Alexandria is set to break ground on improvements to Eugene Simpson Stadium Park.
Construction will result in a phased reopening of the park, with a full reopening scheduled for August 2026. The groundbreaking will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 21, according to the city.
There’s only three community cookouts left this summer in Alexandria, and the next one is around the corner.
With free food, games and more, the annual series of cookouts started in late April with the intention of connecting residents to their city government and leaders. The next cookout is Wednesday, June 18, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Patrick Henry Recreation Center (5653 Taney Avenue).
How’s your calendar looking?
Alexandria’s Department of Recreation, Parks, and Cultural Activities is seeking vendors for the fourth annual Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration at the Patrick Henry Recreation Center (4643 Taney Avenue). The party’s on October 11 (Saturday), and the deadline to be a vendor is August 1.
Alexandria leaders railed against the Trump administration at Alexandria’s Market Square on Saturday, just across the Potomac River from the military parade celebrating the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary, which also coincides with President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday.
Alexandria’s No Kings Rally was attended by thousands. The rally also comes as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is reportedly preparing to deploy tactical units to Northern Virginia and four major cities across the country.
Here’s a quick recap of our top stories this week. Over the last weekend, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security removed its list of sanctuary jurisdictions, which included Alexandria, from its website. The list contained numerous errors, including localities being mentioned multiple times, as well as towns being incorrectly designated as cities. It drew stern condemnation from Alexandria’s elected leaders.
“DHS did not provide any information regarding the criteria used to compile the list, any sources or research used for the designation, or a response to local governments seeking clarification,” Mayor Gaskins told ALXnow. “As a result, they published a list that was wrong and mischaracterized cities like ours. We follow the law and uphold the constitutional and civil rights of our residents.”
With summer vacation just days away, Alexandria leaders were on hand at Francis C. Hammond Middle School on Thursday (June 5) to receive 500 free backpacks filled with school supplies.
The backpacks, most of which are being stored for the start of the 2025-2026 school year, were donated to the Title I school as part of a collaboration between United Way National Capital Area, Enterprise Mobility, and American Water. United Way NCA’s partnership with Alexandria City Public Schools has provided more than 3,500 backpacks to the West End school since 2017.
Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins and Del Elizabeth Bennett-Parker (D-5) will join the Virginia chapter of Moms Demand Action onstage at Market Square (301 King Street) on Friday (June 6).
Friday is National Gun Violence Awareness Day, and the annual rally is part of Wear Orange Weekend. Gun violence victims will be honored in events throughout the country by affected families and supporters. The city’s new Poet Laureate, Cristi Donoso, will also speak at the event, which includes an on-site blood mobile and a community resource fair.
What a week we just had in Alexandria!
Here’s our recap of everything worth talking and reading about over the past week in the Port City. This week, Alexandria was named a Sanctuary Jurisdiction by the Trump administration, a distinction Mayor Alyia Gaskins said “wrongly targets and mischaracterizes Alexandria and dismisses core principles that make up the foundation of our democracy.”
Chuck Todd, NBC News chief political analyst, will be the judge at the 16th annual Taste of Del Ray on June 1.
The former Meet the Press host has a long history with Alexandria, and he’ll decide on the top dishes between 14 restaurants at the ticketed event, which will run from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Mount Vernon Recreation Center fields (2701 Commonwealth Avenue).
King Street was packed with all sorts of traffic on Sunday, as thousands of car enthusiasts checked out classic cars at the sixth annual Old Town Festival of Speed and Style.
Today’s event featured more than 100 exotic sports cars and motorcycles, and was sponsored by Burke & Herbert Bank and several local businesses. This year’s theme was Ian Fleming’s James Bond spy novel Casino Royale, with elegant models beautifying a supercar catwalk at King and Fairfax Streets.
Your stretchy pants are about to get a workout, because the Taste of Del Ray is returning June 1 (Sunday).
More than a dozen Del Ray restaurants are participating in the 16th annual event, which will run from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Mount Vernon Recreation Center fields (2701 Commonwealth Avenue).
