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Good morning, Alexandria.
The August 4 dual primary is four days away — and today is one of the last chances to vote early before Tuesday. The Office of Voter Registration & Elections at 132 N. Royal St. is open today during normal business hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday is the final day of early voting — 132 N. Royal St. is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Beatley Central Library is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The weather is cooperating for a big weekend. Saturday looks sunny and warm with a high near 92 — good conditions for the Friendship Firehouse Festival on South Alfred Street in the morning and Beats, Bites and Brews at John Carlyle Square Park in the afternoon. Both are free. Sunday brings a slight chance of showers in the afternoon and evening, so plan accordingly if you have outdoor plans.
Tonight, the Traditional Music Concert Series continues at The Lyceum with John Doyle at 7:30 p.m. And today is the last day of Plastic Free July — and the last day to pick up a PINGO! card at Beatley Central Library.
Here's what you need to know for Friday, July 31.
1️⃣ Dog owner sues Your Dog's Best Friends, alleging facility concealed cause of death
The owner of a golden retriever killed at a Del Ray boarding and grooming facility two years ago has sued the business, its owner, and the former groomer convicted in her death, alleging he was told for nearly a year that his dog died of a heart condition.
Andrew Cheslock filed the suit July 9 in Alexandria Circuit Court against Your Dog's Best Friends, Inc., owner Paul Haire and Kevin M. Sanders, according to the complaint. The defendants were served July 10.
The suit's central allegation is not about the death itself, which was the subject of a criminal prosecution that ended in June. It is about the 11 months that followed.
2️⃣ Warner says Iran war has cost Virginia households $605 at the pump, with grocery and farm costs climbing
Virginians have spent roughly $2 billion more on gasoline since the war with Iran began than they would have at pre-war prices — about $605 per household — U.S. Sen. Mark Warner said Thursday, arguing that the affordability squeeze facing Alexandria families traces directly to White House policy.
"That's $605 per household straight into a war of choice," Warner said during a remote media availability with Virginia reporters from the U.S. Capitol.
Warner, a Democrat, Alexandria resident and vice chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said grocery prices are up about 4%, with beef up 10% to 12%, driven by shipping disruption through the Strait of Hormuz combined with the administration's tariffs. Taken together, he said, Virginia households have spent about $2,000 more since President Trump returned to office.
3️⃣ What's happening in Alexandria this weekend: July 31-August 2
It's a full weekend in Alexandria. Saturday morning, the Friendship Firehouse Festival takes over the 100 block of South Alfred Street from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. — fire trucks, live music, vendor booths and free admission to the 1855 firehouse museum that has anchored that block for more than 170 years. A few blocks away, Beats, Bites and Brews sets up at John Carlyle Square Park from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. with live music, food vendors and a beer garden. Both are free.
One more thing worth noting before you head out Saturday: it's the last day of early voting before Tuesday's August 4 dual primary. Both 132 N. Royal St. and Beatley Central Library are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Here's everything on the calendar this weekend in Alexandria.
In brief
The Alexandria Chamber of Commerce has named Jen Walker its 2026 Business Leader of the Year, citing her work in real estate and three decades of involvement in Del Ray and citywide organizations. (The Brief)
Celebrate 252 years of firefighting history at the Friendship Firehouse Festival on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the 100 block of South Alfred Street. (City of Alexandria)
Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) urged the Fairfax County Planning Commission Thursday to deny the permit application filed for Edsall Data Center Substation 2232 at the Plaza 500 site at 6299 Edsall Road in Lincolnia. (Beyer)
Beyer also joined colleagues in opposing the redevelopment of East Potomac Park. (Beyer)
Spanberger administration seeks public input on new energy plan. (Virginia Mercury)
The U.S. Military will conduct a Gun Salute with 28 LOUD rounds from the Washington Navy Yard on Friday, July 31, at approximately 10 a.m. (AlertDC)
⚽ Sports
Ronald Acuña Jr. and Mike Yastrzemski homered and the Atlanta Braves overcame a three-run deficit to beat the Washington Nationals 5-4 on Thursday night. (The Brief)
Today's Schedule
- 7:15 p.m.: Nationals at Atlanta Braves
- 7:30 p.m.: Dallas Wings at Washington Mystics
Today in Alexandria
⛅ Weather
Today: Sunny, with a high near 91 degrees. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph.
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 70 degrees. Light south wind.
🌖 Sun, Moon, & Tide
Sunrise at 6:08 a.m., sunset at 8:19 p.m. 14 hours & 10 minutes of sun.
High tide at 10:09 a.m. & 10:37 p.m. Low tide at 4:1 a.m. & 4:50 p.m. The moon phase is a Waning Gibbous.
🗓️ Things To Do
- 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.: In-person early voting open at 132 N. Royal St.
- 11 a.m.: Oktoberfest release at Port City Brewing Company
- 4 p.m.: Food Truck Friday at Cameron Club parking lot
- 6:30 p.m.: Friday Night Run Club at Daniel O'Connell's
- 7 p.m.: Pop Culture Trivia- Harry Potter Edition at Lee-Fendall House Museum
- 7:30 p.m.: Songs of the Irish in the American Revolution at The Lyceum
🎶 Entertainment
- 219 Restaurant: Holly Montgomery at 9 p.m.
- Cuates Grill: Karaoke at 10:15 p.m.
- Del Ray Public House: Karaoke at 9 p.m.
- Galactic Panther: Blank Slate, Gorf at 7:30 p.m.
- Hops N Shine: Live music at 6 p.m.
- Laporta’s Restaurant: Live music at 7:30 p.m.
- Lost Boy Cider: Sleeper Car at 7 p.m.
- Makeda Restaurant: Mesfin & Tsehay at 10 p.m.
- Murphy’s Pub: Tyler Goldstein at 9 p.m.
- O’Shaughnessy’s Pub: Bliss at 9 p.m.
- Rock It Grill: Karaoke at 9:30 p.m.
- The Light Horse: Broken Ground at 9:30 p.m.
- The Little Theatre of Alexandria: Catch Me If You Can at 8 p.m.
- The Study at Morrison House: Live Piano Music at 6:30 p.m.
🏛️ City & Schools
City Government: Open · Flag: Full Staff · Trash, Recycling, & Yard Waste Collection: On Time
- 6 a.m.: Chinquapin Pool open
- 7 a.m.: Minnie Howard Pool open
- 10 a.m.: Memorial Pool open
- 10 a.m.: Specialty Tour — A Magical Apothecary at the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum
- 11 a.m.: Warwick Pool open
- 12 p.m.: Old Town Pool open
- 3 p.m.: Children, Youth & Families Collaborative Commission Advocacy meeting at Gustave's
- 4:30 p.m.: Specialty Tour — A Magical Apothecary at the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum
- 5:30 p.m.: Specialty Tour — A Magical Apothecary at the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum
- 6 p.m.: 2026 Summer Youth Employment Program Closing Ceremony at Virginia Tech Innovation Campus, Boeing Auditorium
- 6:30 p.m.: Top of the Hill Adult Social at William Ramsay Recreation Center
- 7:30 p.m.: Traditional Music Concert Series — John Doyle at Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum
📚 Alexandria Library
- All day: PINGO! — Plastic Free Bingo at Charles E. Beatley Jr. Central Library
- 10:30 a.m.: Mr. Lilo — sing, jump and dance in English and Spanish at Beatley Reading Garden
- 1:30 p.m.: Film Screening — "Jerry & Marge Go Large" at Ellen Coolidge Burke Branch Library
On this day in Alexandria's history
On July 31, 1934, a contract was let for the construction of George Washington High School at 1005 Mount Vernon Ave. in Del Ray — funded by the Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works and designed in the Art Deco style that defines the neighborhood.
The school opened in 1935 as the city's only public high school for white students; Alexandria's Black students attended Parker-Gray School. Integration began in 1959 after a court order, and the school wasn't fully desegregated until 1965. For 36 years it served as a high school before closing as a four-year high school in 1971 and converting to the middle school it remains today.
Critics at the time of construction claimed the building was too large to ever fill. By 1944, three wings had been added.
The field hosted John F. Kennedy's kickoff of his 1960 southern tour after securing the Democratic presidential nomination, and Joe Namath's first professional game in August 1965. President Harry Truman buried a time capsule on the grounds in 1949 — to be opened when Alexandria turns 300 in 2049.
The building is now George Washington Middle School, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. (Alexandria Times)(Historic Alexandria)
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