Opening Celebration of “Now or Never,” Mount Vernon Trail Detour, and March Events Round Up
Opening Celebration of “Now or Never”
Saturday, March 21st in Waterfront Park
Rendering of “Now or Never” (image courtesy of the Office of the Arts)
The Office of the Arts is hosting an opening celebration for the eighth installment in the Site See series, “Now or Never,” on Saturday, March 21st from 1pm - 4pm in Waterfront Park. The temporary installation, by artist Alicia Eggert, “embodies the urgency of the ‘now or never’ moment in both political and personal terms, and offers viewers an opportunity to immerse themselves in the possibilities inherent in these words.” Eggert will deliver remarks about her work at 1:30pm.
“Now or Never” will be installed in Waterfront Park from March 21st through November 15th and will be featured in the 2026 edition of the Old Town North Alliance Art and Culture Walk brochure (to be released later this spring).
For more information about the installation, visit:
https://siteseealx.com/installations
Mount Vernon Trail Detour Beginning Friday, March 6th
Image courtesy of the City of Alexandria
Starting on Friday, March 6th, a section of the Mount Vernon Trail in Old Town North will be closed for shoreline embankment repair work. This work will continue for 5-6 weeks, during which time the section of trail identified above will be closed and trail users will be re-routed onto the Alternate Mount Vernon Trail on E. Abingdon Drive. Due to the increase of pedestrian and cyclist traffic on E. Abingdon, the easternmost lane will be reserved for two-way cycle traffic between Slaters Lane and the railroad tracks.
For more information, visit:
https://www.alexandriava.gov/news-tes/2026-03-03/temporary-trail-closure-on-the-mt-vernon-trail-and-lane-closure-on-east
Annual Dues Reminder
A friendly reminder that annual dues invoices went out last month. Your support is essential to our efforts and we greatly appreciate your prompt payment of your dues. Please do not hesitate to contact director@otnalliance.org with any questions or if you would like to become a Member.
Sale of OTN Merchandise at Made in ALX
Would you like to show your support of Old Town North and support the Old Town North Alliance in the process? Stop by Made in ALX (415 King St.) or visit their website to get your Old Town North car magnet or sticker today!
Proceeds support the Old Town North Alliance.
March Events Round Up
Month-Long Features
In honor of Women’s History Month, Hank’s Oyster Bar will be offering a special three-dish collaboration between Owner and Chef Jamie Leeds, Executive Chef Shannan Troncoso (HOB Wharf) and Chef/Owner Patrice Cleary (Purple Patch/Joia Burger). A portion of the proceeds will go to N Street Village, a nonprofit organization supporting women experiencing homelessness.
To make a reservation at Hank’s, visit:
https://hanksoysterbar.com/old-town/reservations/
Image courtesy of The Art League
Registration is open now for spring classes at The Art League in their Torpedo Factory, Muse, and Slaters Annex locations. Choose from a wide array of options ranging from watercolor to stained glass & mosaics to sculpture to jewelry & more.
To browse the course offerings, visit:
https://www.theartleague.org/classes/
Saturday, March 7th, 11am-12pm
Lee-Fendall House presents: The Women of Lee-Fendall House
Image courtesy of Lee-Fendall House
614 Oronoco St.
Learn about the lives of the women who lived in Lee-Fendall House when it was a private home and during its early years as a museum.
To purchase tickets, visit:
Sunday, March 8th, 3pm-5pm
Hank’s Oyster Bar presents: Paint Your Glass!
818 N. Saint Asaph St.
In honor of International Women’s Day, Hank’s Oyster Bar hosts a guided painting class with Patty Bragg. Your ticket includes all materials for painting two glasses plus a welcome drink and appetizers.
To reserve your spot, visit:
Thursday, March 12th, 5pm-7pm
St. Elmo’s Old Town North presents: “Women in Beer”- Free Tasting
529 Montgomery St.
Join St. Elmo’s for a special Women’s History Month beer tasting featuring Julie Verratti, founder of Denizens Brewing Co.
Thursday, March 19th, 5pm-7pm
NOTICe Spring Social at St. Elmo’s Old Town North
529 Montgomery St.
Socialize with your Old Town North friends and neighbors at St. Elmo’s for the NOTICe (North Old Town Independent Citizen Association) Spring Social.
For more information, visit:
https://www.notice-alexandria.org/events
Saturday, March 21st, 2pm-3pm
Lee-Fendall House presents: Fashion and Women’s Liberation - the Role of Clothing in the Fight for Suffrage
Image courtesy of Lee-Fendall House
614 Oronoco St.
Emma Rowland presents a unique lecture exploring the role of fashion in the women’s suffrage movement.
To purchase tickets, visit:
Sunday, March 22nd
Opening of the Terrace at Jula’s on the Potomac
Image courtesy of Jula’s on the Potomac
44 Canal Center Plaza, Suite 401
What better place to celebrate the official start of spring than the captivating waterfront terrace at Jula’s? Reservations are now open for Jula’s Terrace, which officially opens on March 22nd with pop-up days in the meantime depending on the weather.
To make a reservation at Jula’s, visit:
Thursday, March 26th, 6:30pm
St. Elmo’s Old Town North & CatRad Creative present: Bingo!
529 Montgomery St.
Stop by St. Elmo’s on Thursday, March 26th for Bingo Night and enjoy dancing, prizes, and bingo! Tickets are free, but register now to reserve your spot.
To reserve your spot, visit:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/catrad-bingo-st-elmos-otn-tickets-1984322916259?aff=erelexpmlt
Friday March 27th, 7:30pm
Alexandria Symphony Orchestra presents:
The Four Seasons and Brandenburg No. 2
Image courtesy of the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra
St. Paul's Episcopal Church (228 S. Pitt St.)
Enjoy Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, Summer and Winter from Vivaldi’s original Four Seasons, and Spring and Autumn from Max Richter’s re-imagining of Vivaldi - Four Seasons Recomposed. This is the last opportunity to see James Ross conduct the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra before his finale performances on April 25th and April 26th.
To purchase tickets, visit:
https://alexsym.org/performance/fourseasonsandbrandenburg2/
Saturday, March 28th, 9am-12pm
Hotel AKA and Lalita Method present: Aura Photography by Soulshine Aura Photography
625 First St.
Hotel AKA and Lalita Method host Soulshine Aura Photography for 15-minute aura photography sessions. Aura photography “captures your unique energy and translates it into a custom color layered over your portrait” and the session includes a personalized color guide and aura reading.
For more information and to reserve your spot, visit:
https://soulshineaura.as.me/schedule/b84713c0/appointment/89054668/calendar/8347116
Saturday, March 28th, 12pm-4pm
Lee-Fendall House presents: Easter Egg Hunts
614 Oronoco St.
Register now to reserve your spot for an Easter Egg Hunt on the grounds of Lee-Fendall House. There will be four times to choose from: 12pm, 1pm, 2pm, and 3pm. More egg hunts will be held on Saturday, April 4th (see below).
To purchase tickets for March 28th, visit:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/easter-egg-hunt-1-tickets-1980136455442?_eboga=undefined&keep_tld=true
To purchase tickets for April 4th, visit:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/easter-egg-hunt-2-tickets-1982628558389?_eboga=undefined&keep_tld=true
Saturday, March 28th, 1pm-3pm
Made in ALX presents: Learn the Art of Pysanky
415 King St.
Learn how to make Ukrainian eggs (Pysanky) in this 2 hour, beginner-to-intermediate workshop taught by Stephanie Malm, aka Pysanky Steph. This vibrant folk art is created by repeated steps of using beeswax to draw a design on the eggs and then submerging the egg in dye.
To reserve your spot, visit:
Check out all of Made in ALX’s great spring offerings including a coffee class with Mudhouse Coffee Roasters on March 14th:
https://www.madeinalx.com/shop/classes-events/68
Sunday, March 29th, 9am-1pm
“Fill the Truck” at the Old Town North Farmers Market
Montgomery Park (901 N. Royal St.)
“Fill the Truck” on Sunday, March 1st was a huge success - thank you for all of your generous donations! Please help “Fill the Truck” again on Sunday, March 22nd from 9am to 1pm at the Old Town North Farmers Market in Montgomery Park (901 N. Royal St.) Your non-perishable food contributions will be delivered to ALIVE!, an Alexandria organization that serves 20,000 individuals/month providing a wide range of services from food to transitional shelter to eviction prevention. Thank you for your generosity!
Monday, March 30th, 7pm
MetroStage at the Lyceum presents:
Still Unforgettable: A Birthday Salute to Nat King Cole
Greg Watkins (image courtesy of MetroStage)The Lyceum (201 S. Washington St.)
Greg Watkins and special musical guest Ayana Reed will perform a full array of Nat King Cole’s beloved works including Smile, Route 66, Mona Lisa, Orange Colored Sky, L.O.V.E., and many more. Join them for an unforgettable evening celebrating an “icon who helped change the world through the power of his music and his advocacy.”
To purchase tickets, visit:
Neighborhood Notes
Cameron Taylor and Judd Isbell of Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail (image courtesy of Friends of Mount Vernon Trail)
Congratulations to Friends of Mount Vernon Trail for being recognized with the Trail of the Year Award from the Public Land Alliance. Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail was recognized for its partnership with the George Washington Memorial Parkway to improve the trail surface and renovate rest areas. In 2024-2025, the partnership was responsible for removal of over 1,000 trail bumps, patching 161 potholes, replacement of 5 outdated bike racks, installation of bike racks at 3 new locations, cleaning and leveling of pavers at 3 rest areas, and installation of 6 new freeze resistant water fountains with bottle fillers. Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail was able to accomplish all of this with the help of 3,700 volunteers contributing 8,523 hours of their time.
To support the important work of the Friends of Mount Vernon Trail with a donation, visit:
https://mountvernontrail.org/donate/
Royal Restaurant welcomes spring with a new seasonal prix-fixe menu. Enjoy a starter, main, and dessert for $40/person.
To make a reservation at Royal, visit:
https://royalrestaurantva.com/
Did you know that Hotel AKA offers a Residents Preferred Rate? Treat yourself to a staycation and get 15% off.
For more information, visit:
https://www.stayaka.com/exclusive-offers/alexandria#offer-stay-local-and-save-alx
Need your Girl Scout Cookie fix? Made in ALX (415 King St.) will be hosting Girl Scout Cookie Booths Saturdays and Sundays through March 15th.
For more information, visit:
OTNA Business Members, be sure to take advantage of the free resources provided by the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership.
For more information about upcoming workshop and training opportunities offered by AEDP, visit:
https://alexandriaecon.org/small-business/small-business-programs/
Music Mondays at Royal Restaurant (730 N. Saint Asaph St.), 5pm - 8pm. Enjoy live music from classical guitarist Alex Barnett.
Farmers Market on Sundays (9am - 1pm). Presented by Old Town North Community Partnership in Montgomery Park. The Thursday Market is closed for the season.
Made in ALX classes. To register, visit: https://www.madeinalx.com/shop/classes-events/68
Lee-Fendall House (614 Oronoco St.). Various history-themed events including Women’s History events on March 7th and March 21st and Easter Egg Hunts on March 28th and April 4th. For more information, visit: https://leefendallhouse.org/pages/events