16 Jan 2026
GREETINGS FROM ALEXANDRIA, VA!
Voted a Travel + Leisure Top 5 Best City in the U.S. 2025, a Condé Nast Traveler Top 3 Best Small City in the U.S. 2025 and earning six consecutive perfect scores for LGBTQ+ equality by the Human Rights Campaign Municipality Index, Alexandria is a welcoming, walkable escape on the Potomac River, just minutes from Washington, D.C. Alexandria blends nearly 277 years of history with a modern, creative and independent spirit.
Founded in 1749 and boasting the nation's third oldest historic district, Alexandria hums with a cosmopolitan feel. Stroll Old Town Alexandria's King Street mile to find more than 200 independent restaurants and boutiques plus intimate historic museums and new happenings at the waterfront.Explore vibrant neighborhoods beyond Old Town, while new waterfront experiences and a year-round calendar of events invite visitors to explore, linger and return often.
ALEXANDRIA AT A GLANCE
- King Street mile: 200+ independent shops and restaurants
- Potomac River Waterfront: miles of trails, dining, art and more
- Neighborhoods: Six dynamic, vibrant neighborhoods
- Car: ~4 hour drive time from New York City to Alexandria, VA
- Train: Amtrak Station in Old Town Alexandria
ALEXANDRIA STORY IDEAS: WINTER 2026
Cozy Winter Romantic Getaway with Shops, Sips and Eats at Fresh Hot Spots
Trends: Small-City Romance, Retail Therapy
Kick Off America's 250th Commemorations in a City Older than the U.S.
Trends: Hidden History, Immersive Storytelling, Cultural Immersion
Celebrate Trailblazers and History-Makers During Black History Month and Women's History Month
Trends: Representation Travel, “History Forward,” Social-Impact Travel
Explore Alexandria's Critically Acclaimed Dining Scene and Global Cuisine
Trends: Neighborhood Dining, Culinary Experiences, Chef-Driven Menus
Start the New Year Off with a Rejuvenating “Glow-cation” in Alexandria
Trends: Slow Travel, Wellness Tourism, Glow-cation
Enjoy Winter Retreats and Affordable Hotel Rates for Leisure and Corporate Getaways
Trends: Small-Group Retreats, Hybrid Travel, Meetings-as-Mini-Getaways
For more PR story ideas, visit VisitAlexandria.com/Press
WHAT'S NEW IN 2026
Commemorating America's 250th Anniversary
In 2026, Alexandria will play a key role in commemorating America's 250th birthday, with experiences now through summer 2026.
- On Saturday, February 14, 2026, Alexandria will play host to the George Washington Birthday Parade, the oldest and largest George Washington Birthday Parade in the country. This year's theme will be "Virginia's Son ~ America's Founding Father.”
- From June 12-14, 2026, Alexandria will host iconic tall ships during Sails on the Potomac as a Sail Virginia℠ 2026 Affiliate Harbor. Extend your stay and easily connect to the experiences in Washington, D.C. and George Washington's Mount Vernon.
- The Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum will host a new exhibit featuring items rarely shown in the collection. Additionally, from May through November 2026, the city's Time & Place temporary art installation will commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
- This spring, George Washington's Mount Vernon will unveil a revitalized exhibit titled “George Washington: A Revolutionary Life” that will focus on why Washington matters today and how the decisions he made in his lifetime continue to impact us in the 21st century.
- Pick up your Virginia 250 Passport at the Alexandria Visitor Center. This sitewide program will offer prizes and discounts to historic sites and museums, encouraging individuals and families to explore and experience history together.
Black changemakers have shaped the history of Alexandria and the United States for many years and are a key part of America's 250-year story. The city's countless African American changemakers include the self-taught mathematician who mapped out the nation's capital, abolitionist sisters who partnered with Frederick Douglass, the enduring legacy of the 1971 “Remember the Titans” football team and the first Black NBA player. Alexandria offers tours, markers and more to lead you through sites and stories both harrowing and hopeful.
Unlock more America 250 experiences and offerings at VisitAlexandria.com/250
New Waterfront Happenings
- From March to November 2026, Alexandria's waterfront will host a new temporary public art installation by Alicia Eggert titled “Now or Never.” The sculpture includes two 17.5-foot-tall, 40-foot-long billboards with opposing messages: “Now” and “Never.” Positioned to create a spatial tension and symbolize polarization in society, one boasts white text with a black background and the other, black text and a white background. The installation will also include a ground mural in middle gray and radiating lines, resembling an hourglass to represent the element of time.
STORIES COME ALIVE
Alexandria is a city where centuries of stories come alive. Shaped by the legacies of the Founding Fathers and the Black Americans who built the nation, it also thrives as a hub for today's immigrant entrepreneurs and creative voices. In 2026, Visit Alexandria will be unlocking new and creative stories that make the city unique, from a restaurant in a restored firehouse to immigrant-led kitchens serving global flavors to inclusive experiences for all visitors to enjoy.
Visit Alexandria
Andrew Postal
Director of Communications
(805) 390-3684
VisitAlexandria.com/Press
