The Alexandria Brief: Tuesday, March 3

Good morning, Alexandria. Today is Tuesday, March 3 — the 62nd day of 2026, with 303 days left in the year.

All three candidates in the April 21 City Council special election are sitting down with The Alexandria Brief today and tomorrow ahead of early voting, which begins Friday. Frank Fannon joins at noon. Sandy Marks joins at 1 p.m. Alison Virginia O'Connell joins Wednesday at 3 p.m. Watch live at alexandriabrief.com, YouTube or Facebook.

Del Ray's Bagel Uprising announced its expansion to Ballston this spring — its first location outside Alexandria. And the team behind Matt and Tony's is seeking approval to open a new restaurant, Little Birdie, across the street on Mount Vernon Avenue. Plus: 12 events worth putting on your calendar this month, from the St. Patrick's Day Parade to the Alexandria Festival of the Book.

Also, Alexandria City Public Schools has been reminding families and staff this morning that all ACPS schools and offices will open on time with normal schedules and operations today. All school activities and transportation will operate as scheduled.

Here’s what you need to know today.

~ Ryan

1️⃣ Alexandria Brief hosting live candidate interviews today.

All three candidates in the April 21 City Council special election are sitting down with Alexandria Brief publisher Ryan Belmore ahead of early voting, which begins Friday.

Frank Fannon, the former Republican council member running as an independent, joins at noon. Sandy Marks, the Democratic nominee who won the February 21 firehouse primary with 39.6% of the vote, joins at 1 p.m. Alison Virginia O'Connell, an activist whose platform centers on ethical investment and "Trump-proofing Alexandria," joins Wednesday at 3 p.m.

The interviews will stream live at alexandriabrief.com, on the Alexandria Brief YouTube page, and on the Alexandria Brief Facebook page. Each will also be available afterward as a video, podcast, and transcript.

Early voting begins Friday, March 6, at 132 North Royal Street. Election Day is Tuesday, April 21.

💡

Have a question for the candidates? Leave it in the comments below.

2️⃣ Del Ray food scene expanding: Bagel Uprising heads to Ballston, Little Birdie eyes Mount Vernon Avenue

Bagel Uprising, the Del Ray bagel shop known for its boiled-and-baked bagels, announced Monday it will open a second location in Arlington's Ballston neighborhood this spring. The new store will be at the corner of Fairfax Drive and North Vermont Street — the shop's first expansion beyond Alexandria since opening its permanent home at 2307A Mount Vernon Ave. in 2019. The business got its start in 2015 when its founders began making bagels in their home kitchen, debuting at the Four Mile Run Farmer's Market.

Meanwhile, the owner of Matt and Tony's All Day Kitchen + Bar is seeking city approval to open a new restaurant called Little Birdie across the street at 1504 B Mount Vernon Ave. — the space that has sat empty since Benny DiForza's Pizza closed last fall. Matthew Sloan and culinary director Eric Brannon filed an administrative special use permit application for 10-seat outdoor dining. Little Birdie would operate Sunday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.

3️⃣ March in Alexandria: 12 events you shouldn't miss

Spring is practically knocking on the door, and Alexandria's calendar is packed. Here's a preview of what's ahead this month.

The West End Business Association kicks off International Women's Day week Thursday with its 5th Annual Women in Business event at The Garden ALX, featuring Mayor Alyia Gaskins as keynote. Saturday brings the Ballyshaners' 43rd Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade down King Street at 12:15 p.m. — the DC area's oldest — plus a women's bar crawl through seven women-owned Del Ray restaurants. Sunday's EmpowerHER Women's Health Forum at Charles Houston Recreation Center rounds out the weekend.

Later in the month: the Alexandria Festival of the Book takes on "Portraying America 1776–2026" on March 14, Shamrock Smash returns to Del Ray the same day, cherry blossom season kicks off March 20, and the Lee-Fendall House hosts its annual Easter Egg Hunt on March 28. The Little Theatre of Alexandria opens "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" that same weekend.

📰 In brief

ACPS 2030 plan shows broad progress at midyear, but staffing goal hits wall. The share of "stuck" action steps in the Recruit, Develop, and Retain Staff goal area jumped from 2% to 21% between the first and second quarters, according to documents prepared for Thursday's school board meeting. The report cites capacity constraints and change management challenges as key barriers. The update arrives as the city and schools begin negotiating funding in earnest. The Alexandria Brief

First chance for public to comment on FY 2027 budget came Monday. City Council opened a special public hearing at 5:30 p.m. on City Manager Parajon's proposed $977 million spending plan. A second public hearing is March 14; budget adoption is April 29. The Alexandria Brief

Registration opens for Bike to Work Day as event marks 25th anniversary. The free event is scheduled for Friday, May 15, with Alexandria riders able to choose from six pit stops across the city. The first 18,000 registrants who check in receive a free commemorative T-shirt and raffle entry. Register at biketoworkmetrodc.org. The Alexandria Brief

Waterfront Church seeks window signage permit; childcare center looks to consolidate locations. Two new administrative special use permit applications opened for public comment Monday. Waterfront Church DC at 3000 Potomac Ave. is seeking approval to cover its storefront windows with graphics promoting a summer 2026 launch. Abracadabra Child Development Center at 700 Commonwealth Ave. wants to merge two existing permits into one. The Alexandria Brief

City seeks artist to design Alexandria's official America 250 poster. The contest is open to artists of all ages who live, work or study in Alexandria. Mayor Gaskins will select one winning design to represent Alexandria at the U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting in June. Submissions are due April 17; the winning design will be unveiled April 23 at the Torpedo Factory. The Alexandria Brief

City releases RFP for Torpedo Factory Art Center operator. Alexandria is seeking proposals from qualified teams to lease, manage and operate the waterfront art center at 105 N. Union St. A non-mandatory site visit is scheduled for March 13 at 10 a.m. Proposals are due April 27 at 4 p.m., with a recommendation of award anticipated in Q3 2026. City of Alexandria

Cameron Station named 2025 Very Large Community of the Year. The Washington Metropolitan Chapter Community Association Institute recognized the West End neighborhood for its dedication, engagement and community spirit. "This award belongs to all of Cameron Station," the community association said, crediting volunteers, committees and residents who show up and get involved. Cameron Station

Today in Alexandria

Weather: Rain before 2 p.m., then a chance of rain after 4 p.m. High near 46 degrees. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon. The chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and a quarter of an inch are possible.

Rain tonight, mainly before 9 p.m. Low around 45 degrees. South wind 6 to 8 mph. The chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and a quarter of an inch are possible.