A grand opening for the U.S. debut of South Korean café Twosome Place is set for this weekend in Old Town.
The grand opening will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17 at 404 King Street. Guests will enjoy free coffee and cake samples from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., a gashapon capsule giveaway with prizes and surprises from 10 a.m. to noon, and more. The first 100 guests in line will receive a free tote bag.
Port City Brewing Co. has done it again.
Fresh off their bronze medal-winning performance at the 2026 Virginia Craft Brewers Cup in August, the Alexandria-based brewery at 3950 Wheeler Avenue won gold for their Oktoberfest Vienna Lager at the 2026 Great American Beer Festival. The festival was held Oct. 10-11 and featured distinct beers from 1,300 breweries from across the country. Port City won gold in the Vienna-Style Lager category over silver medalist DC Brau Brewing Co and bronze medalist Almanac Beer Co.
Dozens of people participated in a candlelight vigil and guided meditation for victims of sexual assault in Del Ray on Tuesday night (Oct. 13).
The event was led by clinical psychologists Lauren Fisher, Eleni Boosalis and Talia Abreu in the parking lot of Del Ray Psych and Wellness (1900 Mount Vernon Avenue). As national outrage grows over allegations of a 2024 gang rape at Cornell University, participants at the vigil said they hope the country is reaching an inflection point on the issue.
After hosting its World Cup soccer team this summer, Alexandria is on the way to forming a formal bond with a Croatian city.
Without discussion, City Council on Tuesday (Oct. 13) approved the resolution to form a friendship city agreement with Osijek, Croatia. The agreement is for a one-year trial, and a task force will be formed to report on progress to City Council throughout the year.
Shifting Waters Leadership Institute (SWLI) is bringing a new kind of leadership experience to Old Town Alexandria and DMV area this fall. On November 19 and 20, 2026, the organization will host its inaugural November Leadership Incubator Weekend at COWO & Crèche, a two-day, application-based program built for leaders who are ready to do more than perform their roles well. They are ready to be formed.
The incubator is led by Grace Adofoli, Founder and CEO of SWLI, a leadership development practitioner, executive coach, and 2026 Alexandria Chamber of Commerce 40 Under 40 honoree who has worked across leaders in more than thirty countries over the past decade. Her background spans global public health, disaster relief, and community development, including field work in the Philippines, Ethiopia, and Cambodia, alongside service with AmeriCorps and in underserved communities across the United States. She holds an ACC credential through the International Coaching Federation and degrees in public health and social work from the University of Michigan.
A new sticker crawl will join the spooky season festivities this month in Old Town and throughout the city.
Old Town retailer Penny Post is hosting the first-ever Sticker Treat, a Halloween sticker crawl, from Friday, Oct. 16 to Sunday, Oct. 18. Ticketed participants at Penny Post (1201 King Street) will receive a reusable sticker book and treat map designed by local design studio No Plan. Using the map, they can locate where to find stickers and show the sticker book at each participating business to gain a sticker.
On This Day in Alexandria History — “On, October 14, 1918, a contract was awarded by the United States government for construction of the U.S. Naval Torpedo Station on the Alexandria waterfront. Ironically, work on the building began on November 12, 1918, the day after Armistice Day, which marked the official end of World War I. The first torpedo was produced there in November 1920. Once fully operational, the Torpedo Station was responsible for the manufacture and maintenance of torpedoes for the next five years … In 1974 the building was converted into the Torpedo Factory Arts Center, one of the nation’s first adaptive reuse projects for a historic building.” [Historic Alexandria]
Whistleblower in Pet Death Case Unveils New Allegations — “Jackie Long, 61, worked for more than 14 years for Your Dog’s Best Friends, a popular dog grooming and boarding facility in Alexandria’s Del Ray neighborhood. She told 7News that the July 2024 death of Abigail, a young golden retriever, could have been avoided had managers heeded her earlier warnings about animal abuse at the facility … She added that she complained to both managers and business owner Paul Haire about ‘four or five’ other employees of Your Dog’s Best Friends engaging in what she considered to be abusive behavior toward dogs.” [WJLA]
The incoming superintendent of Alexandria City Public Schools has his work cut out for him.
Before starting work with ACPS on Feb. 1, 2027, Jharrett Bryantt will wrap up more than four years as superintendent for the Anchorage School District in Alaska by preparing a budget for his successor. In Alexandria, Bryantt will have had less than three weeks on the job before the Alexandria City School Board votes on the ACPS fiscal year 2028 combined funds budget, which will have been drawn up by Interim Superintendent Grace Taylor and ACPS staff.
After Alexandria’s mayor and City Council spoke out against an electric substation for a data center development near the city, some elected officials joined a march against data centers.
On Saturday (Oct. 10), residents and community groups marched from Aslin Beer Company in Alexandria’s West End to the nearby Plaza 500 site in Lincolnia where a data center campus is planned.
After nearly five years in executive leadership with Alexandria Restaurant Partners, Nazia Millwala has been named the company’s president.
Millwala’s ascension is part of a “planned evolution” for the company as ARP partners Dave Nicholas, David Clapp and Scott Shaw are moving away from day-to-day operations, the company announced. In Alexandria, ARP owns Vola’s Dockside Grill and Hi-Tide Lounge, Joe Theismann’s Restaurant, Ada’s on the River, Barca Pier and Wine Bar, Mia’s Italian Kitchen and Royal Restaurant. The company also owns Palette 22 in Arlington and a Mia’s Italian Kitchen and Café Tu Tu Tango in Orlando, Fla.
