A new restaurant self-described as a “five-star dive bar” will cut the ribbon at its new location in Old Town on Thursday.
The Commodore (220 N. Lee Street) is the second location for business partners Rob Van de Graaff and Steve Kim, who also own The Commodore in D.C.’s Dupont Circle. The space was previously home to Mystic BBQ & Grill, which closed last fall after being open for a year and a half. Before that, it was home to Myron Mixon’s Pitmaster BBQ.
A dead raccoon found in Old Town last week has tested positive for rabies, according to the Alexandria Health Department.
The animal was recovered after two people reported being bitten by a raccoon in Old Town last Tuesday. It’s not confirmed if the raccoon was responsible for one or both of the attacks, “but the location and aggressive behavior line up with how a rabid raccoon in that area might act,” AHD said in an announcement yesterday (Monday).
It was a cool but clear day on Saturday as the 43rd annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade passed through Old Town.
Dozens of pipe bands, Irish dance schools, community groups and local businesses marched along Alexandria’s historic streets for the event, which is hosted by the nonprofit Ballyshaners, Inc, whose name translates to “Old Towners” in Gaelic.
The Taco Bell DC 50K that passed through Alexandria for the first time in November is planning a comeback this fall.
About 500 people participated in last year’s Tex-Mex-fueled race, which is not sponsored by its titular fast food chain, but organized by local runners Phil Hargis and Mike Wardian. The 32.4-mile course takes runners and walkers to eight Taco Bell locations throughout Alexandria, Arlington, and D.C., where they are required to eat at least one menu item at every stop.
A free forum focused on women’s health is coming to the Charles Houston Recreation Center this weekend.
The EmpowerHer Women’s Health Forum will feature panel discussions, curated vendors and breakout sessions to discuss mental, sexual and reproductive health. The event will be held at the recreation center at 901 Wythe Street from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday.
An Alexandria food and travel writer will soon unveil his latest cookbook, a culinary journey through Spain with recipes inspired by the works of writer Ernest Hemingway.
“Hemingway’s Spanish Table” is the eighth cookbook for writer Howie Southworth, following his locally inspired “A Taste of Alexandria,” a collection of recipes from the city’s restaurant scene, which was published in 2024.
The Alexandria Health Department is advising residents to be cautious around wildlife after two people reported being bitten by a raccoon in Old Town yesterday (Tuesday).
According to AHD, two people said they were bitten by a raccoon near N. Henry Street, N. Patrick Street and Cameron Street in Old Town. It’s unclear if the bites came from the same raccoon, “but the incidents happened close together in time,” according to an AHD announcement this afternoon.
Alexandria’s Shiloh Baptist Church is among more than 30 historically Black churches to receive a new grant aimed at preserving and restoring their buildings.
The church at 1401 Jamieson Avenue has received $360,000 from the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund as part of its Preserving Black Churches grant program. Recipients were announced last week.
A festive afternoon of Irish dancing, pipe bands and emerald-green outfits and decorations is returning soon to Old Town.
The Ballyshaners‘ 43rd annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade is expected to draw thousands of spectators to celebrate alongside a lineup of performers and community organizers. Local dignitaries plan to kick off festivities at noon Saturday, March 7, with the parade stepping off at 12:30 p.m.
Leaders from religious communities, development groups and financial institutions are gathering in Old Town North today (Tuesday) for a summit on faith-based housing development.
The sold-out event, “Restoring Hope and Building Opportunities,” is taking place now at United Way Worldwide’s Alexandria headquarters, where speakers and attendees “will examine how faith-based institutions can move beyond advocacy to serve as structured development partners — leveraging land, capital, and community trust to address housing shortages and expand economic opportunity,” according to a release.
Two Alexandria students were recently awarded $500 prizes for their submissions to the 2026 George Washington Legacy Foundation Essay Contest.
Garrett Wagman of George Washington Middle School and David De Costa of Bishop Ireton High School won the middle school and high school contests, which were open to all students in the city. This year’s 700-to-1,000-word essay contest focused on America’s 250th anniversary and Washington’s role in uniting the colonies.
