Yes, Alexandria Celebrates July 4 — In Rosemont and You’re Invited

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Alexandria may save its big fireworks show for the city’s own birthday celebration, but Rosemont is making sure July 4 still gets its day.

On Saturday, July 4, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Rosemont Citizens Association will host its annual Fourth of July celebration at Naomi L. Brooks Elementary School, 600 Russell Road. The event includes decorated bikes, costumed pets, field games, face painting, a bounce house, water slide, food, and a noon flag ceremony. The City of Alexandria’s approved special events list includes the “Rosemont Fourth of July Event” at Naomi Brooks Elementary School on July 4.

Alexandria’s July 4 Tradition

The Rosemont event holds a special place in Alexandria because the city does not hold its official fireworks on Independence Day. Instead, Alexandria celebrates the nation’s birthday along with the city’s own birthday.

This year, the City will celebrate Alexandria’s 277th birthday and the USA’s 250th birthday on Saturday, July 11, at Oronoco Bay Park. The evening celebration includes fireworks over the Potomac at 9:30 p.m.

That makes Rosemont the family-friendly July 4 option for Alexandrians who want a hometown celebration on the actual holiday.

“This is something where we sort of tried as an association to hold these sort of old-style events where you actually get out and meet your neighbors,” Rosemont Citizens Association President Jol Silversmith told ALXnow. He said one challenge of modern life is that people can set up meetings online and “never actually see anyone.”

A Celebration With Deep Roots

The Rosemont Fourth of July celebration dates to 1967, when Judge Daniel Fairfax O’Flaherty served as president of the Rosemont Citizens Association. O’Flaherty and Rosemont resident Owen Malone, a former Alexandria City Council member, are credited with helping launch the tradition. ALXnow reported that the event dates back to the 1960s and is believed to be Alexandria’s longest-running July 4 event.

For generations, the event has brought together children, families, neighbors, elected officials, dogs in patriotic costumes, and kids on red-white-and-blue bikes. It is part civic ritual, part block party, and part neighborhood reunion.

The celebration is especially welcome this year after a two-year pause. ALXnow reported that the event was canceled in 2024 and 2025 because of window replacement and library renovation projects at the elementary school.

A Dunk Tank With a Civic Twist

One of Rosemont’s most beloved traditions is also one of its funniest: the dunk tank.

For decades, local politicians have taken their turn on the hot seat, letting children, neighbors, and possibly a few delighted voters take aim. The tradition goes back deep into the celebration’s history. The Rosemont Citizens Association’s archive includes an Alexandria Gazette image from July 5, 1985, and lists additional Gazette images from July celebrations in the 1970s and 1980s.

The Zebra’s own 2019 coverage captured the spirit of the dunk tank, noting that residents had the chance to “tell the mayor and members of city council what they think” with baseballs at the dunking booth. That year’s photo package included then-Mayor Justin Wilson, then-Vice Mayor Elizabeth Bennett-Parker, and Councilmember Canek Aguirre in the dunk tank.

This year, one question practically asks itself: Will Mayor Alyia Gaskins be up for the splash?

No pressure, Mayor. But the kids of Rosemont may be warming up their throwing arms.

Where Is Rosemont?

Rosemont sits in northwest Alexandria, close to the Metro and train station and within walking distance of Old Town and Del Ray, according to the Rosemont Citizens Association.

It is one of those Alexandria neighborhoods that feels tucked away but connected to everything. Russell Road, Commonwealth Avenue, King Street, the George Washington Masonic National Memorial, Naomi L. Brooks Elementary School, and Beach Park all help anchor the neighborhood’s identity.

A Streetcar Suburb With Staying Power

Rosemont’s history goes back to 1908. The Rosemont Citizens Association says the area was once known as Spring Park before it was acquired by the Alexandria Realty Company and then the Rosemont Development Company. The association describes Rosemont as a planned “streetcar suburb,” shaped by the Washington, Alexandria and Mount Vernon Electric Railway.

The Virginia Department of Historic Resources describes the Rosemont Historic District as a “lushly planted residential area” of about 84 acres. DHR notes that it was developed between 1908 and 1914 by investors from Washington, Alexandria, and Philadelphia, with houses built near the trolley line so residents could work in Washington, D.C., while living in Alexandria.

DHR also calls Rosemont’s more than 450 residences “a textbook of the era’s middle-class architecture,” with Arts and Crafts, Craftsman, and Colonial Revival styles still visible along its streets.

The Schedule

The celebration begins at 10 a.m. with the Patriotic Bike Decorating Contest and the Pet Costume Contest at Beach Park, just above the school.

Field games begin at 10:30 a.m. The awards ceremony is scheduled for 11:30 a.m., followed by the flag ceremony at noon.

All-day activities include face painting, a bounce house, water slide, food, and the return of the famous Rosemont dunk tank, where local officials have historically been very good sports.

This year’s sponsors include Yates Automotive, Rosemont Landscaping, Chadwicks, Pork Barrel BBQ, Christine Garner Servant Real Estate, Salon Bisoux, Simpson Properties, and Ben Nielsen Automotive.

If You Go

What: Rosemont Fourth of July Celebration
When: Saturday, July 4, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Where: Naomi L. Brooks Elementary School, 600 Russell Road, Alexandria
Also nearby: Beach Park, above the school
Highlights: Bike decorating contest, pet costume contest, field games, awards, flag ceremony, face painting, bounce house, water slide, food, and dunk tank
Cost: Free and family-friendly