Near Sellout for 30th Anniversary of First Night Alexandria, Despite Torrential Downpour 

ALEXANDRIA, VA – “It was beautiful, as it always is, to see such a positive, festive crowd together to enjoy the start to 2025!”  Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson tells Zebra   

“We came within a hair’s-breadth of selling out,” Marilyn Patterson told Zebra in a phone call. It was the morning after New Year’s Eve, and Patterson, executive director of First Night Alexandria, was coming off an exhausting but exhilarating night. Tuesday night marked the 30th anniversary of FNA. “Forgive me, my voice is a little hoarse,” Patterson laughed.    

The unique entertainment package, anchored by dramatic fireworks shows, is arguably the hottest New Year’s Eve ticket in the DMV. Revelers streamed in from all over the region to walk the cobblestone streets of Old Town, attend a variety of First Night Shows and entertainment, and dine at one of the many restaurants lining King Street and sprinkled throughout the historic district. And to stay awake for the grand finale, ringing in the New Year with a brilliant display of fireworks exploding over the Potomac River. Patterson said that about 4,000 First Night tickets were sold.   

New Year’s Eve dawned mild and dry. In the early afternoon, Patterson hurried to the Masonic Memorial where crews were setting up for a dance party, speeches, and the first of two evening fireworks displays to kick off the New Year’s Eve festivities. Last year, First Night Alexandria debuted an earlier fireworks show at 6:00 pm to accommodate families with young children. Families attending performances at the Masonic began pouring out of the historic building. The stage was set. The DJ erected his turntables, ready to spin rollicking favorites. People spread out onto the driveway facing the sledding hill and began swaying to the party music.  

At Masonic, Alexandria City Mayor Justin Wilson, flanked by city council members and dignitaries, stood at the foot of the grand stairs leading up to the Masonic tower, waiting to deliver greetings and count down to the 6:00 pm fireworks show. The city leaders stood at the top of the hill, King Street spread out before them like a majestic carpet leading to a clear view of the waterfront.

“Prior to the torrential rain, the DJ was rocking the front steps of the Masonic Temple, families were dancing together. We had a beautiful ice sculpture display, depicting First Night Alexandria’s 30th anniversary. I even did a Facebook Live from the site. People were dancing, all was well,” Patterson told Zebra. “I felt the first raindrops around 5:15 pm.” 

The rain and wind picked up.   

“I was in constant communication with our fireworks company. The fireworks go off over the Potomac,” Patterson recounted. “That’s the only area where fireworks can be done to serve Alexandria, and there are a lot of communications that are involved in being able to do that.” 

At the same time, this reporter was on the other end of Old Town, down at Waterfront Park, waiting for the 6:00 pm fireworks to begin. A crowd flocked to the river, huddled under a large flap blowing in the wind, nervously eyeing lightning flashes across the sky and startled by thunderous loud booms. Off in the distance, barges lined up, waiting to shoot off that first New Year’s fireworks display. A huge squall blew up from the river, drenching the observers. 

Alexandria Vice Mayor Amy Jackson did not go down to the waterfront, instead staying home with her family and monitoring the weather conditions with city council and staff. 

“We were watching the severe thunderstorms, our city staff was on it. Everybody was communicating with each other. And that’s how Joyous Events in partnership with the city decided, for the safety of the public, the fireworks should not happen between 6:00 and 7:00 at all.” 

Video credit: Lucelle O’Flaherty

Down at the waterfront, the crowd dispersed, disappointed the show was canceled. They shuffled up King Street, tucked under umbrellas, seeking shelter from the storm inside Starbucks and ice cream shops. Restaurants were drumming up a brisk business as partygoers sought refuge from the deluge. Venues across town were filled with participants who’d purchased tickets for First Night Alexandria.  

“Since there was another display planned for midnight and the skies were projected to be clear, the hard and difficult decision was made to combine the two displays into one grand midnight showing as we’ve done for all years except 2023,” Patterson explained. “Regrettably, we know that may have disappointed some families with young children who have early bedtimes.” 

Within 45 minutes, the heavy rain died down to a whimper. King Street began filling up again with New Year’s revelers. The streets were crammed with merry makers popping champagne bottles, dancing the night away, and snapping up helium balloons, glittery tiaras, and noisemakers from street vendors.  King Street, decked out in all its holiday finery, shimmered and sparkled as the New Year’s Eve festivities spun back up and revelers poured back out onto the streets, children splashing happily in the puddles. 

As the clock ticked, Mayor Justin Wilson, city council members, and Patterson headed down King Street to the river. As midnight closed in, Mayor Wilson greeted the crowd from the patio of the Torpedo Factory for his last New Year’s Eve as the city’s chief. Tonight, he hands over the reins to his successor Alyia Gaskins. At the stroke of midnight, flashes of blinding light streaked across the deep dark sky, ringing in the new year with a spectacular fireworks display exploding over the Potomac River.  

The evening started soggy but ended successfully. “Crowds were there, they were cheering,” Patterson described the scene. “The grand finale at the end, which is boom, boom, boom, boom, burst everywhere and you could hear people cheering and celebrating and shouting Happy New Year! So the evening ended well from a fireworks perspective in particular, despite the fact that we had to cancel the earlier one.” 

Patterson emphasized that the two fireworks displays got rolled into one. “So it just made the midnight even bigger and grander.”