Happening in Old Town Alexandria

Old Town Alexandria is a city full of history, charm, and exciting activities. Today we’re going to share a few upcoming events happening around the area so open those calendars!

USA/Alexandria Birthday Celebration | Saturday, July 10th 8:45pm

The City of Alexandria will celebrate its 272nd and the USA’s 245th birthday with a performance by the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra ending with a Grand Finale fireworks display at 9:30 p.m. To limit crowds and prevent the spread of COVID-19, this year’s fireworks display has been repositioned to be visible from multiple vantage points along the Potomac River waterfront from Canal Center Plaza to Jones Point Park. To further reduce crowds, the event will not include the distribution of birthday cake or cannon support from the 3d United States Infantry Regiment.

Program Schedule:

  • 8:45 p.m.–Opening and Welcome

Oronoco Bay Park (100 Madison St.)

  • 9 p.m.–Performance by Alexandria Symphony Orchestra

Oronoco Bay Park (100 Madison St.)

  • 9:30 p.m.–Grand Finale fireworks display

Click here for a list of vantage points. Please leave pets at home and be mindful of your neighbors by refraining from smoking at this event. In case of inclement weather, fireworks only will be rescheduled for Sunday, July 11, at 9:30 p.m.


Summer Wine Festival | Fri. July 16th – Sun. July 18th 6-9pm

The Festival will take place at George Washington’s Mount Vernon. Taste unlimited samples of wines from Virginia’s finest wineries. Bring a blanket and relax on the east lawn overlooking the scenic Potomac River as you enjoy wines made in Virginia. Visit the website here for more details and to purchase tickets.

Ticket Prices:

Friday: $49 Members, $59 General Public
Saturday: $53 Members, $63 General Public
Sunday: $43 Members, $53 General Public


Arts Family Day at Mount Vernon | Saturday, July 24th 10am-3pm

Discover art as expression and communication in the 18th century through visual arts, poetry, music, and movement. 

Family Hub:

Visit the 12-Acre Field to learn about art in the 18th century. Enjoy fun activities such as take home crafts and an arts journal to explore the estate. Activities and take-home craft kits available while supplies last.

On the Bowling Green:

10 a.m. Aesop Fables Storytime for Young Learners
10:30 a.m. Music of the Revolution 
11:15 a.m. History in Motion: Country Dance for Young Learners
1 p.m. Aesop Fables Storytime for Young Learners
1:45 p.m. History in Motion: Country Dance for Young Learners
2:30 p.m. Music of the Revolution

Drawing on the East Lawn:

10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. & 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.  

A drop-in drawing program on the East Lawn as you draw inspiration from the Potomac River. 

Sensory-Friendly Accommodations:

Between 9 a.m. – 11 a.m., Mount Vernon will welcome guests who desire a quieter visit, including individuals on the autism spectrum and those with other sensory processing disorders.

To create a more sensory-friendly experience during this time, hand dryers will be turned off, lights and audio in exhibit spaces will be turned down, and select interactives will be turned off.


Alexandria Sidewalk Sale | Sat. August 14th & Sun. August 15th

Alexandria’s summertime deal-grabbing tradition returns August 14 & 15, 2021, as dozens of independent boutiques throughout Old Town and Del Ray offer deeply-discounted summer merchandise. Don’t miss your chance to find incredible bargains and unique treasures in Alexandria, the D.C. region’s Shop Small destination. Shoppers are invited to stroll outdoors along Alexandria’s red brick sidewalks for end-of-summer savings all weekend long. The event is led by Visit Alexandria in partnership with the City of Alexandria, Old Town Boutique District, Old Town Business Association and Del Ray Business Association. 

Free Parking:

The City of Alexandria is offering free parking at four City garages in Old Town. There is free metered parking on Sunday but no free metered parking on Saturday since street parking is more limited with pick-up zones and parking spaces used by restaurants and retailers. Street parking in Del Ray is always free. 


The Old Town Festival of Speed & Style | Sat. September 5th

Exotic cars, motorcycles, fashion, and fun! The festival will feature rare and exotic super-cars and motorcycles from the 1950’s, 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s. Vehicles made famous by their speed, performance, and elegance. The entire day will be filled with style presentations, live music, fabulous food, and local shopping. Click here to be directed to the festival website; admission is free!


New Arrivals!
Laura E. Pritchett Refuge 18 x 24, acrylic on panel
Larry Preston Assorted Marigolds 16 x 20, oil on panel
Christie Younger Irises in White No. 7 40 x 40, oil on canvas

Upcoming Exhibitions at Principle Gallery Alexandria

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Log Out /  Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out /  Change )

Connecting to %s