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ALEXANDRIA, Va. - The City of Alexandria Pipes and Drums will perform two free outdoor concerts this summer at Waterfront Park in Old Town, bringing bagpipes and drums to the foot of Prince Street on Friday, July 17, and Friday, Aug. 21.
The concerts have typically been held at Market Square outside City Hall, but ongoing construction there has moved them this year to Waterfront Park.
Both performances run from 7:45 to 8:45 p.m at Waterfront Park, 1 Prince St. The shows are free and open to all ages.
The band, known as "Alexandria's Own," traces its roots to 1971, when a group of pipers and drummers began playing together in the city; with backing from the local tourist council and business leaders, it was formally organized in 1972 as a way to celebrate Alexandria's Scottish heritage. More than 50 years later, it fields roughly 20 pipers and 10 drummers and keeps a year-round schedule of parades, festivals, and civic events.
Over the decades, according to the band's history, it has played for presidents, governors, and ambassadors — performing at Gov. Charles Robb's 1982 inaugural ball, at the White House for President Ronald Reagan on St. Patrick's Day in 1987, and at the 2005 President's Cup golf tournament, where it escorted former Presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush and the competing teams into the opening ceremonies. That same year of the Reagan performance, 1987, the band also served as the warm-up act for a Rod Stewart concert.
After each concert, audience members can meet the musicians, take photos, and learn about joining the group, which welcomes recruits at all experience levels and rehearses on Thursdays at the Durant Center.
More information is available through the City of Alexandria's events calendar.
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