May 18, 2022
CONTACTS:
Rebecca Doser, [email protected] or 703-652-5363
Alyssa Ross, [email protected] or 703-851-7473
Expanded Portside in Old Town Summer Festival
Announced for June 17 & 18, 2022
FREE festival grows from one to two days by merging with the 44th Annual Alexandria Jazz Fest
Alexandria, VA—Expanding to two days and returning to the Old Town Alexandria waterfront for the first time since 2019, the Portside in Old Town Summer Festival kicks off summer on Friday, June 17, and Saturday, June 18, 2022. This free festival features an array of live music, local craft beer from Port City Brewing Company and fun for the whole family at Waterfront Park.
New this year, on Friday from 6 to 9 p.m., the Portside Festival merges with the 44th Annual Alexandria Jazz Fest to showcase jazz performancesandreadings by Alexandria poets. Festival-goers will be treated to jazz from Cubano Groove, VERONNEAU and the Eric Byrd Trio plus interludes of poetry by Zeina Azzam, the City of Alexandria’s newest Poet Laureate; KaNikki Jakarta, the City’s Poet Laureate from 2019 to 2022; and an up-and-coming Alexandria youth poet.
Saturdayfrom1 to 9 p.m., the Portside Festival continues with an eclectic musical lineup, featuring Eli Lev (folk rock), La Unica (Irish Latin rock); ilyAIMY (folk rock), Rob Curto’s Forró for All (Brazilian forró); Ras Band (Ethiopian reggae, jazz and funk) and Pablo Antonio y La Firma (salsa, merengue and bachata). Alexandria-based musicians and founders of the Yellow Door Concert Series, Vaughn and Robyn Ambrose, are guest musical curators and emcees for Saturday’s performances.
Saturday afternoon from 1 to 5 p.m., family-friendly offerings include hands-on art and history activitiesand more. The City of Alexandria’s Office of the Arts presents a screen-printing activity by Patrick Sargent inspired by I Love You, the 2022 Site See temporary public art installation by R & R STUDIOS. Guests can further their creativity with art activities from The Art League, the Torpedo Factory Art Center and UpCycle Creative Reuse Center. Intertribal Creatives offers a pop-up version of their Old Town gallery selling Native-made art and other goods. Safe Space NOVA brings friendship bracelets, games and more to the day’s riverfront revelry. Archaeologists from the Office of Historic Alexandria will reveal new information about four recently excavated historic ships while presenting a display of artifacts and STEM-based activities for all ages. From 1 to 4 p.m., tall ship Providence presents an open house at the Alexandria City Marina, where visitors can discover thrilling history and learn what life was like for 18th-century sailors
Both days of the festival feature local craft beer from award-winning Port City Brewing Company along with a selection of food and drinks from Alexandria-based small businesses Borinquen Lunch Box, Chalkboard Wings & BBQ, Dolci Gelati and The Italian Place.
For a full festival schedule and more information, visit PortsideFestival.com.
Event Listing
Portside in Old Town Summer Festival
Fri. and Sat., June 17 and 18, 2022
Time: 6 to 9 p.m., Fri., June 17; 1 to 9 p.m., Sat., June 18
Admission: Free
Waterfront Park, 1A Prince St., Alexandria, VA 22314
PortsideFestival.com
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.
ABOUT VISIT ALEXANDRIA AND ALEXANDRIA, VA
Visit Alexandria is the nonprofit tourism marketing organization for Alexandria, Virginia. Named a Top 3 Best Small City in the U.S. in 2021 by the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards and one of the South’s Best Cities on the Rise 2022 by Southern Living, Alexandria hums with a cosmopolitan feel and a walkable lifestyle—a welcoming weekend escape next to our nation’s capital. Founded in 1749, Old Town Alexandria is the nation’s third oldest locally designated historic district, boasting more than 200 independent restaurants and boutiques alongside intimate historic museums and new happenings at the waterfront. At the heart of it all is bustling King Street, a walkable mile recognized as one of the “Great Streets” of America. Walk in the footsteps of George Washington and America’s Founding Fathers while learning about Black history and African American changemakers that have shaped the history of Alexandria and the U.S.
Connect with us!
Web: VisitAlexandria.com
Facebook: Facebook.com/VisitAlexandriaVA
Twitter: Twitter.com/AlexandriaVA
Instagram: Instagram.com/VisitAlexVA
Hashtags: #visitALX
ABOUT THE PERFORMING ARTS IN ALEXANDRIA
The City of Alexandria promotes the value of arts and culture in Alexandria by nurturing, investing in and celebrating the creative contributions of artists and arts organizations. From pop-up performances to concert series in public parks, Alexandria champions performance arts and the active community engagement it inspires. The Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities, through the Office of the Arts, engages the community, encourages participation, and facilitates broad access to the arts. The City of Alexandria works with local artists and arts organizations to build a vibrant community for all residents, workers, and visitors. Learn more at alexandriava.gov/Arts or follow @alexartsoffice on Instagram and Twitter. Add to the conversation with #artsALX.
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