The City of Alexandria is hosting a series of events and programs from September 15 to 21, 2025, highlighting the city’s historical heritage and community engagement.
A featured event this month is Tavern Games Night at Gadsby’s Tavern Museum on Friday, September 26. The evening will include a presentation and pub trivia about the Alexandria Canal and Commerce, with games and a cash bar available throughout the night. The Alexandria Canal was constructed beginning in 1831 after the Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) Canal opened, becoming operational in Alexandria by 1843. It played a significant role in regional commerce until it ceased operation in 1886 due to damage to the Aqueduct Bridge.
In addition to events, Historic Alexandria museum stores are offering the 2025 Holiday Ornament, which commemorates the city’s canal history. This year’s ornament design features a canal boat exiting Lock No. 4 toward the Potomac River—a scene based on archaeological findings from winter 2025 on N. Pitt Street.
The city calendar includes several upcoming activities:
– The DASH Block Party will be held at Leonard “Chick” Armstrong Recreation Center on Thursday, September 18 from 4 to 7 p.m., celebrating DASH’s record-breaking ridership of over five million for fiscal year 2025.
– Civil War history tours are scheduled at Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden, including “Beyond the Battlefield” walking tours on September 20 and September 27 and a Civil War Hospital Tour on September 20.
– A Classic Car Show co-sponsored by Packards Virginia will take place at the Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum on Saturday, September 20.
– Tons of Trucks returns to Chinquapin Park on Saturday, September 20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., allowing attendees to explore city vehicles and participate in family-friendly activities.
– Carlyle House Historic Park will host an educational talk about Dr. James Craik’s relationship with George Washington on Sunday, September 21.
– On Wednesday, September 24, Dr. Krystyn R. Moon will discuss how proximity to Washington D.C. influenced race relations in Alexandria during an event at The Lyceum.
– Other events include outdoor yoga classes benefiting museum exhibits at Carlyle House (September 25), a lecture by author Tom Young about the French Resistance (September 25), specialty apothecary tours (September 28), Civil War Artillery Day at Fort Ward Park (September 27), and more.
The Mortar & Pestle Society will mark its ninetieth anniversary with a gala celebration at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial on Monday, September 29.
Recently, staff members from Historic Alexandria participated in the American Association for State and Local History annual conference in Cincinnati as part of preparations for national commemoration efforts ahead of America’s semiquincentennial.
Historic Alexandria encourages public support through donations that help fund preservation work and educational programming across its museums.
Museum hours vary by location; Freedom House remains closed for restoration but expects to reopen later this fall as exterior rehabilitation nears completion.
To improve accessibility between sites, Historic Alexandria has launched a new mobility guide developed alongside Transportation & Environmental Services that maps out walking, biking, and transit connections among local museums.
On this week in local history: On September 17th in 1889 the first electric street lamps were illuminated across various intersections in Alexandria using power generated from a newly built electrical plant—an event noted for drawing small crowds who gathered to witness what was described as “steady, almost white lights.”
Upcoming commission meetings supporting historic initiatives include sessions of various advisory groups such as the Sister City Committee with Dundee and Helsingborg; George Washington Birthday Celebration Committee; Historic Alexandria Resources Commission; Archaeological Commission; Subcommittee meetings regarding cemetery applications; and Historical Restoration Commission—all taking place throughout late September into early October.
