Table of Contents
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Five Old Town Alexandria small businesses will join forces May 30 and 31 for "Analog Bag Weekend," a two-day event encouraging shoppers to step away from their screens and reconnect with hands-on creativity.
Fibre space, Penny Post, Pippin Toy Co., Red Barn Mercantile and Stitch Sew Shop are participating in the event, which organizers describe as a celebration of tactile creation over screen use.
The concept centers on the "analog bag," a tote filled with compact creative activities meant to replace habits of excessive screen time with more intentional, hands-on experiences. As screen time and doomscrolling continue to rise, organizers said the weekend invites the community to slow down, create with their hands and reconnect with hobbies that bring joy offline.
Tickets cost $35 and include a limited-edition collectible patch from each participating store, designed exclusively by artist Hey Sooj. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own bag and visit each shop throughout the weekend to collect the patches. Each store will have heat-sealing equipment on hand so guests can attach the patches directly to their tote bags during the event.
Ticket holders will also receive event-only discounts of 30% on a curated analog activity kit at each business: a "Learn to Knit" kit at fibre space, a journaling kit at Penny Post, a Teeny Tiny Art kit at Pippin Toy Co., an Emily Lex watercolor kit at Red Barn Mercantile and a Cozy Blue embroidery kit at Stitch Sew Shop.
The weekend aims to highlight the value of creativity, community and intentional unplugging while supporting local businesses across Old Town Alexandria.
Tickets and additional information are available on Eventbrite at https://bit.ly/4a3QkOL.
