Muralist Patrick Kirwin is at it again in Alexandria.
Kirwin recently started work painting a large new mural behind The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Avenue) in Alexandria’s Arlandria neighborhood. The work will feature generations of builders in the city and was commissioned by Rust Construction, a fourth-generation, Alexandria-based home remodeling firm.
It’s shaping up to be another busy October weekend in Alexandria.
There are plenty of festivals going on, including the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria’s Paws in the Park with its largest Rescue Row yet. For those looking for a shucking good time, Old Town Oyster Week returns starting with an oyster shucking competition.
July will turn into August this weekend as a packed lineup of events arrives in Alexandria.
Alexandrians may see aspiring witches and wizards around for several Harry Potter-themed events lined up for the weekend — the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum’s A Magical Apothecary tour and Lee-Fendall House’s Pop Culture Trivia: Harry Potter Edition. Both events are already sold out.
The Old Town Pub Crawl, a sold-out show with The Police drummer Stewart Copeland, historical tours and other events will keep Alexandrians busy throughout the weekend.
After a Code Purple Air Quality Alert on Friday, conditions should somewhat improve for outdoor events this weekend. The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments is predicting a moderate air quality index on Saturday.
Alexandria’s ranking isn’t as high as last year on Travel + Leisure’s annual “Best Cities in the U.S.” list, but it has remained in the top 10.
Travel + Leisure announced the winners of the 2026 World’s Best Awards yesterday (July 7). Winners were determined by feedback from about 207,000 readers around the world.
The Birchmere music hall, Alexandria’s most prominent musical venue, celebrated its 60th anniversary earlier this month.
The 500-seat music hall at 3701 Mount Vernon Avenue opened in 1966, and has featured notable musical artists and performers across various genres, including Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, Linda Ronstadt and Dave Matthews. Originally founded in Arlington’s Shirlington neighborhood, the venue moved to Alexandria’s Mount Vernon Avenue in 1981. It has been at the current 3701 Mount Vernon Avenue location since 1997.
The Little Theatre of Alexandria has garnered two dozen nominations in a regional awards program for D.C.-area theatre.
The Old Town-based theater secured 24 nominations in this year’s Washington Area Theatre Community Honors Awards (WATCH) for five productions across 36 categories, the program announced Sunday. A total of 94 productions received nominations this cycle, split between 37 musicals and 57 plays across the region last year.
Grammy winner Macy Gray is performing her greatest hits at The Birchmere Music Hall in Alexandria next month, and spoke with ALXnow for a few minutes.
Gray is performing across the country this and next month on the final leg of an international tour marking the 25-year anniversary of the release of her hit album “On How Life Is”. The Nov. 4 concert is her second appearance performing in Alexandria, after she sang at The Birchmere in 2023, and she says she’ll be performing the entire album, plus a few covers and new songs.
Country music star Phil Vassar returns to his Virginia roots this month, bringing his “25 Years of Paradise” tour to Alexandria’s Birchmere Music Hall on Oct. 26. The Lynchburg native celebrates the 25th anniversary of his breakout No. 1 hit “Just Another Day in Paradise” with an intimate acoustic performance that promises nightly setlist changes and covers of musical legends like Billy Joel and Elton John.
For Vassar, who attended James Madison University before moving to Nashville in the 1980s, performing at the Birchmere holds special meaning. “I used to go there when I was starting out as a musician, and I went to James Madison,” Vassar said in an interview with ALXnow on Wednesday. “It’s just such a historic venue, and I just love coming to rock.”
It’s been quite a week, Alexandria. Here’s a look at our top stories.
Our most-read story this week is on Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley sermonizing against President Trump’s decision to fly flags at half-staff across the country for slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Speaking at the historic Alfred Street Baptist Church, Wesley condemned the Sept. 10 assassination, but said he should not be expected to honor Kirk, who he called an “unapologetic racist who spent all of his life sowing seeds of division and hate into this land.”
Alexandria’s fall music calendar is packed with performances from Sept. 22 through Dec. 21, featuring Grammy winners, breakthrough artists, and community events across the city. Here are the standout shows:
The Birchmere
