From Plaid Friday to Waterskiing Santa: Your guide to Alexandria's holiday season
City's programming features Thanksgiving weekend shopping, December parades and New Year's Eve fireworks
Alexandria’s holiday season, which kicked off last weekend with the city’s annual tree lighting ceremony, continues through New Year’s Eve with a month-long calendar of shopping events, parades, and waterfront celebrations.
Visit Alexandria, the city’s tourism bureau, has announced programming that includes the return of two signature parades in early December, along with neighborhood markets, seasonal traditions, and fireworks displays.
Thanksgiving weekend shopping
The holiday shopping calendar begins Friday with Plaid Friday, positioning the event as an alternative to big-box Black Friday shopping. More than 50 boutiques in Old Town participate in what the Old Town Boutique Community bills as Alexandria’s small business Black Friday.
Small Business Saturday follows Nov. 29, with deals at independent shops across Alexandria neighborhoods.
Del Ray holiday programming
The Del Ray neighborhood hosts a holiday season kickoff on Sunday, December 7, at Pat Miller Neighborhood Square, featuring a tree and menorah lighting.
Del Ray merchants host a Holiday Sip & Shop on Thursday, December 11, with wine, exclusive deals, and extended evening hours along Mount Vernon Avenue.
The 10th Annual Del Ray Candy Cane Bar Crawl takes place on Saturday, December 13, the same day as the Del Ray Vintage & Flea Market at Mount Vernon and Bellefonte avenues.
Holiday parades
Alexandria’s largest holiday weekend takes place on Saturday, December 6, and Sunday, December 7, anchored by the 54th Annual Scottish Christmas Walk Parade and the 25th Annual Holiday Boat Parade of Lights.
The Scottish parade steps off on Saturday morning in Old Town, featuring pipe and drum bands and Scottish clans.
That evening, the boat parade begins at dusk, with decorated vessels traveling along a one-mile stretch of the Potomac River. Waterfront Park will host viewing activities, including a beer garden operated by Port City Brewing Company.
Holiday Markets
The Del Ray Artisans Holiday Market runs three weekends in December (Dec. 5-7, 12-14, 19-21) at the Del Ray Artisans Gallery at 2704 Mount Vernon Ave., featuring rotating local artists each weekend.
The Niche Market on Saturday, December 13, markets itself as Alexandria’s largest single-day Christmas market.
Traditional Events
The Santa Railway Express Train operates December 1-18 for its 19th season, running round-trip between Alexandria and Manassas.
George Washington’s Mount Vernon hosts Christmas at Mount Vernon on Saturday, December 20, and Sunday, December 21, featuring Aladdin the Christmas Camel — a tradition dating to Washington’s 1787 decision to pay 18 shillings to bring a camel to the estate. The mansion reopens fully this month following a multi-year restoration project.
Waterskiing Santa appears on Wednesday, December 24, between BARCA Pier and Founders Park along the waterfront.
New Year’s Programming
First Night Alexandria returns Wednesday, December 31, for its 31st year at John Carlyle Square Park, featuring family activities and performances.
The city presents New Year’s Eve fireworks over the Potomac at 7:30 p.m. and midnight, visible from multiple waterfront locations.
Other seasonal programming includes ice skating at Cameron Run Regional Park through Feb. 28.
Complete event calendars are available at visitalexandria.com/holidays and visitdelray.com.