ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Fall festival season kicks off this weekend across the city with an Oktoberfest 5K/10K at Port City Brewing Company on Friday, followed by a Wunderfest Celebration at Port City, Oktoberfest at John Carlyle Square Park, and Oktoberfest at Gustave Boulangerie & Biergarten.
For those looking for something else to do, Cinema Del Ray, Chalk-A-Block and a classic car show at the Apothecary Museum are among the dozens of things to do this weekend.
History buffs won't want to miss the Alexandria Forum at the Lyceum on Friday, exploring the region's role in the American Revolution. And early voting for the November 3 general election begins Friday at the Office of Voter Registration and Elections on North Royal Street.
Here's everything on the calendar this weekend.
Friday, Sept. 18
Alexandria Forum returns Sept. 18 with a day on the Revolution’s local roots
Four lectures at The Lyceum trace Alexandria’s part in the run-up to independence, from the Fairfax Resolves to slavery at Market Square. Tickets are $60, or $40 for museum members and students.
Ryan Belmore
Early voting in Alexandria opens Sept. 18 for Nov. 3 general election
Senate, House and three constitutional amendments on the ballot; registration and mail ballot deadlines fall Oct. 23
Ryan Belmore
City will launch recreation campaign at William Ramsay, with a new mural and a Friday night party
“Where You Belong” starts Sept. 18 at the West End center. The city describes it as both a new look and the start of a broader investment, without saying yet what that investment includes.
Ryan Belmore
Alexandria Days returns to Old Town this weekend
The boutique shopping event, which dates to 1959, runs Friday through Sunday with a passport program and two shopping spree giveaways
Ryan Belmore
Things To Do
- All Day: Alexandria Days at participating shops in Old Town
- 8 a.m.: WEBA Coffee & Collaboration: A Mastermind Morning with Ironistic & TeamLogic IT at Beeliner Diner
- 8:30 a.m.: Alexandria Forum- Nothing But Independence at The Lyceum
- 6 p.m.: Port City's Oktoberfest 5k/10K at Port City Brewing Company
- 6 p.m.: Outside the Garden Gate opens at Principle Gallery
- 6:30 p.m.: Friday Night Run Club at Daniel O'Connell's
- 7 p.m.: Late 30s/40s Singles Happy Hour with The Shaka Club at Lost Boy Cider
Entertainment
- 219 Restaurant: Chris Timbers at 9 p.m.
- Aslin ALX: Giggle Monster Comedy Showcase at 8 p.m.
- Cuates Grill: Karaoke at 10:15 p.m.
- Daniel O'Connell's: David Andrew Smith Duo at 9:30 p.m.
- Del Ray Public House: Karaoke at 9 p.m.
- Evening Star Cafe: Jack & The Jokers in the No. 9 Lounge at 8:30 p.m.
- Galactic Panther: Unseemlier, Cuni, Fond, and Checkmate at 7 p.m.
- Hops N Shine: Live music at 6 p.m.
- Hummingbird: Scott acoustic at 6:30 p.m.
- Laporta’s Restaurant: Live music at 7:30 p.m.
- Makeda Restaurant: Mesfin & Tsehay at 10 p.m.
- Mount Purrnon Cat Café & Wine Bar: Trivia Night With Cats at 6 p.m.
- Murphy’s Pub: Johnny Artis Legacy Band and Pat Garvey at 9 p.m.
- O’Shaughnessy’s Pub: Framing The Tin Man at 9 p.m.
- Rock It Grill: Karaoke at 9:30 p.m.
- The Birchmere: The Secret Sisters with Caleb Elliott at 7:30 p.m.
- The Garden Del Ray: The Painted Tune (Bryan Williams Duo) at 5 p.m.
- The Little Theatre of Alexandria: Blithe Spirit at 8 p.m.
- The Study at Morrison House: Live Piano Music at 6:30 p.m.
City & Schools
- 7:30 a.m.: ACPS Governance Committee Meeting at School Board Meeting Room
- 8 a.m.: In-Person Early Voting Begins at Voter Registration Office
- 8:30 a.m.: Alexandria Forum: Nothing But Independence at Lyceum
- 6:30 p.m.: LARC Family Back to Rec Night — Board games and family fun at Leonard "Chick" Armstrong Recreation Center
- 6:30 p.m.: Where You Belong at William Ramsay Recreation Center
- 7 p.m.: Tavern Games Night at Gadsby's Tavern Museum
- (City of Alexandria calendar) (ACPS calendar)
Alexandria Library
- 3 p.m.: Tai Chi at Beatley Library at Beatley Central Library
Sports
ACHS Titans
- 7 p.m.: Football Boys Varsity vs. John Lewis HS at Lewis HS Stadium
- (Full schedule)
D.C. teams
- 8:15 p.m.: Washington Nationals at St. Louis Cardinals
Saturday, Sept. 19
Council’s Sept. 19 hearing brings an address appeal, two Russell Road vacations and a shutdown tax deadline change
The docket also carries five townhouses on North Patrick Street and a special use permit for outdoor live entertainment on Mount Vernon Avenue
Ryan Belmore
City Council to hear appeal of Russell Road address change on Sept. 19
Staff recommend renumbering 3600 and 3600½ after nine years of misdeliveries. The owners of 3600 say their number dates to 1939.
Ryan Belmore
Chalk-A-Block returns to Old Town North on Sept. 19
Mayor to judge Chalk-A-Block as the street-art festival returns to Old Town North
Ryan Belmore
Old Town North civic group to retrace historic Alexandria Canal on foot — and with a drink in hand
NOTICe’s 2nd Annual Canal Crawl on Sept. 19 pairs neighborhood pub stops with storytellers tracing the path of a waterway that once connected Alexandria to Georgetown
Ryan Belmore
Things To Do
- All Day: Alexandria Days at participating shops in Old Town
- 7 a.m.: Old Town Farmers’ Market at Tavern Square
- 8 a.m.: Del Ray Farmer’s Market at Pat Miller Square
- 10 a.m.: Runner at the brewery at Aslin ALX
- 10 a.m.: Preservation Tours- Lost Buildings of Alexandria – Urban Renewal at Carlyle House
- 10:30 a.m.: Pedals & Pints at Handy Bikes
- 10:30 a.m.: Specialty Tour- Peeling Back the Layers at Gadsby's Tavern Museum
- 11 a.m.: Chalk-A-Block festival at TideLock
- 11 a.m.: Alexandria Oktoberfest at John Carlyle Square Park
- 11 a.m.: Wunderfest Celebration at Port City Brewing Company
- 12 p.m.: Gustave Oktoberfest at Gustave Boulangerie & Biergarten
- 12 p.m.: Canal History Pub Crawl in Old Town North
- 2 p.m.: Dining through the Decades: Feasting at Lee-Fendall House Museum
- 6 p.m.: Off the Beaten Path: Sparkling Wines at DCanter Alexandria
- 7 p.m.: Casino Night - All in for Autism at ALX Community
- 7:30 p.m.: Cinema Del Ray at Mount Vernon Rec. Center
Entertainment
- 219 Restaurant: Bill Pappas Project at 9 p.m.
- Alexandria Bier Garden: The Carter Farm Band at 9 p.m.
- Blackwall Hitch: Bravenoise at 9 p.m.
- Cuates Grill: Karaoke at 10:15 p.m.
- Daniel O'Connell's: Irresponsible at 9:30 p.m.
- Gustave Boulangerie & Biergarten: Russell Wilson at 12:30 p.m.
- Hops N Shine: Karaoke at 9 p.m.
- Laporta’s Restaurant: Live music at 6 p.m.
- Lost Boy Cider: Comedy Night with Next Stop Comedy at 8:30 p.m.
- Makeda Restaurant: Negussie & Nani at 10 p.m.
- Murphy’s Pub: Johnny Artis Legacy Band and Pat Garvey at 9 p.m.
- O’Shaughnessy’s Pub: Moondaddies at 9 p.m.
- Rock It Grill: Karaoke at 9:30 p.m.
- Sheraton Suites Old Town Alexandria: The Dinner Detective True Crime Murder Mystery Dinner Show at 6 p.m.
- The Birchmere: The Wellermen at 7:30 p.m.
- The Light Horse: NoVa Buckshot at 9:30 p.m.
- The Little Theatre of Alexandria: Blithe Spirit at 8 p.m.
- The Study at Morrison House: Live Piano Music at 6:30 p.m.
City & Schools
- 9:30 a.m.: Eco-City Academy at Patrick Henry Rec. Center
- 9:30 a.m.: City Council Public Hearing Meeting at Del Pepper Community Resource Center
- 10 a.m.: Classic Car Show at Lyceum
- 10 a.m.: Saturday Hiring Event at Alexandria Police Department Headquarters
- 10:30 a.m.: Specialty Tour: Peeling Back the Layers at Gadsby's Tavern Museum
- 11 a.m.: Alexandria Library Black Family Reunion — Fourth annual event
- (City of Alexandria calendar) (ACPS calendar)
Alexandria Library
- 10:30 a.m.: Parlons Français - Adult Conversation Practice at Beatley Central Library
- 10:30 a.m.: Public Safety Story Time: People in Our Neighborhood at Barrett Branch Library
- 11 a.m.: Black Family Reunion 2026 at Local History/Special Collections
- 2 p.m.: Handcraft Tuesday - Weekend Edition at Beatley Central Library
- (Alexandria Library calendar)
Sports
ACHS Titans
- 9 a.m.: Volleyball Girls Varsity vs. James Madison HS at Alexandria City HS
- TBA: Volleyball Girls Varsity vs. Yorktown HS
- TBA: Volleyball Girls Varsity vs. C.D. Hylton HS at Alexandria City HS
- Full schedule
D.C. teams
- 7:15 p.m.: Washington Nationals at St. Louis Cardinals
- 7:30 p.m.: Charlotte Football Club at D.C. United
Sunday, Sept. 20
Things To Do
- All Day: Alexandria Days at participating shops in Old Town
- 8:30 a.m.: West End Farmers Market at 4800 Brenman Park
- 9 a.m.: Four Mile Run Farmers’ Market at Four Mile Run Park
- 11 a.m.: Cat Yoga at Mount Purrnon Cat Café & Wine Bar
- 12 p.m.: Self-Guided Sundays at Carlyle House
- 5 p.m.: 90s Hits & Hip Hop Yoga at Port City Brewing Company
- 6 p.m.: Tai Chi With Cats at Mount Purrnon Cat Café & Wine Bar
Entertainment
- 219 Restaurant: Kev Powe Thang at 9 p.m.
- Blackwall Hitch: Black Coffee at 10:30 a.m.
- Daniel O'Connell's: Joe Halligan at 5 p.m.
- Evening Star Cafe: Rock Del Ray in the No. 9 Lounge at 6 p.m.
- Galactic Panther: The OK Club at 11 a.m.
- Laporta’s Restaurant: Live music at 11:30 a.m. and 6 p.m.
- Mason Social: DJ Konquer at 10 a.m.
- Murphy’s Pub: Rook Richards at 8:30 p.m.
- O’Shaughnessy’s Pub: Karaoke at 9 p.m.
- Rock It Grill: Karaoke at 9:30 p.m.
- The Birchmere: Rufus Wainwright with Hohnen Ford at 7:30 p.m.
City & Schools
- 9 a.m.: Stream Cleanup of Historic Holmes Run
- 1 p.m.: Sister Cities Helsingborg Subcommittee at La Madeleine
- (City of Alexandria calendar) (ACPS calendar)
Alexandria Library
- 1 p.m.: Writers Group at Beatley at Beatley Central Library
- (Alexandria Library calendar)
Sports
ACHS Titans
- No games are scheduled.
- Full schedule
D.C. teams
- 2:15 p.m.: Washington Nationals at St. Louis Cardinals
- 4 p.m.: Washington Mystics at Indiana Fever
- 4:25 p.m.: Washington Commanders at Dallas Cowboys
- 5 p.m.: Chicago Stars at Washington Spirit
- 5 p.m.: Washington Capitals at Boston Bruins
Ryan Belmore is an Alexandria resident and the founder and publisher of The Alexandria Brief. Send tips and feedback to ryan@alexandriabrief.com.
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