Portside Festival | Visit Alexandria

June 17 & 18, 2022

Portside in Old Town Summer Festival

A Free Festival of Live Music & More

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

Kick off summer with the return of the 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.

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.

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.

. . .

Fri., June 17, 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 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

Friday Performances

Schedule subject to change

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, 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

Saturday Performances

Schedule subject to change

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.

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

The Art League
Bill Jenkins’ World of Music
City of Alexandria’s Office of the Arts
Intertribal Creatives
Safe Space NOVA
Office of Historic Alexandria
Torpedo Factory Art Center
UpCycle Creative Reuse Center
And more

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. Vendors will begin sales 30 minutes prior to the start of musical performances each day.

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.

Lyft/Uber Drop Off Address: Taking Lyft or Uber? Get to the festival faster by hopping off at the Alexandria Visitor Center, 221 King Street. It’s a quick two blocks from Waterfront Park.

Parking: Driving to the festival? Take advantage of City-owned garages and surface lots.

Beer Garden: All beer sales require ID check. Each beer is $6. Cash and credit accepted.

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.