June 16 & 17, 2023

Portside in Old Town Summer Festival

A Free Festival of Live Music & More

Fri., June 16, 2023
Sat., June 17, 2023
Free Admission
Waterfront Park, 1A Prince St., Alexandria, VA 22314

We are looking forward to the 2023 Portside in Old Town Summer Festival. This free festival features an array of live music, local craft beer and fun for the whole family on the Alexandria waterfront. Stay tuned for more details and see below for details from the 2022 Portside in Old Town Summer Festival.

The Portside in Old Town Summer Festival is produced by Visit Alexandria in partnership with the City of Alexandria’s Office of the Arts, a division of the Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities.

2022 Portside in Old Town Summer Festival

See below for details from the 2022 Portside in Old Town Summer Festival.

June 17 & 18, 2022

2022 Portside in Old Town Summer Festival

A Free Festival of Live Music & More

Fri., June 17, 2022 – 6 to 9 p.m.
Sat., June 18, 2022 – 1 to 9 p.m.
Free Admission
Waterfront Park, 1A Prince St., Alexandria, VA 22314

Kick off summer with the return of the 2022 Portside in Old Town Summer Festival. This free festival features an array of live music, local craft beer from Port City Brewing Company and fun for the whole family on the Alexandria waterfront. New this year, the event merges with the 44th Annual Alexandria Jazz Fest on Friday evening to showcase jazz performances and readings by Alexandria poets. Saturday the festival continues with an eclectic musical lineup, local food, hands-on art and history activities and more.

. . .

Fri., June 17, 2022, 6 to 9 p.m.

Ease into the weekend with the 44th Annual Alexandria Jazz Fest, presented by the City of Alexandria’s Office of the Arts featuring three distinct jazz groups, plus live poetry from local Alexandria poets between sets. This collaboration with the 2022 Portside Festival is a continuation of the Alexandria Jazz Fest, previously held on Memorial Day weekend.

Cubano Groove

Veronneau

Eric Byrd Trio

Zeina Azzam

KaNikki Jakarta

From Our Partners

Previous Friday Performances

6:00 – 6:15 p.m. Opening Remarks

6:15 – 7:00 p.m. Cubano Groove

7:15 – 8:00 p.m. VERONNEAU

8:15 – 9:00 p.m. Eric Byrd Trio

Interludes of poetry between sets by:

KaNikki Jakarta, City of Alexandria Poet Laureate, 2019 to 2022
Zeina Azzam, City of Alexandria Poet Laureate, 2022
Special closing guest set by an up-and-coming Alexandria youth poet

Food & Drink

Enjoy local beer from Port City Brewing Company along with a selection of food and drinks from Alexandria-based small businesses Borinquen Lunch Box, Dolci Gelati and The Italian Place. Food and beverage sales will commence at 5:30 p.m.

. . .

Sat., June 18, 2022, 1 to 9 p.m.

Saturday the festival continues with an eclectic musical lineup, Port City beer, local food, hands-on art and history activities and more, organized by Visit Alexandria. Food and beverage sales will commence at 12:30 p.m.

Eli Lev

La Unica

ilyAIMY

Rob Curto’s Forró for All

Ras Band

Pablo Antonio y La Firma

Previous Saturday Performances

1:00 p.m. Opening Remarks

1:15 – 2:00 p.m. Eli Lev, folk rock

2:30 – 3:15 p.m. La Unica, Irish Latin rock

3:45 – 4:30 p.m. ilyAIMY, folk rock

5:00 – 5:45 p.m. Rob Curto’s Forró for All, Brazilian forró

6:15 – 7:15 p.m. Ras Band, Ethiopian reggae, jazz and funk

7:45 – 9:00 p.m. Pablo Antonio y La Firma, salsa, merengue and bachata

Special appreciation to Alexandria-based musicians and founders of the Yellow Door Concert Series, Vaughn and Robyn Ambrose, who served as guest musical curators and emcees for the Saturday portion of the festival.

Saturday Activities, 1 to 5 p.m.

Activities and times are subject to change.

Enjoy activities from the following organizations on Saturday afternoon of the festival:

Portside History presented by the Office of Historic Alexandria
Archaeologists will reveal new information about four recently excavated historic ships while presenting a display of artifacts and STEM-based activities for all ages. Learn how wooden ships were reused in the 18^th and 19^th centuries as landfill with Shoreline Engineering, discover the physics behind moving large ship timbers with Mini Forklift Hydraulics, and see artifacts from the Hotel Indigo Site on display.

Torpedo Factory Art Center
Get artsy with a resident artist of the Torpedo Factory Art Center. Then, head over to the marina to see art in action during the Workshop on the Waterfront from 1 to 3 p.m.

UpCycle Creative Reuse Center
Create art out of repurposed items with Alexandria’s UpCycle, an organization that serves as a community resource for materials, inspiration and ideas.

“I Love You” Public Art Installation
Stop by the whimsical pink-hued art installation by R&R STUDIOS as part of the City of Alexandria’s Site See public art temporary installation program. On Saturday, enjoy a printmaking activity by Patrick Sargent and pick up some other swag from the Office of the Arts.

Intertribal Creatives
Shop for art and other Native made goods at this pop-up version of their Old Town gallery. Intertribal Creatives celebrates the art, culture, business and community work of Indigenous people while serving as a resource to connect Natives throughout the country.

The Art League
Dive into the maker mindset with a family-friendly visual arts activity. This artist-led “make and take” project engages your fine motor and design thinking skills.

Safe Space NOVA
Celebrate Pride Month with Safe Space NOVA! Make friendship bracelets, paint rocks, blow giant bubbles, play games and purchase tickets to Pride Prom. Safe Space NOVA is dedicated to providing a supportive environment to combat challenges faced by LGBTQ+ youth.

Tall Ship Providence (1 to 4 p.m.)–G/H pier near Founders Park, 351 N. Union St.
Step aboard tall ship Providence, a fully functional reproduction of the Continental Navy’s first warship, for an open house. Experience the thrilling history and learn what life was like for 18th century sailors while it’s docked at the City of Alexandria’s marina. All visitors will receive a voucher for a future tour while supplies last.

Lawn Games
Head to the artificial turf for a bit of cornhole and other backyard favorites.

Food & Drink

Local Beer from Port City Brewing Company

On both Friday and Saturday, enjoy Port City Brewing Company’s award-winning craft beer. On-site selections: Optimal Wit, Belgian Style White Ale, 4.9%; Beach Drive, Golden Ale, 4%; Downright Pilsner, Bohemian Style Pilsner, 4.8%; Monumental IPA, India Pale Ale, 6.7%

Local Food & Drink

Borinquen Lunch Box

Chalkboard Wings & BBQ

Dolci Gelati

The Italian Place

FAQs

Admission: The Portside in Old Town Summer Festival is free and open to the public. There is no age requirement to enter the event.

Beer Sales: All beer sales require ID check. Each beer is $6. Cash and credit accepted. Drink ticket sales are available until 8:30 p.m. Beer service ends at 8:45 PM. You can purchase drink tickets to use at the festival and at Port City’s tasting room at a later date, or pay for your beer without a ticket.

Food & Beverage: Enjoy local eats at the festival and come early or stay late to explore Old Town’s many restaurants.

Dogs: We anticipate a high volume of attendees at this event. While we love furry friends, they may be more comfortable at home. Service animals allowed.

Photography: Photographers will be present to capture images to be used in future promotional use. By attending the festival you are granting permission for your photo to be captured.

Transportation

Based on anticipated attendance, the use of public transportation and alternate modes of transportation are highly encouraged. Driving to the event and parking near the waterfront or on the street is not recommended. See the list below to consider your options and plan your trip to the festival.

Water Taxi: For information on pricing and schedules, click here.

Capital Bikeshare: There are several dock stations within a short walk of the event site located at 902 Prince Street, 301 King Street, King Street & S. Patrick Street, and S. Royal Street. For more information, please visit capitalbikeshare.com.

DASH Bus: The DASH bus is free. The 30 and 31 line drops off at Market Square, three blocks from Waterfront Park. Dash buses run as early as 6 a.m. and as late as midnight on both Friday and Saturday.

King Street Trolley: The free King Street Trolley runs from Market Square to the King Street Metro every 15 minutes from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. More information and schedules available at dashbus.com/trolley.

Rideshare: Lyft and Uber. Rideshare pick-up and drop-off locations on King Street should occur in the 300 block near or at Market Square (301 King Street). Attendees should not attempt to be picked up directly at the waterfront based on restricted access to streets within the vicinity of the event.

Taxi: The following companies currently operate within the City of Alexandria:

GoGreen Cab: 703.212.2000, gogreentaxicab.com
King Cab: 703.549.3530, kingcabcompany.com
Union Cab: 703.683.1200
VIP Cab: 703.333.5800, viptaxiva.wordpress.com
White Top Cab: 703.683.4004
Yellow Cab: 703.549.2500, alexandriayellowcab.com

Parking: Please consider all travel options. Driving to the event and parking near the waterfront or on the street is not recommended. Street parking is extremely limited on weekends, and parking lots may also have limited availability.

The City of Alexandria has closed the 100 and unit blocks of King Street as pedestrian zones.

If choosing to drive and park, we recommend garage parking at locations away from the waterfront because those garages fill up quickly. Find a map of garages on the City of Alexandria’s parking page. Courthouse Square Garage (111 S. Pitt St.) is a 7-minute walk from the festival.

The Portside in Old Town Summer Festival is produced by

Looking for the City of Alexandria's Memorial Day Jazz Festival?

You’re in the right place! The City of Alexandria’s Office of the Arts is joining forces with Visit Alexandria to expand the Portside Festival to two days. The 44^th Annual Alexandria Jazz Fest will open the weekend festivities on Friday, June 17, 2022.