What's Happening in Alexandria - Thursday, November 6
Your guide to events, meetings, and entertainment in Alexandria
Here’s a look at what’s coming up on Thursday, November 6, in Alexandria.
Weather
It will be sunny, with a high near 59 degrees. Northwest wind 7 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. It will be mostly clear Thursday night, with a low around 37 degrees. Calm wind. Sunrise at 6:41 a.m., sunset at 5:02 p.m.
Things To Do
11 a.m.: Revival Oyster Stout Release at Port City Brewing Company
2 p.m.: Old Town North Farmers’ Market at Montgomery Park
5 p.m. Banned Book Speakeasy at The Study at Morrison House
6 p.m.: Red Barn Mercantile 2025 Holiday Unveiling at Red Barn Mercantile
6 p.m.: Tech on Tap: The Road to Artificial General Intelligence at Virginia Tech
Live Music & Entertainment
219 Restaurant: Mike Kelley & Friends at 9 p.m.
Aslin ALX: Trivia at 7 p.m.
Hops N Shine: Trivia at 6:30 p.m.
Laporta’s Restaurant: Ken Kilpatrick Trio at 6 p.m.
Lena’s: Dave Manley & Mauricio Mirandam at 6 p.m.
Lost Boy Cider: Trivia at 7 p.m.
Murphy’s Pub: Rook Richards at 8:30 p.m.
O’Shaughnessy’s Pub: Practically Einstein at 9 p.m.
Rock It Grill: Karaoke at 9:30 p.m.
The Birchmere: Micky Dolenz at 7:30 p.m.
The Little Theater of Alexandria: Grease at 8 p.m.
The Study at Morrison House: Live Piano Music at 6 p.m.
City Events & Public Meetings
6 a.m.: Chinquapin Open
9 a.m.: Medicare Open Enrollment Sessions by Appointment
12 p.m.: A Spatial History of Lord Dunmore’s Proclamation
4 p.m.: Minnie Howard Open
4:30 p.m.: Commission on Aging Civic Engagement & Economic
7 p.m.: Planning Commission Public Hearing
7 p.m.: 600 Block Columbus Street Open House
7 p.m.: Housing Affordability Advisory Committee
For more details on all these events, please visit here.
Alexandria Library
10 a.m.: Book a Librarian - Application Assistance at Kate Waller Barrett Branch Library
10 a.m.: English Language Learning (ELL) 1 Workshop - Beginner Conversation at Charles E. Beatley Jr. Central Library
11 a.m.: 1000 Books Story Time - A Story Time for ages 2-5 at Kate Waller Barrett Branch Library
11 a.m.: Line dancing 101 at Ellen Coolidge Burke Branch Library
12 p.m.: A Spatial History of Lord Dunmore’s Proclamation (Virtual)
12 p.m.: Line dancing 201 at Ellen Coolidge Burke Branch Library
1:15 p.m.: Baby Bounce - for babies 0-14 months and their caretaker(s) at Charles E. Beatley Jr. Central Library
1:30 p.m.: Art with Julie: Enchanted Book Pumpkin and Star Book at Ellen Coolidge Burke Branch Library
1:30 p.m.: Thursday Afternoon Book Discussion - “The Berry Pickers” by Amanda Peters at James M. Duncan Jr. Branch Library
3 p.m.: Carefull Knit & Crochet - Crafting for Good at Kate Waller Barrett Branch Library
3 p.m.: Handcraft Crafternoon at Charles E. Beatley Jr. Central Library
4 p.m.: Preschool Storytime at Charles E. Beatley Jr. Central Library
5:30 p.m.: Tai Chi at Beatley Library - Balance Your Mind and Body at Charles E. Beatley Jr. Central Library
6 p.m.: Nerdy Knotters - Knitting and crochet group at James M. Duncan Jr. Branch Library
6 p.m.: Dungeons and Dragons: Teen Group! at Kate Waller Barrett Branch Library
6 p.m.: Coding Game Night - ages 6-12 at Charles E. Beatley Jr. Central Library
7 p.m.: World Short Story Discussion Group (Virtual - Zoom)
For more details on these events, please visit here.
Alexandria City Public Schools
6 p.m.: School Board Meeting - Presentation of the Superintendent’s Proposed CIP Budget at School Board Meeting Room
Alexandria City High School Sports
TBD: Boys Varsity Volleyball at TBA (Bethesda, MD)
TBD: Girls Varsity Volleyball at TBA (Bethesda, MD)
5:30 p.m.: Boys Freshman Football vs South County High School at Alexandria City High School
7 p.m.: JV Football vs South County High School at Alexandria City High School
For more details on these events, please visit here.
On This Day in Alexandria History
Alexandria Votes for Compromise as Nation Divides
November 6, 1860
In one of America’s most controversial presidential elections, Abraham Lincoln won the presidency with electoral votes from Northern states but almost no Southern support. Alexandria voters, caught between the growing political power of the North and radical calls for secession in the South, overwhelmingly chose moderation. Constitutional Unionist John Bell—a Tennessee slaveholder who opposed secession—won Virginia by a razor-thin margin of just 156 votes statewide.
In Alexandria, Bell captured 940 votes, followed by Southern Democrat John C. Breckinridge with 619, Northern Democrat Stephen A. Douglas with 138, and Lincoln with just two votes. Lincoln’s platform opposed expanding slavery into western territories, making him deeply unpopular in the South.
Local innkeeper James W. Jackson, a committed secessionist who owned the Marshall House, declared that Virginians serving in Lincoln’s administration should be considered “untrue” to their state, and those who voted for Lincoln should “be requested to remove to the free states.” Months after the election, the American Civil War erupted.
Source: Historic Alexandria - This Day in History
Alexandria Health Center Groundbreaking
November 6, 1944
Ground was broken for the Alexandria Health Center at 517 North Saint Asaph Street, ending the Health Department’s years of working from cramped basement offices in City Hall. The facility served the city until the Health Department relocated to the West End in 2004.