Alexandria’s annual George Washington Birthday Parade brought the usual pomp and circumstance befitting the country’s first president.
This year’s parade marshals were the recipients of the prestigious Living Legends of Alexandria award. The theme of this year’s parade was “George Washington: Alexandria’s Living Legend.”
A number of political candidates marched (or rode) in the parade, including mayoral candidates Vice Mayor Amy Jackson and Alyia Gaskins, as well as Sheriff Sean Casey and Clerk of Court Greg Parks. City Manager Jim Parajon also marched, as did his counterpart in the school system, Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt. Former Mayor Allison Silberberg also marched in the parade with the “Coalition to Stop the Potomac Yard Arena.”
Alexandria’s next parade is the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Old Town on Saturday, March 2.
The annual George Washington Birthday Parade is returning to Alexandria on President’s Day (Monday, Feb. 19). Here’s what you need to know.
The theme of the 101st annual parade is “George Washington: Alexandria’s Living Legend,” and this year’s parade marshals are the recipients of the prestigious Living Legends of Alexandria award.
According to parade organizers:
The Grand Marshal will be representatives of the Living Legends of Alexandria, individuals who have contributed to the community in an exemplary and lasting way that has significantly impacted the quality of life in Alexandria and serves as an inspiration to others. 2024 is also the 275th Birthday of the founding of the City of Alexandria.
Thousands of freemasons, city-related groups and nonprofits, and politicians march in the parade, which the city says is the oldest and largest of its kind in the world. The free event was first held in 1923 to commemorate the cornerstone laying of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial at King Street and Commonwealth Avenue.
The parade begins at 1 p.m. at the intersection of South Fairfax Street and Gibbon Street. Participants will then march north on South Fairfax Street to City Hall (301 King Street), take a left at Queen Street, and another left at S. Royal Street to the reviewing stand, which will be located at the intersection of N. Royal Street and King Streets. The parade route ends at the intersection of S. Royal Street and Wilkes Street, and the parade is scheduled to end at 3 p.m.
Parade organizers will also select the first, second and third-ranking participants in the following categories:
- Antique vehicles
- Masonic lodge with the best spirit
- Community/fraternal group
- Float
- Historical unit
- Honor and color guards
- Military units and drill team
- Youth groups
- The spirit of George Washington
Additionally, the winning restaurant in this year’s annual Cherry Challenge will be announced.
Alexandria’s next parade is the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Old Town on Saturday, March 2.
It seems like construction cranes have been flocking to Alexandria streets recently. Just after a street closure due to crane activity in the Braddock neighborhood, crane activity is closing a block of King Street this Friday.
From 9 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 15, to 3 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 16, the 1500 block of King Street (between Peyton Street and Harvard Street) will be closed to pedestrian and vehicle traffic.
According to a release:
On Thursday, February 15 from 9:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. on Friday, February 16 (weather permitting), Extreme Steel Crane & Rigging will be closing the 1500 block of King Street between Peyton Street and Harvard Street for a sidewalk and road closure. This closure is necessary to place a crane and trucks in the roadway to hoist HVAC equipment to the building located at 1555 King Street. Parking will be restricted along this block during the scheduled work hours, and noise levels during early morning hours will be kept to a minimum.
All westbound traffic on King Street at Peyton Street will be directed to Cameron Street, and back to King Street. All eastbound traffic on King Street at Daingerfield Road will be directed to Prince Street, then S. Peyton Street, and finally back to King Street.
Washingtonian recently included three Alexandria restaurants in their food critic’s list of 19 favorite pizzas right now.
Washingtonian’s Executive Food Editor Ann Limpert included in her list “Stracci Bianca” at Stracci Pizza (106 Hume Avenue), the vodka pizza at Emmy Squared (124 King Street) and the white clam Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana (3231 Duke Street).
According to the Washingtonian review of Stracci Pizza:
This Del Ray gem makes its own stracciatella cheese—hand-pulled mozzarella soaked in cream—and it’s best shown off on this Roman-style white pizza, simply accented with olive oil and flakes of Maldon salt.
According to the Washingtonian review of Emmy Squared, which also has two locations in D.C.:
The thick, soft, Detroit-style pizzas from this Brooklyn transfer can be a little…extra. This version is relatively straightforward—just sweet, creamy vodka sauce, basil, and pecorino. The sauce is also good on the Big Ang, which adds ricotta, Italian sausage, and banana peppers to the party.
According to the Washingtonian review of Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana:
I’ve lined up outside this century-old New Haven institution for its coal-fired sheet-pan pizza countless times. And now there is one at Westfield Montgomery Mall! And in Old Town! This particular pie—one of their most famous—is thin, crispy, garlicky as hell, and loaded with fresh clams.
Old Town Deli at 109 N. Washington Street will be joining the regional chain Capo Italian Deli sometime over the next month.
A special use permit was filed with the City of Alexandria to rebrand the deli as Capo Deli. The Alexandria location will be the second Capo Deli location in Virginia after one in Tysons.
The application said there will be few other changes at the site, just interior painting and new flooring/tiling.
The Capo Deli menu features a mix of cold and hot subs with a variety of Italian meats, along with salads, Italian pasta dishes and meatballs.
Old Town Deli owner Andrew Seligman told ALXnow the plan is to convert the restaurant to a Capo Deli at some point in the next 30 days or so, depending on when the special use permit is approved.
Photo via Capo Italian Deli/Facebook
George Washington’s history with cherries will be honored this month, as 18 Alexandria restaurants will compete in this year’s GW Cherry Challenge.
The challenge, which is sponsored by George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate, pits the restaurants against each other to create the best “cherry-oriented appetizer, entrée, beverage, or dessert,” according to the city.
The challenge ends at the city’s annual George Washington Birthday Parade in Old Town on President’s Day, Feb. 19.
“This unique event helps generate buzz for Alexandria restaurants, encourages chefs to get creative, and boosts customer traffic,” said Kristen Eastlick, GW Birthday Celebration committee member and chair of the event. “The #GWCherryChallenge lets us offer a tasteful event that keeps George Washington’s memory alive in his hometown. We’re thrilled that historic Mount Vernon has graciously sponsored this whimsical event.”
When George Washington turned six, he was caught red-handed chopping down his father’s cherry tree. Legend says that his father angrily asked him what happened, and the future president said: “I cannot tell a lie…I did cut it with my hatchet.”
Here’s how it works:
Diners—whether dine-in or take-out—will receive QR codes to vote electronically for their favorite cherry entries based on three criteria: taste, presentation, and creativity. Diners will rate each item from one to three cherries for a maximum score of 9 on each ballot. Point totals for each dish are divided by the number of ballots to get the average score. The highest average in each category wins.
Participating restaurants:
- Bastille Brasserie & Bar
- BRABO Brasserie
- The Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar and Ice Cream Shop
- Dishes of India
- Don Taco
- Evening Star Café
- Jula’s on the Potomac
- Kiwi Pie Shop
- Lost Boy Cider
- Mae’s Market and Café
- Murphy’s Irish Pub
- River Bend Bistro
- Taqueria el Poblano
- The Italian Place
- The Light Horse Restaurant
- The Tasting Room
- Trattoria da Franco
- Whiskey & Oyster
Guests are also encouraged to share photos and descriptions of the cherry items on Instagram or X with the hashtag “#GWCherryChallenge” or by posting them to the George Washington Birthday Celebration’s Facebook page.
A new firm specializing in representing and exhibiting Cuban artists opened in Old Town this weekend.
NCO Creative is an art consulting firm that opened this Saturday at 119 South Fairfax Street — a block south of City Hall.
A release said the firm specializes in contemporary and Cuban art. According to the release:
They provide services such as art acquisitions, artist representation, exhibition coordination, and cultural experience curation. Founder Natalie O’Connor has exclusive access to established and emerging artists from around the world through her work with the World Bank Art Program, private galleries, and international friends.
The company’s Facebook page noted that the venue can also be used to stage parties
Who doesn’t want a little bit of Willy Wonka in Alexandria?
This spring, Madame Coco’s Emporium And Everything Chocolate will open at 103 S. St. Asaph Street in the Old Town space that was the previous home to the Mint Condition consignment shop (now at 122 S. Royal Street). The creative force behind the project says that once it opens it will be a salon-styled chocolate shop for hanging out and getting Tarot card readings.
Meshelle Armstrong of the Eat Good Food Group is still designing the concept, which was first reported by Alexandria Living Magazine. She’s renting the space from building owner Megan Podolsky and partnering with Daniel and Stacey Wharam, the owners of Zuki Moon in Del Ray, Grape + Bean Rosemont and Fontaine Caffe & Creperie.
Armstrong also created the concept for Zuki Moon, which opened last October. Like the Zuki character, Madame Coco will have an entirely fictional backstory to set the tone for the hangout. She says she wants to open the shop sometime in March, and is still looking for partners.
“I’m sourcing chocolate from all over the world,” Armstrong told ALXnow. “I believe I can this can turn this into something really special. I really would like to find a small group of people who would be interested in partnering.”
Armstrong said that the Madame Coco character is one of her alter egos and that the shop will carry ice cream, an assortment of chocolates, candles, as well as serve non-alcoholic drinks.
“She’s loves fantasy, she loves whimsy, she loves chocolate and she loves socializing,” Armstrong said. “That’s basically who she is, and the shop is going to be like an old fashioned Parisian-styled salon where you can sit and eat chocolate and drink coffee and come up with ideas.”
Chase Bank cut the ribbon on its new location in the heart of Old Town this morning.
Chase Bank bought 628 King Street for $11 million in December 2022, more than double its assessed value ($5.2 million last year), according to Alexandria property records. The building was previously a Banana Republic for decades, and closed along with The Gap at 622 King Street in January 2022.
“It is an honor for us to be a part of the Old Town community,” said branch manager Wendy Turner at the ribbon cutting. “It is such a privilege to be a part of this charming and historic community of Old Town residents and business owners, and we;’re so excited to be here.”
Chase Bank first moved to Alexandria in 2019, across the street at 106 N. Washington Street. The New York-based company has 114 locations in the D.C. metro area and plans on having 140 locations by the end of 2025.
A permanent sign will be erected within the next several weeks, staff told ALXnow.
“When we look at our locations we really want to make sure they’re visible and accessible,” said Chase Bank regional manager Alfonzo Guzman. “We’re going to be here in Old Town for a long time.”
The building at 628 and 622 King Street was constructed as a 600-seat theatre in 1854. During the Civil War, the building was named Washington Hall General Hospital, and contained 100 beds for Union soldiers. The building was later a laundromat and an insurance firm before it burned down and was rebuilt.
Plans for Robinson Terminal North, one of the last missing pieces of Alexandria’s aspirations for a contiguous waterfront, are headed to city review next month.
The development, first reported last November, involves a multifamily residential building with ground-floor retail and a restaurant. The project is headed to the Board of Architectural Review on Wednesday, Feb. 21.
A big piece of the Alexandria Waterfront Small Area Plan, approved over a decade ago, was restoring and improving pedestrian access along the river. Robinson Terminal North is one of the only parts of Alexandria’s waterfront that hasn’t been publicly accessible.
The application includes watercolor-looking renderings alongside the typical computer-generated images. The plans call for two main buildings on either side of N. Union Street, along with a smaller circular building at the east end of the site near the water.
The development website said Rooney Properties hoped to have the redevelopment completed by 2025 — an ambitious goal given that the project hasn’t been approved yet.
The application said the portions of the property along the waterfront will have public access with a naturalized shoreline and native planting, though some of the designs also include a pier where a ship can moor.
