October 5-7
Fall Wine Festival & Sunset Tour
6:00 pm-9:00 pm
George Washington’s Mount Vernon
3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway
Celebrate the history of wine in Virginia with exclusive evening tours of the Mansion and cellar, appearances by “George and Martha Washington”, and live blues on the east lawn overlooking the scenic Potomac River. Visitors can bring a blanket and relax on the lawn as they sample wines from 20 Virginia wineries. Historic interpreters will conduct special tours of the Mansion throughout the evening. The interpreters will discuss Washington’s attempts at creating a vineyard and highlight various wine-related items inside the Mansion, including the basement’s brick vaults where Washington stored his wine. Individual tickets are Friday, October 6: $42. Saturday, October 7: $48. Sunday, October 8: $38.Tickets and tables are available at MountVernon.org or the ticket window at Mount Vernon’s Ford Orientation Center.
October 4
Pass the Plate Pot Luck: A Cross-Cultural, Heritage-Inspired Dinner Event
6:00 pm-9:00 pm
Woodlawn & Pope-Leighey House
9000 Richmond Highway
Gather with us in our historic garden for a delightful and delicious dinner where everyone is welcome, featuring culinary foodways historian and cookbook author, Michael Twitty, as well as the artisans of our current art exhibit, Makers in The Mansion! Our main course will be a dish from Michael’s cookbook, and we will also be featuring a local foodie maker’s – drinks from Wild Hare Cider and cocktails made with Element Shrub and delicious bites from Bread & Water Company. Each guest, or group of guests, as part of their participation will be asked to bring a dish which highlights their own family story. Woodlawn will provide exhibit tours and all the other bits that will make the evening very special (you know, beverages, bites and such), as Michael leads us in a spirited conversation about how food can highlight identity and connect us.
October 7
American Pharmacists Month Open House
1:00 pm-4:45 pm
Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum
105-107 S. Fairfax St.
In recognition of October’s designation as National Pharmacy Month, the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum will host a free open house on Sunday, October 7. Visitors may tour the museum on their own and talk with tour guides stationed throughout the museum. Special guests the Schod Family Apothecary will be demonstrating 19th-century apothecary product making. (703) 746-3852 Free!
October 12
Alexandria Fire Department Memorial Service
11:00 am-12:00pm
Ivy Hill Cemetery
2823 King St.
Please join Ivy Hill Cemetery in honoring the men and women of the Alexandria Fire Department who have served our community with Great Dedication. Open to the public. RSVP to 703-549-7413 Free!
October 12
Alexandria After-Work Concert Series
6:00 pm-8:00 pm
Murray-Dick-Fawcett House
517 Prince St.
Co-sponsored by the Office of Historic Alexandria and the Folklore Society of Greater Washington, join us for monthly Friday night concerts on the second Friday of the month. The October concert features The Natterjacks, who blend English, Celtic, maritime, and Middle Eastern traditions. Great music with a suggested donation for the musicians. No ticket required—show up and enjoy the music! Beer and wine for sale; light refreshments available as well.
October 12-14
Portside in Old Town Festival
All day
Foot of King St.
In celebration of Old Town Alexandria’s new waterfront experience with the opening of a greatly expanded new park area at the foot of King Street and launch of the Portside in Old Town waterfront programming series. Festival-goers will enjoy a waterfront beer garden from Port City Brewing Company, a pop-up Pizzeria Paradiso, plus live music and history, art, and fitness activities. The festival lineup includes LED light performance artists presented by The Athenaeum, a pop-up exotic car exhibit to preview next year’s Alexandria Festival of Speed and Style, a free kids’ pizza-making demo by Pizzeria Paradiso, a free kids craft project from AR Workshop, a free outdoor group fitness class from Sand & Steel Fitness, and more. Free!
October 13-14
Tour the Tall Ship Godspeed
Alexandy Marina
0 Cameron St.
Part of the Portside in Old Town Festival, take a free tour of the tall ship Godspeed, a re-creation of one of the three ships that brought America’s first permanent English colonists to Virginia in 1607. The Godspeed is visiting Alexandria from the Jamestown Settlement living-history museum in Virginia’s Jamestown-Williamsburg-Yorktown “Historic Triangle.” Enjoy dockside exhibits highlighting Jamestown’s history and Virginia’s 1619 American Evolution commemoration as well as an exhibit about Alexandria’s history presented by the Office of Historic Alexandria. First-come-first-served and not ticketed. Free!
October 13
Civil War Firefighting Walking Tour
11:00 am
Friendship Firehouse
107 S. Alfred St
When Virginia joined the Confederacy, Union troops occupied Alexandria and most municipal functions were assumed by the U.S. Army. The “We’ve Been Burned: Alexandria Firefighters During the Civil War” walking tour explores firefighting during the occupation. How were volunteer fire companies treated by Federal authorities? Were firefighters allowed out after curfew? What happened to the firehouses? These questions will be answered as participants visit sites of four of the five fire houses. Come mark Fire Prevention Week and learn what happened if there was a fire. For age 10 and older. Reservations required; space is limited. (703) 746-4994 $6 for adults; $4 ages 10-17
October 13
23rd Annual Art Safari
12:00 pm-4:00 pm
Torpedo Factory Art Center
105 N. Union St.
An Alexandria tradition for more than two decades, Art Safari returns for a day of hands-on activities for kids and families. Dozens of artists lead budding arts enthusiasts in hands-on projects throughout the building. In partnership with American Geoscience Institute and American Institute of Architects Northern Virginia. Children should wear clothing that can get a little dirty. Most activities are appropriate for kindergarten age, with parental supervision, through middle school. 703-746-4570 Free!
October 16
“Evolution of America: 1619 to Today” Film Screening
7:00 pm-9:00 pm
The Lyceum, Alexandria’s History Museum
201 S. Washington St.
“Evolution of America: 1619 to Today” is an hour-long documentary on the historical relevance of the four seminal historical events of 1619 and how they influenced the arc of American history to the present day. 2019 will mark the 400th anniversary of the first representative legislative assembly in the New World, the arrival of the first recorded Africans to English North America, the recruitment of English women in significant numbers, the first official English Thanksgiving in North America, and the entrepreneurial and innovative spirit of the Virginia Colony. Supported by approximately 16 minutes of narration, the majority of the show features interviews with Virginia and national leaders, including Senator George Allen, Chief Anne Richardson, and Governor L. Douglas Wilder, discussing how the 1619 events are reflected in contemporary American society. Admission is free, cash bar and refreshments available for purchase.
October 20-21
Fall Harvest Family Days
9:00 am-5:00 pm
George Washington’s Mount Vernon
3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway
Celebrate the autumn season with 18th-century activities for the whole family at Mount Vernon. Take a horse-drawn wagon ride and play colonial games on the bowling green before heading to the Pioneer Farm to observe 18th-century demonstrations and greet General Washington. Find your way through a straw bale maze and listen to the Itinerant Band play colonial tunes. Included with general admission ($20 adults; $12 youth). Sightseeing cruises are offered at half the regular price (while supplies last).
October 20
Seaport Day
12:00 pm-5:00 pm
Waterfront Park
1 Prince St.
Join us for Alexandria Seaport Foundation’s (ASF) annual Seaport Day, celebrating the city’s maritime heritage and ASF’s mission/programs of improving the lives of young people through adult mentoring, project-based learning, and the craft of wooden boat building. Enjoy live music, children’s activities, a wooden boat display, nautical activities, lawn games and local food/beer/wine! Admission Free!
October 24
Civil War Photography
7:30 pm
Athenaeum
201 Prince St.
Sponsored by the Friends of Fort Ward and the Alexandria Historical Society Civil War photography expert Bob Zeller will present “The Grand Review: Discoveries & Explorations in Civil War Photography.” Mr. Zeller’s presentation includes viewing Civil War images in 3-D, the way they were originally taken and meant to be seen.
October 28
Masters of Movie Music
4:00 pm-6:00 pm
George Washington Masonic Memorial Theater
101 Callahan Dr.
Nothing better exemplifies “pops music” than a great movie score, and in the 2018-2019 season opener, SONOVA will perform some of the best film scores of the past 30 years. We will feature 4 masters of modern film music, each of whom has left an indelible mark on the genre. John Williams, Hans Zimmer, Howard Shore, and James Horner. Music and movie lovers of all ages will delight in this exciting concert. $15 for students and seniors, $20 general admission
November 3
Bound to the Fire
11:00 am-12:30 pm
Alexandria Black History Museum
902 Wythe St.
Join Alexandria Archaeology and Alexandria Black History for the second annual Anna Lynch Memorial Lecture Series. Historical archaeologist and historian Kelley Deetz will discuss her new book, “Bound to the Fire: How Virginia’s Enslaved Cooks Helped Invent American Cuisine.” The book combines the archaeology of kitchens and outbuildings with historical records to examine the life of enslaved cooks from the late seventeenth century to the Civil War. $12; $10 for FOAA/ASPBH members
November 4
Flag Placing to Honor Our Veterans
1:00 pm-4:00 pm
Ivy Hill Cemetery
2823 King St.
Come join us in placing flags on our veterans’ graves as a small token of thanks for their service to our country! BBQ Lunch Provided. Open to the public. Free!
November 3-4
Nov. 3, 8:00 pm: The Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center
4915 E. Campus Drive
Nov. 4, 3:00 pm George Washington Masonic Memorial
101 Callahan Drive
The Alexandria Symphony Orchestra, led by Music Director James Ross, celebrates the past and present of American music. In recognition of Leonard Bernstein’s 100th birthday celebration, the orchestra will perform two pieces from his acclaimed musicals, including the Overture to West Side Story and “Three Dances Episodes” from On the Town. The concert also features the world premiere of Jessica Krash’s cello concerto with cellist Tanya Anisimova. Closing the program will be Felix Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 3 “Scottish,” loosely based on the composer’s travels in Scotland with his longtime friend Karl Klingemann. www.alexsym.org or 703-548-0885 $20-$80 adult, $5 youth, $10 student
Halloween Events:
October 26-28
Ghosts & Grief
7:30 pm, 8:30 pm, 9:30 pm Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden
614 Oronoco St.
Celebrate Halloween with a look at Victorian mourning traditions coupled with stories of deaths and mysterious encounters at the Lee-Fendall House. Learn more about the rituals and customs behind our modern day funeral practices. Customs such as draping the mirrors after a death, funeral practices, hair jewelry, mourning clothing, and séances will be explored. $10 Free to members
October 26
Ghostly Tales
7:00 pm-10:00 pm
Carlyle House
121 N. Fairfax St
Join storytellers from Alexandria’s Footsteps to the Past on the front lawn of Carlyle House for ghostly tales of Alexandria’s past. $5
October 27
5th Annual Halloween Pumpkin Hunt
10:30 am, 12:30 pm, 2:30 pm
Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden
614 Oronoco St
Alexandria’s ghosts and goblins will fill our garden with hundreds of colorful toy-filled pumpkins for local children to discover. Other activities include crafts to take home, a sticker station, temporary tattoos, spooky stories, a costume parade with prizes as well as drinks and refreshments. Every participating child receives a pumpkin—one pumpkin in each of our pumpkin hunt sessions will have a certificate for a special prize hidden inside. Costumes encouraged! $5 adults; $15 ages 1-10; infants free
October 27
Poe Readings in the Vault
7:00 pm-9:00 pm
Ivy Hill Cemetery
2823 King St.
The Guillotine Theater presents “Poe in the Vault” at Ivy Hill Cemetery! This is a sell-out event in a most suitable environment. Space is limited. $20 RSVP to: [email protected], 703-549-7413, PayPal.me/IHCHPS
October 27
Trick-Or-Treating at Mount Vernon
3:30 pm-6:30 pm
George Washington’s Mount Vernon
3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway
Trick-or-treat at Mount Vernon! Participate in a special scavenger hunt, take a wagon ride on the 12-acre field, and create a boo-tiful Halloween craft in this unforgettable evening. Watch wool carding and spinning, historic chocolate-making, and fishnet making demonstrations in the historic area. In order to burn off all the extra excitement, try 18th-century dancing in the upper garden before greeting Martha Washington. A children’s costume parade around the Mansion will begin at 5 pm and prizes will be awarded for the best George and Martha costumes! Trick-or-Treating at Mount Vernon takes place rain or shine. $14 Adult; $8 Youth (11 and under)
October 30
VolAlex Costume Party
6:00 pm
Ivy Hill Cemetery
2823 King St.
Historical tour included. Prizes for best costume. Space is limited. $20 RSVP [email protected], 703-549-7413, PayPal.me/IHCHPS
