This December weekend in Alexandria brings a hefty helping of holiday cheer with festive concerts and markets, bar crawls and opportunities for holiday light viewing.
Locals can get into the spirit with the Alexandria Citizens Band’s holiday sing-along tonight, or try their hand at cookie decorating at the Made in VA store. Folk rock legend Don McLean will make a special appearance at The Birchmere on Sunday night, where he’ll perform a mix of classics and holiday tunes.
Three local businesses along King Street in Old Town will be open late tonight (Friday) for a holiday-themed celebration.
Red Barn Mercantile (1117 King Street), Pippin Toy Co. (1310 King Street) and Penny Post (1201 King Street) will remain open from 8 p.m. to midnight for “Midnight Merriment” festivities. The shops plan to offer refreshments and activities throughout the night as shoppers enjoy “the magic of Old Town Alexandria after dark,” according to a release.
A longtime Italian restaurant from across the Potomac has its sights set on Old Town, according to the Washington Business Journal.
Floriana has reportedly leased a ground-floor space in the Atrium Building at 277 S. Washington Street. It’s aiming to replace a 5,800-square-foot vacancy left by Virginia’s Darling and Mae’s Market as early as June.
A pet store from Del Ray opened its newest location over the weekend at the Belle View Shopping Center.
The Dog Store is now open at 1612 Belle View Blvd, replacing a vacancy left by the Pampered Pet Boutique & Bakery earlier this year. Owner Paul Haire founded the shop’s first location in Del Ray in 2014, after opening Your Dog’s Best Friends daycare in 2003.
Looking to get out on Thanksgiving and Plaid Friday?
Alexandria has lifted parking restrictions at metered spaces and residential permit parking districts throughout the city tomorrow (Thursday) and Friday.
The Department of Beer and Wine finally has a new home in Del Ray.
The gourmet beer and wine shop held a soft opening over the weekend at its new location at 2805 Mount Vernon Avenue. The location was formerly occupied by the ASAP Printing and Mailing Company and shares the building with a Truist bank.
Facing a decline in job growth, a struggling commercial real estate market and a climbing population, today (Friday) Alexandria released the draft of its first economic development strategy in nearly two decades.
The 63-page ALX Forward draft plan makes a number of recommends to reverse negative trends, including leveraging economic opportunities in Old Town North, Eisenhower East, the West End, and Potomac Yard; retaining local businesses and attracting high-growth industries like artificial intelligence firms; and strengthening support for the city’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
A proposed cafe on King Street in Old Town will head back to the Board of Architectural Review next month after being deferred in the spring.
Business owner Kahan S. Dhillon, Jr., wants to open Kingsley Cafe at 910 King Street, currently the site of a three-level, 1850s-era townhome. The board deferred the cafe in May, and it is now slated to return for consideration during a public hearing on Wednesday, Dec. 3.
Why is love so hard? Does ketamine-assisted therapy actually work? How can you tap into your “inner healer”? A new podcast hosted by two Del Ray-based clinical psychologists hopes to answer these questions and more.
Earlier this month, Doctors Eleni Boosalis and Lauren Fisher of Del Ray Psych & Wellness launched the premiere episode of Shrinks On Tap. Aiming to raise mental health awareness and normalize counseling, the pair hosts informal conversations from a podcast studio set-up inside their practice, while sipping on non-alcoholic beverages.
A family-owned sushi restaurant is preparing to open soon in Old Town with a menu full of Thai and East Asian specialties.
Interior renovations for Akeno Sushi are wrapping up at 611 King Street, where co-owner and veteran restaurateur Eakachai “Sean” Promsiri hopes to open for business by the end of the month.
Book specials, prizes and a kids’ storytime are coming to Old Town Books tomorrow (Saturday) as the local shop celebrates seven years in business.
The independent bookstore at 130 S. Royal Street first got its start as a pop-up business in 2018. The shop “never un-popped,” owner Ally Kirkpatrick told ALXnow.
