Alexandria and the D.C. region are gearing up for an annual celebration of bike commuting next week.
On Friday, May 15, Alexandria will host six citywide “pit stops” for national Bike to Work Day, where cyclists can partake in special events and giveaways. The free event “encourages the public to consider bicycle commuting as an affordable, fun, and environmentally friendly mode of transportation to get to work,” according to a city announcement.
Several regional breweries will come together later this month for the annual ALX Craft Beer Festival, offering a taste of their signature brews.
The festival will feature a variety of ale, lager, pilsner and other beers from local makers, including host Atlas Brew Works. The festival is scheduled from 1-5 p.m. Saturday, May 16, at the Atlas Alexandria Brewery & Tap Room at 2429 Mandeville Lane.
There’s much to do in Alexandria on this first weekend of May.
If you haven’t gotten Mother’s Day gifts yet, there are several shopping events to pick something out for Mom. There’s also an America250 concert and Kentucky Derby-themed fundraiser at Lee-Fendall House.
A block party involving numerous independent boutiques is coming to Old Town this weekend.
The Old Town Boutique Community, an organization of 30 small businesses in Old Town, will host the Spring Fling: An Old Town Block Party, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday (May 2). The family-friendly block party will feature activities for all ages, including tarot card readings, build-your-own flower bouquets and other hands-on crafts, outdoor yoga sessions and snow cones.
This will be the first year the Del Ray Business Association is not hosting First Thursday block parties since it founded the event nearly 30 years ago.
Del Ray’s First Thursdays have been turned over to the Del Ray Citizens Association, which runs other neighborhood events such as last weekend’s Del Ray GardenFest and the upcoming Del Ray House and Garden Tour on Saturday, May 9.
Alexandria’s annual Adopt-a-Park program is returning this spring, bringing community groups together to beautify the city’s parks and open spaces.
The program is kicking off with a celebration hosted by the Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities from 6-7:30 p.m. next Wednesday, March 18 at 2900 A Business Center Drive. The event is an opportunity for applicants and groups to connect with fellow volunteers, meet city staff, review updated procedures, get supplies and ask questions about the program.
Audrey Davis, the first director of the African American History Division in the Office of Historic Alexandria, is at the forefront of preserving and showcasing the city’s Black history.
Black History Month has brought music, historical discussions and exhibits, displays of student art and so much more to Alexandria this month, commemorating a vast history spanning hundreds of years, from the 18th century to the Civil Rights Movement and present day.
Festivals and other events in celebration of Lunar New Year have started in Alexandria, kicking off the Year of the Horse.
Lunar New Year officially begins on Tuesday, Feb. 17, but some festivities are happening before then. The holiday is celebrated in Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean and numerous other Asian cultures, marking the start of the 15-day Spring Festival.
An earlier version of this story indicated a snowball fight would occur on the George Washington Masonic National Memorial, but the organization is not permitting the public to access its grounds during the storm.
Shawn Eyer, a spokesperson for the George Washington Masonic National Memorial, told ALXnow the event is not authorized and that the grounds will be closed to the public Sunday.
A free, public event at The Lyceum this month will celebrate historical programs, exhibitions and events coming to Alexandria for America’s 250th anniversary.
Guest speakers at the America250 Kick-Off will discuss “the significance of the Semiquincentennial and Virginia’s unique role in shaping and continuing to tell a fuller, more inclusive American story,” according to OHA.
Alexandria’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Program returns this week, marking 53 years of city commemoration for the civil rights leader.
Guests can expect an evening of “delicious food, uplifting music, and speakers to honor the legacy of Dr. King,” according to the program website. A reception will be held from 5:30-6:20 p.m. on Thursday, and the program will run from 6:30-8 p.m. at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial (101 Callahan Drive)
