The Alexandria Brief: Tuesday, March 31

Good morning, Alexandria. It's Tuesday, March 31 — the 90th day of 2026, with 275 days left in the year. You're one of 5,710 neighbors reading this morning.

Sunny and 84 degrees today; enjoy it!

Doing some spring cleaning? Gather those unneeded prescription and over-the-counter medications, including those prescribed by veterinarians, for the upcoming Drug Take Back Day on April 25.

A warning: Tomorrow is April Fools' Day, and the Theogony has already gotten started. Be cautious in what you read and share on the internet tomorrow (and every day after that).

Spring break continues — no school for students. And after weeks of packed meeting nights, the civic calendar takes a much-needed breath this week.

Here's what you need to know.

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1️⃣ Little Theatre of Alexandria announces seven-show 2026/2027 season

Little Theatre of Alexandria (Visit Alexandria)

The Little Theatre of Alexandria has announced its 2026/2027 season, a seven-show main-stage schedule running from June 2026 through June 2027, bookended by a Broadway cabaret opener and two special events in January.

The season opens June 12 with Still We Rise: A Broadway Cabaret to Celebrate America's 250th (June 12–21, 2026), a showcase of American music and storytelling timed to the country's 250th anniversary.

2️⃣ Alexandria gas prices top $4 a gallon as region-wide commuter program offers cash rewards and relief

Average gas prices across Virginia. (AAA)

Drivers in Alexandria are paying an average of $4.09 per gallon for regular unleaded gas as of Monday — above both the Virginia average of $3.89 and the national average of $3.99 — as a regional transportation program steps up efforts to connect commuters with free alternatives to driving alone.

According to AAA, Virginia's average regular gas price has climbed from $2.82 per gallon one month ago to $3.89 today, a jump of more than $1 in 30 days. Prices remain below the state's all-time recorded high of $4.87, set June 14, 2022, but the rapid month-over-month surge is drawing renewed attention to commuter alternatives.

Commuter Connections, a program of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, is promoting several free tools designed to help residents reduce commuting costs, including ridematching, a cash-rewards app and an emergency ride-home safety net.

3️⃣ Alexandria Celebrates Women to plant pinwheel garden for Child Abuse Prevention Month on April 3

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and on Friday, April 3, at noon, Alexandria Celebrates Women will be planting a pinwheel garden at Charles Hill Park to commemorate the prevention of child abuse. (Alexandria Celebrates Women)

Alexandria Celebrates Women will host a pinwheel garden planting at Charles Hill Park, 300 E. Oxford Ave., on Friday, April 3 at noon to mark Child Abuse Prevention Month, with Mayor Alyia Gaskins expected to present a formal proclamation at the event.

April is recognized nationally as Child Abuse Prevention Month. The pinwheel — a symbol chosen by child welfare advocates for its association with childhood and bright futures — has become a widely used emblem of the prevention movement across the country.

4️⃣ Alexandria to hold public hearing April 30 on renaming Iverson Street

Iverson Street is located in the Seminary Hill neighborhood of Alexandria. (Screenshot/Google Maps)

The Alexandria City Council Naming Committee will hold a public hearing on April 30 on a proposal to rename Iverson Street to Edmonson Street, giving residents their formal opportunity to weigh in before the city moves toward a final decision later this spring.

Iverson Street, located in the Seminary Hill neighborhood, is named for Confederate Brig. Gen. Alfred Iverson Jr., according to city records. The proposed replacement name honors Mary and Emily Edmonson, two sisters born into slavery who, in 1848, attempted to escape aboard the schooner Pearl. The sisters were captured and jailed at the Bruin slave jail in Alexandria before eventually gaining their freedom and becoming prominent voices in the abolitionist movement.

5️⃣ Ben & Jerry's Free Cone Day returns to Old Town on April 14

Ben & Jerry's Free Cone Day returns to Old Town Alexandria on April 14, with the locally owned scoop shop at 103 S. Union St. offering free ice cream cones to the public from noon to 8 p.m.

The annual tradition, which began in 1979, has grown into a global event spanning more than 35 countries. Last year, Ben & Jerry's served more than 1 million free scoops worldwide.

📰 In brief

After weeks of packed meeting nights, Alexandria's civic calendar takes a breath this week. The week's most substantive public meeting is Wednesday's Independent Community Policing Review Board session. (The Alexandria Brief)

"The US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) move from its Washington, DC headquarters to Alexandria, Virginia is in progress, but the agency still hasn’t told Congress, the public or its own employees how much the move will cost". (Street Light)

The City of Alexandria’s Public Health Advisory Commission and the Alexandria Health Department are asking Alexandrians to nominate individuals or organizations for the 2026 Flora Krause Casey Public Health Award. (City of Alexandria)

Wendy Morciglio has been promoted to assistant principal at Mount Vernon Community School for the new school year, effective July 28, 2026. (ACPS)

As of March 26, 4,245 residents have voted early in person for the April 21 Special Election, and 10,085 have requested mail-in ballots. The ballot includes a contest for City Council as well as a proposed statewide constitutional amendment. Early voting continues today at 132 N Royal Street. (City of Alexandria)

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Today in Alexandria

⛅ Weather

Sunny today, with a high near 84 degrees. Partly cloudy tonight, with a low around 67 degrees.

🌖 Sun, Moon, & Tide

Sunrise at 6:53 a.m., sunset at 7:30 p.m. 12 hours & 36 minutes of sun. High tide at 7:56 a.m. and 8:22 p.m. Low tide at 2:03 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. The moon phase is a Waxing Gibbous.

🗓️ Things To Do

7 p.m.: Beer Yoga at Port City Brewing Company

🎶 Entertainment

219 Restaurant: Justin Gillen Trio at 9 p.m.
Atlas Brew Works ALX: Trivia at 7 p.m.
Laporta’s Restaurant: Antonio James at 6 p.m.
Lena’s Wood-Fired Pizza & Tap: Annie Stokes at 6 p.m.
Lost Dog Cafe: Trivia at 7 p.m.
Murphy’s Grand Irish Pub: Pete Baker at 8:30 p.m.
O’Shaughnessy’s Pub: Trivia at 9 p.m.
Rock It Grill: Karaoke at 9:30 p.m.

🏛️ City & Schools

City Government: Open | Flag Status: Full Staff | Trash, Recycling, & Yard Waste Collection: On Time| Schools: Spring Break - No school for students

6 a.m.: Chinquapin Open
7 a.m.: Minnie Howard Open

📚 Alexandria Library

All day: A Commonwealth of Cultures Exhibit at Local History/Special Collections
All day: America 250 Community Mini Art Show Canvas Pick-Up at Burke Branch Library
All day: Footsteps of History - Virtual Walking Challenge (virtual)
10 a.m.: English Language Learning (ELL) 1 Workshop at Beatley Central Library
10:15 a.m.: Family Storytime at Burke Branch Library
10:30 a.m.: Bilingual Storytime at Barrett Branch Library
11 a.m.: Playtime! at Beatley Central Library
11 a.m.: Baby and Toddler Time at Barrett Branch Library
2 p.m.: Baby and Toddler Play Date at Burke Branch Library
4:30 p.m.: Tuesday We Play at Beatley Central Library
5 p.m.: One-On-One Computer Help at Barrett Branch Library
6 p.m.: Mini Quilt at Barrett Branch Library

📜 On This Day in History

On March 31, 1841, "former President John Quincy Adams visited his old friend, Edmund J. Lee, who lived at the famous “Lee Corner” at North Washington and Oronoco Streets. The visit occurred just weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court decision was announced in the famous Amistad case, which concerned an 1839 shipboard mutiny by captured Africans that occurred off the coast of Cuba". (Historic Alexandria)

On March 31, 1908, "the popularity of moving pictures was reaching fever pitch in Alexandria during 1908. During the last week of March in that year, the Alexandria Amusement Co. at 426 King Street featured The New Passion Play, a one-hour film priced at 10 cents with live religious music. A block away, at the large Opera House on the corner of King & Pitt Streets, The Metropolitan Moving Picture Company featured changing one-hour “pantomimes ... of a high order,” with live singing for just five cents. On March 31, the City Engineer served an order to the Elks Club to stop work on a wood frame motion picture screen being constructed at their Prince Street site without a permit. In response, a number of City Councilmen quickly vowed to sign a paper authorizing the work to continue". (Historic Alexandria)