Seasonal & Holidays

Alexandria 275th Anniversary Events To Kick Off In April

As Alexandria celebrates its 275th anniversary, a kickoff and other events are planned in the coming months.

Get ready to celebrate Alexandria's 275th anniversary with events starting in April. Pictured is the Senator John Warner Maritime Heritage Center, home of Tall Ship Providence.
Get ready to celebrate Alexandria's 275th anniversary with events starting in April. Pictured is the Senator John Warner Maritime Heritage Center, home of Tall Ship Providence. (Emily Leayman/Patch)

ALEXANDRIA, VA — As Alexandria turns 275, events around the city will celebrate this milestone starting in April.

Alexandria itself is older than the United States, which will celebrate its 248th anniversary in 2024. The city was founded in 1749 by Scottish merchants and named for John Alexander. It also has historical ties to George Washington, who kept a home in Old Town along with his Mount Vernon estate, and was home to one of the country's largest slave trading operations before the Civil War. Today, the city has become a popular visitor destination, place to live and location of new development such as the Landmark Mall redevelopment and Virginia Tech Innovation Campus.

The city will celebrate its founding milestone with events from April to September, starting with the City of Alexandria 275th Anniversary Kickoff Event. The kickoff event will be held from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 6 at various locations along the waterfront. At Waterfront Park, the town crier will open the event, Mayor Justin Wilson will present a proclamation, and the City of Alexandria Pipes and Drums will perform. Visitors can see the new public art installation, “Interstellar Influencer (Make an Impact)” by Jason Klimoski and Lesley Chang, see historical exhibits, and hear music from the Community Little Big Band.

Find out what's happening in Old Town Alexandriawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony for the "Buried Ships of Robinson Landing" exhibit at Robinson Landing (corner of the Strand and Pioneer Mill Way) from 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. The exhibit features scale models of three historic vessels discovered at Robinson Landing.

At Windmill Hill Park, the mayor and City Council will dedicate the first of 275 new trees to be planted around the city from 1:45 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Find out what's happening in Old Town Alexandriawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

At the Senator John Warner Maritime Heritage Center near Waterfront Park, visitors can have a complimentary visit to the Tall Ship "Providence" from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and get 15 percent off two-hour sails at 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. with code OPENING15.

More events will be announced in the coming months. Stay up to date with the 275th celebration at www.alexandriava.gov/ALX275.


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