OTNA/Royal Team Croatia Watch Party, Mayor Gaskins Confirmed for Chalk-A-Block, and More
Today, June 19th, is Juneteeth - a celebration of the end of slavery in the United States. The City of Alexandria has a full calendar of events planned to commemorate Juneteenth including a free concert from the Washington Revels Jubilee Voices at Shiloh Baptist Church (1401 Jamieson Ave.) from 1pm-3pm and a festival at Charles Houston Rec Center (901 Wythe St.) from 3pm-8pm. For more information about Juneteenth events in Alexandria, click here.
Team Croatia Watch Party at Royal Restaurant -
Tuesday, June 23rd at 7pm
Please plan to join us on the patio at Royal Restaurant (730 N. Saint Asaph St.) on Tuesday, June 23rd at 7pm for a Team Croatia Watch Party as they take on Panama in their second World Cup match. This will be a great opportunity to gather together and show support for our current Old Town North "neighbors" and to meet our newest OTNA Board Member Mackenzie Hampson in person.
Royal is generously extending happy hour specials to all guests dining on the patio to watch the game so that mean select draft beers for $5, select glasses of wine for $7, select cocktails for $8, and special deals on Royal favorites like the Royal Smashburger ($10), Street Corn Deviled Eggs ($4), and the Roasted Carrot and Macadamia Dip ($7).
Fox 5 will be featuring the Watch Party on one of their news segments, so let’s fill the Royal patio and demonstrate how the Old Town North community shows up! All are welcome.
Wear your red and white to support Team Croatia - spread the word!
To reserve a table on the patio at Royal, visit:
https://royalrestaurantva.com/
Chalk-A-Block Updates:
Mayor Gaskins Confirmed as Judge;
Location Set for New TideLock Project
We are excited to share that Mayor Alyia Gaskins will serve as a Judge at the 3rd Annual Chalk-A-Block. OTNA is assembling a panel of judges to select a “Best in Show” recipient from among the chalk artists and the community will vote on a “People’s Choice” recipient.
Given the construction surrounding many of the locations previously used for Chalk-A-Block, this year’s Chalk-A-Block will take place at the newly completed TideLock project on N. Fairfax Street (1111 N. Fairfax St.; 1055 N. Fairfax St.). Chalk-A-Block will feature chalk artists, live music, local makers/artists, and fun for all ages!
Artist/Designer Opportunity - Design of Light Pole Banners for the Old Town North Arts & Cultural District
OTNA is in the process of gathering submissions from artists/graphic designers to create an artist-driven banner design concept for Old Town North Arts & Cultural district light pole banners. This initiative will be funded through a combination of community sponsorships, a grant from the City of Alexandria through the Business and the Arts Collaborative Invitational Grant Program, and financial support from OTNA.
If you are interested in learning more about this opportunity, please contact director@otnalliance.org for more information.
Phase I of PRGS Project Unanimously Approved by City Council
Phase I of HRP Group’s PRGS Project was unanimously approved by City Council on Saturday, June 13th along with the $135 million tax increment financing proposal.
For more information about the approval, visit:
Hotel AKA Alexandria rebrands as The Satire, A Marriott Autograph Collection Hotel
As of June 17th, Hotel AKA Alexandria (625 First St.) has rebranded as The Satire, part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection. Managing Director Stephane Vogel says The Satire will deliver the same incredible quality and service that Hotel AKA Alexandria was known for, and will continue to host a robust program of events including Silent Reading Parties with Old Town Books and fitness classes on the hotel’s beautiful terrace. The hotel restaurant/bar (formerly a.lounge+bar) has been renamed The Wise Fool and the hotel café (formerly a.café) has been renamed Bad Poet Café.
You can find The Satire on instagram at @thesatirealexandria and online at https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/waska-the-satire-autograph-collection/overview/
Coming up this weekend in and around Old Town North
Now or Never in Waterfront Park - the installation was positioned twenty-two degrees north of true east so the sun would rise directly between the two signs on the summer solstice on June 21, 2026 (image courtesy of OTNA)
FREE Antipasto Platter at Hank’s Pasta Bar (Sunday - Tuesday after 4pm). Dine in at Hank’s Pasta Bar (600 Montgomery St.), order any pasta, and get a free antipasto platter. One platter per table.
Saturday, June 20th
America 250 Bike Ride on the Mount Vernon Trail, 8:45am - 11:45am. Join Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail for this ride in celebration of America 250 led by a George Washington Memorial Parkway National Park Service Park Ranger.
For more information, click here.
Old Town North Pride Party (529/533 Montgomery St.), 6pm -10pm. Join Salon deZEN, St. Elmo’s Old Town North, and CatRad Creative for a Pride Dance Party at St. Elmo’s and a ZEN Lounge at St. Elmo’s with free glitter roots, temporary tattoos, and coloring with Queer Crayon Club.
For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.
Fireflies and Bats Walk (Daingerfield Island), 8:30pm - 9:30pm. Join Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail to learn about why bats are an important part of the ecosystem and take a short walk on the trail for bat and firefly watching.
To get your tickets, click here.
Sunday, June 21st
Summer Solstice Sunrise at Now or Never (Waterfront Park), 5:30am. Join the Office of the Arts and artist Alicia Eggert to watch the sun rise directly between the two signs in the Now or Never installation. Margaret Townsend of River’s Edge Yoga will lead a sunrise yoga session in Waterfront Park as the solstice begins.
Summer Solstice Celebration (Montgomery Park gazebo), 10am -11:30am. Join River’s Edge Yoga and Old Town North Community Partnership for a poetry reading, Vinyasa yoga, and a sound bath.
Candle-Making Workshop (415 King St.), 1pm. Visit Made in ALX for this hands-on candle-making workshop led by Heather Jenkins of Calm Connect Well.
To reserve your spot, click here.