joshua Hombrebueno, of Oxon Hill, Md., was sentenced to serve 179 days in jail after being found guilty of making hidden camera recordings inside the employee restroom of Gustave Boulangerie & Brasserie (2213 Mount Vernon Avenue) in September 2025. Five years of his sentence had been suspended, and he must undergo five years of probation.
The Del Ray Montessori School, earlier this month, won approval from the city to change ownership and reopen a decades-old daycare that closed in Old Town last year.
The city’s planning and zoning director, on Aug. 5, approved change of ownership paperwork, allowing Del Ray Montessori School to reopen at 721 N. Columbus Street. That is the former home of the Flagstone School, a licensed daycare for young children (18 months to five years old) that closed last fall after more than 30 years in business.
The owner of the Del Ray Farmhouse Market and Garden (1913 Mount Vernon Avenue) is asking the city for permission to use a small entertainment stage for live music or a DJ.
Jay Portlance is asking the city for permission to use the small stage at the corner of Mount Vernon Avenue and E. Howell Avenue for groups of musicians no larger than two pieces.
The Alexandria Police Department is asking dog walkers to join a citywide watch program where walkers keep an eye out for crimes and to call 911 if they see a situation needing an emergency response.
APD is launching the Dog Walker Watch program as the city is experiencing a summer uptick in violent crime. APD says that the dog walkers will help strengthen public safety and “serve as extra eyes and ears while walking their dogs, reporting suspicious activity through 911, 703-746-4444, or 311, as appropriate,” according to an email registry with the city.
After announcing its impending closure last month, The Dog Store on Mount Vernon Avenue in Del Ray has had its lease extended to January.
Owner Paul Haire confirmed to ALXnow that Ray Mahmood, the new owner of 2301 Mount Vernon Avenue, extended the pet shop’s lease to Jan. 6, 2027. Even though his rent is going up significantly, Haire credited former Mayor Bill Euille and locals Gayle Reuter and Bill Blackburn with convincing Mahmood to extend the lease.
Foodies will have the chance to try new eateries or return to old favorites during the next Alexandria Restaurant Week in August.
Alexandria Restaurant Week, held twice a year in January and August, will be held over 10 days from Friday, Aug. 14 to Sunday, Aug. 23. Full-service restaurants will serve prix fixe dinner menus at $35, $45 or $55 per person, and fast casual restaurants will have their own offers.
The Old Town Pub Crawl, a sold-out show with The Police drummer Stewart Copeland, historical tours and other events will keep Alexandrians busy throughout the weekend.
After a Code Purple Air Quality Alert on Friday, conditions should somewhat improve for outdoor events this weekend. The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments is predicting a moderate air quality index on Saturday.
