Friendship Firehouse Festival
Join in the annual Friendship Firehouse Festival August 3 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Alexandria, VA -This popular family event presented by the Friendship Veterans Fire Engine Association (FVFEA) features antique fire apparatus, craft booths, and displays by community organizations. Festival participants can visit the Friendship Firehouse Museum where the 1858 hose reel carriage, voted the favorite Virginia Association of Museums Top 10 Endangered Artifact, is on display. Children can explore please-touch artifacts, will receive free fire helmets, and are treated to supervised visits inside City fire trucks. Food and beverages are available.
The Friendship Fire Company, established in 1774, was the first fire company in Alexandria. Friendship members were volunteers motivated by their concern for the property and well-being of the community. The ornate hose reel carriage was made in coachmaker and Friendship member Robert F. Prettyman’s shop on North Pitt Street. Long fire hoses on carriages were an important technological innovation in the 19th century, replacing bucket brigades.
Friendship Firehouse Museum, 107 S. Alfred St.
The FVFEA is a philanthropic organization focusing on fire-fighting history and fire safety. It is active in community events, including the annual Festival, and supports historic preservation of the Friendship Firehouse Museum and its collection
The Festival is free. For more information, visit AlexandriaVA.gov or call 703.746.3891.
