Residents and visitors in Alexandria are invited to attend Historic Happy Hours in Old Town, a series of events that highlight the work of Historic Alexandria as the city marks the nation’s 250th anniversary.
The next event will take place on Thursday, March 12, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at Il Porto, located at 121 King Street. Jim Holloway will present “Science, Pseudoscience, Humbug, & Magic at The Lyceum,” offering a brief history of the Alexandria Lyceum and discussing lectures and performers who focused on science. Ten percent of proceeds from this evening will support activities commemorating the 250th anniversary.
Future Historic Happy Hours are scheduled for April 9 at Vola’s Dockside Grill with a presentation titled “1814: A Tale of Two Cities, Two Men, and One Song,” May 14 at O’Connell’s Irish Pub, and June 11 at The Wharf. Each event runs from 5 to 7:30 p.m.
Organizers describe Historic Happy Hours as an opportunity where “local history, engaging research, and neighborhood gathering places come together.”
More information is available at Alexandriava.gov/America250.
For those needing disability accommodations or language interpretation services, contacts are provided for Nicole Quinn and LanguageAccess@alexandriava.gov.
The Office of Historic Alexandria manages eight museums and historic sites throughout the city. According to its mission statement: “The Office of Historic Alexandria preserves and shares the history of the City of Alexandria with eight museums, historic sites, archives, archaeology, tours, exhibits and public programs. Through powerful storytelling and confronting the City’s past, Historic Alexandria enriches the present and inspires the future. We enhance the quality of life for residents and visitors and serves as a partner in the City’s equity and inclusion initiatives.” Additional details can be found at alexandriava.gov/Historic.
Alexandria’s museums play a role in shaping community identity by interpreting local social and cultural history (official website). The city also maintains institutions such as the Alexandria Black History Museum to document African American heritage (official website). Efforts to incorporate racial and social equity into policies aim to foster fair outcomes for all community members (official website).
Alexandria operates under a council-manager form of government; its City Council selects a manager responsible for daily operations (official website). As an independent city within defined boundaries, it provides services to residents, businesses, and visitors (official website). The Alexandria Archaeological Commission collaborates with agencies and residents on archaeological research and preservation projects (official website).
