The Alexandria Brief: Thursday, November 27
Happy Thanksgiving, Alexandria.
Fifty years ago, a handful of neighbors in Del Ray decided to burn off some pre-feast calories with a morning run. Today, that tradition draws thousands to our streets—a reminder that the best things we build in this city aren’t made of brick or policy, but of showing up, year after year, for each other.
This morning, as runners wind through Del Ray and the smell of turkey drifts from kitchens across Alexandria, I want to take a moment to say thank you.
Thank you for reading. Thank you for caring about what happens on your block, at City Hall, in our schools. Thank you for the tips, the corrections, the kind words, and yes, even the pushback. Local journalism only works when a community shows up for it, and you do.
I’m grateful for the ACHS students who stepped up to a microphone this week to share what matters to them. For the neighbors still fighting about zoning—because disagreement means people care. For the city workers who’ll be out collecting trash on schedule this week. For the small business owners opening their doors tomorrow for Plaid Friday instead of chasing Black Friday crowds elsewhere.
Alexandria isn’t perfect. We’ve got 25,000 fewer jobs than we used to, legal battles over the future of our neighborhoods, and plenty of hard conversations ahead. But we’re a city that still gathers, still debates, still runs together on a cold November morning just because we always have.
That’s something worth giving thanks for.
Enjoy your people today. I’ll see you back here tomorrow.
~ Ryan
Essentials
Weather: Partly sunny today, with a high near 46 degrees. West wind 11 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Mostly clear, with a low around 30 degrees. West wind 11 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph.
The sun will rise at 7:03 a.m. and set at 4:47 p.m. High tides at 12:15 a.m. & 12:55 p.m. Low tides at 7:06 a.m. and 7:12 p.m. There will be 9 hours and 45 minutes of sun.
Here’s a look at what’s happening today and this weekend in Alexandria.
1️⃣ Del Ray Turkey Trot, parking relief, and Plaid Friday: What to know for Thanksgiving weekend in Alexandria
Drivers in Alexandria should plan for road closures this morning as the Del Ray Turkey Trot celebrates its 50th anniversary. At the same time, residents and visitors can take advantage of suspended parking enforcement through Friday.
All City of Alexandria government offices will be closed on Thursday and Friday.
DASH buses will operate on a weekend schedule on Thursday, with Lines 102, 103, and 104 not running. Regular weekday service resumes on Friday. The King Street Trolley runs daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
All Alexandria libraries are closed on Thursday and Friday.
Residential trash, recycling, and yard waste collection will follow the regular schedule. Curbside food waste collection is delayed by one day: Thursday pickup moves to Friday, and Friday pickup moves to Saturday.
2️⃣ ACHS Titans step up to the mic to share Thanksgiving gratitude
As families across the city prepare to gather around the Thanksgiving table Thursday, members of the Alexandria City High School community are already counting their blessings—one microphone at a time.
In the spirit of the season, ACHS set up a camera and microphone in a school hallway with a simple invitation: step up and share what you’re grateful for. The sign beckoned passersby to pause from their busy school day and reflect on the people and moments that matter most.
And reflect they did.
3️⃣ Alexandria lawmakers outline state legislative priorities ahead of January session
Alexandria’s representatives to the Virginia General Assembly outlined their agenda during a work session with City Council on Tuesday night, identifying housing affordability, gun violence prevention, healthcare costs, and immigration protections as priorities for the upcoming legislative session.
Del. Alfonso Lopez, Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker, and Sen. Adam Ebbin addressed council members at the Nov. 25 meeting to discuss plans for the 60-day session beginning in January. Del. Charniele Herring was unable to attend.
4️⃣ Council receives presentation on ALX Forward economic development framework
Alexandria City Council received a presentation on Tuesday on ALX Forward, the city’s first comprehensive economic development framework since 2007, with officials emphasizing the need for flexibility as the city navigates federal uncertainty and a changing economy.
The draft strategic plan, developed with Austin-based TIP Strategies and the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership (AEDP), was released last week. It aims to address a 25,000-job decline over the past 15 to 20 years and reduce reliance on residential property taxes.
5️⃣ Coalition says law firm offered fee deal as group seeks funds for zoning appeal
The law firm representing plaintiffs in a lawsuit challenging Alexandria’s elimination of single-family zoning has offered to forgive nearly half of its outstanding fees if the remaining balance is paid by mid-December, according to the Coalition for a Livable Alexandria.
In an email to supporters Wednesday, the coalition said Dunn, Craig & Francuzenko will forgive $41,000 of what the group described as $86,000 in outstanding legal fees if $45,000 is paid by Dec. 15. The offer would allow the plaintiffs to file an appeal “with a clean financial slate,” the coalition said.
Extra Extra!
The U.S. Department of Agriculture ranks Virginia as the sixth largest producer of turkey in the country, estimating over 15 million birds were produced in 2024. (Virginia Mercury)
ACPS violates School Board policy with football game pat-downs. (Theogony)
The Alexandria-based U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued new guidelines on Wednesday outlining when inventions created with the help of artificial intelligence can be patented. (Reuters)
A Very Merry ALX Jazz Fest returns on Friday, December 12, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial. (City of Alexandria)
Celebrate 40 years of community fun at Chinquapin on December 6. (City of Alexandria)
Preliminary docket for the December 17, 2025, Board of Architectural Review Public Hearing. (City of Alexandria)
‘Vision Zero’ is failing nationwide. How is D.C. bucking the trend this year? (WAMU)
Your ability to articulate how community resilience is built, brick by human interaction not just policy, truely resonates and echoes previous insights from you. It highlights how vital those consistent, seemingly small acts of showing up are; a true lesson in iterative improvement, much like refining a code or a Pilate's form.