Del Ray | ALXnow

Alexandria businesses offer discounts for federal workers during government shutdown

Published October 1, 2025 at 12:30PM | Updated October 1, 2025 at 12:54PM

via Made In ALX/Instagram

Several Alexandria businesses are offering discounts and freebies to federal employees affected by the government shutdown.

Made in ALX (415 King Street) is offering discounts on workshops, has items on sale, and is putting out one of their artists’ 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzles for anyone to work on during regular business hours. “I’m in a federal family, and have gone through several shutdowns in the past,” Beth Lawton, a cofounder of Made In ALX, told us. “I know firsthand how stressful it is, and if we can make things easier on people affected this year, we’re happy to do that.”

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Alexandria restaurants offering ‘furlough freebies’ to impacted federal employees

By James Cullum

Published September 30, 2025 at 10:10PM

A pulled pork sandwich at Pork Barrel BBQ in Del Ray (via Facebook)

In the event of a government shutdown Wednesday, two Alexandria restaurants are offering impacted federal employees free food.

Pork Barrel BBQ (2312 Mount Vernon Avenue) and Sweet Fire Donna’s (510 John Carlyle Street) are offering a free pulled pork sandwich to federal employees who bring their IDs to the restaurant. The deal is limited to one sandwich per day per federal employee Monday through Friday. Both restaurants are owned by Bill Blackburn and “Mango” Mike Anderson of the Homegrown Restaurant Group.

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Del Ray restaurant employee suspended after customer reports hidden bathroom camera

By James Cullum

Published September 30, 2025 at 3:00PM | Updated October 2, 2025 at 3:20PM

Gustave Boulangerie and Brasserie at 2213 Mount Vernon Avenue in Del Ray (via Facebook)

The Alexandria Police Department is investigating a report that an employee at a popular Del Ray bistro recorded customers using the bathroom on Saturday, Sept. 20.

Karim Mashmour, the owner of Gustave Boulangerie & Brasserie (2213 Mount Vernon Avenue), states that the employee has been suspended pending the outcome of the APD’s investigation, while police indicate that it is an ongoing investigation and that no charges have been filed.

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Notes: Del Ray’s Art on the Avenue celebrates 30 years this Saturday

By Ryan Belmore

Published September 30, 2025 at 8:17AM

Art on the Avenue in Del Ray, Oct. 5, 2024 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Good morning, Alexandria! Today is Tuesday, Sept. 30, the 273rd day of 2025. There are 92 days left in the year.

🌥️ Today’s weather: Cloudy, with a high near 78°F. North wind 5 to 7 mph. Cloudy tonight, then gradually becoming partly cloudy, with a low around 60°F. North wind around 7 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph.

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Art on the Avenue festival needs volunteers, donations for 30th year

By James Cullum

Published September 25, 2025 at 2:45PM | Updated September 25, 2025 at 3:58PM

Art on the Avenue in Del Ray, Oct. 5, 2024 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Want to judge a pie-eating contest? A popular art festival coming to Del Ray next month is seeking volunteers and donations.

The 30th annual Art on the Avenue is coming to Mount Vernon Avenue on Saturday, Oct. 4, and the event brings thousands to the city’s Del Ray neighborhood. The event features sellable art from hundreds of artists, live music, family-friendly events, and more. The Del Ray Business Association hosts it.

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Court continues The Garden’s eviction case to Oct. 10

By James Cullum

Published September 24, 2025 at 5:30PM

The Garden at 1503 Mount Vernon Avenue in Del Ray (staff photo by James Cullum)

The Alexandria General District Court held a preliminary hearing on Wednesday on the eviction lawsuit against the owners of a popular Beer Garden in Del Ray.

In late August, Jeremy Barber and Justus Frank, the owners of The Garden (1503 Mount Vernon Avenue) filed a lawsuit in the Alexandria Circuit Court against their landlord, who listed the property available for rent on Sept. 1. The landlord, Twenty-Third Street Corridor LLC, then filed an eviction lawsuit in General District Court. Barber and Frank want both cases heard simultaneously and contend that their case was filed before their landlord. The pair is trying to get their landlord’s case dismissed, and all parties will go back to General District Court on Friday, Oct. 10, Barber told ALXnow.

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Pak Soii Izakaya to hold menu preview popup before Del Ray opening

By James Cullum

Published September 23, 2025 at 11:00AM

Pak Soii Izakaya and Bar is hosting a pop-up at their sister restaurant Gin Ramen & Asian Tapas (500 John Carlyle Street) on Oct. 4 and 5, 2025 (courtesy image)

Pak Soii Izakaya and Bar is set to open in Del Ray, and will finalize its menu with a popup at their sister restaurant, Gin Ramen & Asian Tapas (500 John Carlyle Street), on Oct. 4 and 5.

“We need to get feedback from our customers,” owner Jay Chainam told ALXnow, and said that the offerings will include sushi, yakitori, highballs, and sake.

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Alexandria pastor’s Charlie Kirk comments lead this week’s top stories

By James Cullum

Published September 19, 2025 at 3:30PM | Updated September 19, 2025 at 3:47PM

The Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley delivers his Sunday sermon at Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, Va., on Sept. 15, 2025. During the sermon, Wesley criticized the decision to fly flags at half-staff for slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk, calling Kirk "an unapologetic racist." (Screenshot via YouTube)

It’s been quite a week, Alexandria. Here’s a look at our top stories.

Our most-read story this week is on Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley sermonizing against President Trump’s decision to fly flags at half-staff across the country for slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Speaking at the historic Alfred Street Baptist Church, Wesley condemned the Sept. 10 assassination, but said he should not be expected to honor Kirk, who he called an “unapologetic racist who spent all of his life sowing seeds of division and hate into this land.”

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Washington Commanders players visit Alexandria school, distribute $5,000 in food, supplies

By James Cullum

Published September 16, 2025 at 2:21PM | Updated September 16, 2025 at 3:13PM

Players with the Washington Commanders visited Mount Vernon Community School, Sept. 16, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Mount Vernon Community School students in Alexandria got a visit on Tuesday from Washington Commanders players, who gave away $5,000 worth of food, plush footballs, hats, and notebooks.

Commanders running back Christopher Rodriguez, Jr., wide receivers Jaylin Lane and Chris Moore, and mascot Major Tuddy visited the school in collaboration with the nonprofit Blessings in a Backpack. In addition to receiving signed team merchandise, students also got bags with yogurt, pretzels, fruit cups, cereal, soup, macaroni and cheese, and tuna.

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Systems Planning and Analysis expansion into Alexandria leads this week’s top stories

By James Cullum

Published September 12, 2025 at 3:47PM

Officials cut a ribbon at Systems Planning & Analysis announcement on Sept. 11, 2025 (staff photo by Ryan Belmore)

Here’s a rundown of our top stories.

Our top story this week is on the Thursday, Sept. 11, announcement that Systems Planning and Analysis (SPA) will expand its Alexandria headquarters and create 1,200 new jobs over the next five years as part of a $46.9 million investment across Northern Virginia. The defense contractor bought, and will renovate, a 239,000-square-foot office building at 2001 N. Beauregard Street. Attendees at the announcement included Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins and Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay.

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Popular Del Ray open mic marks third anniversary Wednesday

By James Cullum

Published September 12, 2025 at 11:45AM

The What-Have-You open mic night is held every first and third Wednesdays at Evening Star Lounge in Del Ray (courtesy photo)

A popular open mic night in Del Ray is celebrating its third anniversary next Wednesday (Sept. 17).

Greg Roth and Gabe Fry started the What-Have-You open mic at Evening Star Cafe (2000 Mount Vernon Avenue) in September 2022, and since then — with the exception of January — have hosted the event from 8:30 to 11 p.m. on the first and third Wednesdays of the month. Next Wednesday’s event has a numbers, acronyms, and abbreviations theme, with musicians asked to perform hits from bands like R.E.M., AC/DC, INXS, and the B-52s, among others.