Notice of Portside Festival Parking and Traffic Impacts, Transportation Options on June 16 and 17

Mayor Justin Wilson | Mayor Justin Wilson official website

By Central Nova News Report

Jun 14, 2023

This notice is to inform you of upcoming reserved parking, one block closure and multimodal transportation options related to the Portside in Old Town Summer Festival which returns Friday, June 16 and Saturday, June 17. Festival attendees and local business employees are encouraged to leave cars at home and utilize the many transportation options detailed below.

Reserved Parking

To facilitate event production and logistics, some areas near Waterfront Park will be reserved for event use only.

Load-In: Thursday, June 15 (5:30 a.m. – 11:59 p.m.) Unit block of Prince St. (north side only), parking spaces on Strand St. adjacent to Waterfront Park
Friday, June 16 and Saturday, June 17 (12 a.m. – 11:59 p.m.) Parking spaces on Strand St. adjacent to Waterfront Park, all parking spaces on the unit block of Prince St. (north and south sides).
Friday, June 16 and Saturday, June 17 (9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.) Six spaces on the east side of S. Union St. between Prince St. and Wales Alley
Load-out: Sunday, June 18 (12 a.m. – 5 p.m.) Unit block of Prince St. (north side only), parking spaces on Strand St. adjacent to Waterfront Park

NEW THIS YEAR – Prince St. Block Closure

To increase safety, the unit block of Prince St. will be closed on Saturday, June 17 with access restricted to event personnel and performers/vendors starting at 12 p.m. The Alexandria Police Department (APD) will manage the closure and place signage near the intersection of Duke and Strand St. to alert motorists of the closure at Prince and Strand St. Streets will open at the conclusion of the event, or when officers deem it safe to do so. Boat Club members, patrons of Chadwicks and The Strand Lot should enter the area from Duke St.

Deliveries

Businesses that anticipate deliveries on Thursday, June 15, Friday, June 16 and Saturday, June 17 should continue to use Union Street as part of normal operations. Contact Charlotte Hall from the Old Town Business Association at charlotte.hall@oldtownbusiness.org to advise of specific details or concerns.

Transportation

Based on anticipated attendance, festival organizers encourage attendees to utilize the following public transportation and alternative modes of transportation. Driving to the event and parking near the waterfront or on the street is not recommended.

Metro: The King St-Old Town Metrorail station is located on King Street. Both Yellow Line and Blue Line trains stop at the King St-Old Town station, which is a 25-minute walk from the waterfront at the east end of King Street. As an alternative to walking, you can take the free King Street Trolley from the Metrorail station to Market Square and walk 5 minutes down King Street to Waterfront Park. The Metrorail runs until 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. Plan your Metro ride with the trip planner at wmata.com.
King Street Trolley: The free King Street Trolley runs from Market Square to the King Street Metro every 15 minutes from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. More information and schedules are available at dashbus.com/trolley.
DASH Bus: The DASH bus is free. The 30 and 31 line drops off at Market Square, three blocks from Waterfront Park. Dash buses run as early as 6 a.m. and as late as midnight on both Friday and Saturday. Learn more at dashbush.com.
Capital Bikeshare: There are several dock stations within a short walk of the event site located at Prince Street and Union Street, Duke Street and Union Street, 908 King Street, 301 King Street, King Street and S. Patrick Street, and S. Royal. For more information, please visit capitalbikeshare.com.
NEW Bike Valet: Complimentary bike valet service will be offered on Saturday from 12:30 to 9:30 p.m. by Two Wheel Bike Valet, located at the HB Parking Lot at 300 N. Lee Street.
Dockless Mobility: There are various dockless mobility devices throughout Old Town including e-scooters and e-bikes. Please note there is no riding on sidewalks per City code or along the expanded King Street pedestrian zone from the 100 block of King Street to the waterfront. When possible, please park in a scooter corral (Prince and Strand) or bike rack so as not to block the sidewalk or driveways. More information is available at alexandriava.gov/docklessmobility.
Water Taxi: The Water Taxi stops at Old Town, The Wharf, Georgetown and National Harbor. For information on pricing and schedules, visit cityexperiences.com/washington-dc.
Rideshare: Lyft and Uber. Rideshare pick-up and drop-off locations on King Street should occur in the 300 block near or at Market Square (301 King Street). Attendees should not attempt to be picked up directly at the waterfront based on restricted access to streets within the vicinity of the event.
Taxi: The following companies currently operate within the City of Alexandria: GoGreen Cab, King Cab, VIP Cab, White Top Cab, Yellow Cab.
Parking: Please consider all travel options. Driving to the event and parking near the waterfront or on the street is not recommended. Street parking is extremely limited on weekends, and parking lots may also have limited availability. The 100 and 0 block of King Street is a permanent pedestrian-only zone. If choosing to drive and park, we recommend:
Parking at a garage or lot away from the waterfront. Courthouse Square Garage (111 S. Pitt St.) is a 7-minute walk from the festival and only $5, or HB Parking’s surface lot (300 N. Lee St.) is a 6-minute walk. o
Refer to the map of garages on the City of Alexandria’s parking page. Note: many garages near the waterfront on Union Street reach capacity.
Download the ParkMobile app if you do plan on parking on the street. Some street parking is only offered as pay-by-phone.

About the Portside Festival

This free two-day festival features an array of live music, local craft beer from Port City Brewing Company and fun for the whole family on the Alexandria waterfront. The event features Friday evening jazz performances and readings by Alexandria poets as part of the ALX Jazz Fest presented by the City of Alexandria’s Office of the Arts. The festival continues on Saturday with an eclectic musical lineup, local food, hands-on art, historical activities and more. Visit the Portside Festival website for more details. The full schedule is below:

Friday, June 16: 6 to 9 p.m.

Saturday, June 17: 1 to 9 p.m.

Free Admission Waterfront Park, 1A Prince St., Alexandria, VA 22314

For reasonable disability accommodation, contact Daniel Guzman, Director of Events & Public Space Activations at arts@alexandriava.gov or call 703.746.5419, Virginia Relay 711.

If you prefer communication in another language, free interpretation and translation services are available to you, please call 703.746.3961 or email genevieve.babecki@alexandriava.gov.

Original source can be found here.

ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS STORY

City Of Alexandria