Portside in Old Town Summer Festival sponsored by Ting Internet Announced for June 16 & 17, 2023

UPDATED: June 12, 2023

CONTACTS:
Rebecca Doser, [email protected] or 703-652-5363
Claire Mouledoux, [email protected] or 703-652-5367
Daniel Guzman, [email protected] or 703-746-5419

Portside in Old Town Summer Festival sponsored by Ting Internet
Returns June 16 & 17, 2023

 FREE waterfront festival welcomes summer with live music, local libations and family fun

Alexandria, VA—The Portside in Old Town Summer Festival sponsored by Ting Internet returns riverside for a two-day event kicking off summer on Friday, June 16, and Saturday, June 17, 2023. This free festival features an array of live music, local craft beer from Port City Brewing Company and fun for the whole family at Alexandria’s Waterfront Park.

New this year:

• Port City Brewing Company’s team will serve Lost Boy Cider’s Comeback Kid, Virginia wine from Breaux Vineyards and Hopwell, Port City’s hops-infused sparkling water, in addition to their beloved beer offerings.
• A Lawn Game Zone from festival sponsor Ting Internet will entertain guests with cornhole and Connect 4.
• A new retail presence at the base of King Street will include Made in ALX, White Lily Shoppe, Inti Phaxsi Gems and Sophisticate Supply.
• Complimentary bike valet service will be offered on Saturday by Two Wheel Bike Valet, located at the HB Parking Lot at 300 N. Lee Street.
• Guests can stay for the weekend with discounted hotel rates accessible via com, with rates valid Friday, June 16 through Monday, June 19, 2023. No minimum stay is required. Another option is the “Love, Alexandria” hotel package which includes water taxi passes, free parking and Key to the City museum passes.(restrictions apply).

Friday from 6 to 9 p.m., the Portside Festival once again merges with the 45th Annual ALX Jazz Fest to showcase jazz performances and readings by local poets . Festival-goers will enjoy a dynamic lineup featuring jazz vibraphone from the Joe Baione Quintet, Alexandria born-and-raised bassist and composer Michael Hawkins and his band The Brotherhood, and celebrated vocalist Sharón Clark. Musical sets will be complemented by interludes of poetry from Zeina Azzam, the City of Alexandria’s Poet Laureate; Sami Miranda, a published author and artist; and two Alexandria City Public Schools student poet laureates. Friday’s festivities will be emceed by award-winning poet C. Alexandria-Bernard Thomas, a queer Black non-binary teaching artist and advocate. ALX Jazz Fest performers were selected through a collaboration with the Office of the Arts and the 2023 Alexandria Jazz Fest Activation Team comprised of John Hasse (Smithsonian), Suraya Mohamed (NPR Music) and Jeremy Castillo (Levine School of Music). Friday’s musical lineup will serve as the inspiration for an onsite live mural painted by Aniekan Udofia.

Saturday from 1 to 9 p.m., the Portside Festival continues with wide-ranging musical acts starting with nouveau flamenco group Ouros, featuring Danny Knicely on mandolin; Ethiopian folk and jazz from Kalkidan Meshesha; and indie soul group Oh He Dead. Blues guitar aficionados will enjoy the collaboration between The Linwood Taylor Band and special guest Sol Roots. Close out the evening on your feet with danceable zydeco tunes from Louisiana’s Curley Taylor & Zydeco Trouble and salsa from Hermanos Galván y Orquesta. 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.

On Friday evening from 6 to 9 p.m. and Saturday from 1 to 6 p.m., family-friendly offerings include lawn games, hands-on art and history activities and more. Festival sponsor Ting Internet presents a Lawn Game Zone with cornhole, Connect 4 and more backyard games. Meet local artists and explore various art projects from the Office of the Arts, while also taking part in a creation of your own. Try your hand at making chocolate with Historic Alexandria, as you discover chocolate’s historic origins through the demonstration of tools and techniques originally developed by ancient cultures of Central and South America. The tall ship Providence team will have an informational tent on site in anticipation of the opening of the Senator John Warner Maritime Heritage Center, the ship’s new home and visitor experience at Waterfront Park. On Saturday, Safe Space NOVA will offer activities such as rock painting, bubbles, plantings and more in alignment with its mission to support LGBTQ+ youth, plus Alexandria’s UpCycle Creative Reuse Center invites attendees to create art out of repurposed items.

A new retail presence at the base of King Street will include handmade wares from Alexandria shop Made in ALX, natural bath and skincare products from White Lily Shoppe, jewelry from Inti Phaxsi Gems and leather goods from Sophisticate Supply.

On both days of the festival, award-winning Port City Brewing Company will serve their local craft beer and hops-infused sparkling water, Hopwell, along with Lost Boy Cider’s Comeback Kid and Virginia wine from Breaux Vineyards. Attendees can also enjoy a selection of food and drinks from Alexandria-based small businesses Borinquen Lunch Box, Chalkboard Wings & BBQ, Dolci Gelati, The Italian Place and Kungfu Kitchen.

Festival attendees are encouraged to leave their car behind and take advantage of transportation options including free DASH buses and the free King Street Trolley. Pedal to Old Town and enjoy complimentary bike valet service on Saturday at the HB Parking Lot located at 300 N. Lee Street, offered by Two Wheel Bike Valet. Take the Metro’s Blue or Yellow Lines to the King St-Old Town station and stroll one mile on King Street to the waterfront or take the free King Street Trolley to Market Square then walk two blocks to the festival. For more modes of transportation, including the water taxi and parking recommendations, check out the festival website.

Make it a weekend in Alexandria with five hotels offering discounted rates accessible via PortsideFestival.com, valid Friday, June 16 through Monday, June 19, 2023. No minimum stay is required. Additionally, fourteen hotels are offering the “Love, Alexandria” package with rates starting as low as $149 per night and inclusive of up to $200 in added value with water taxi passes, free parking and Key to the City museum passes (restrictions apply).

The Portside in Old Town Summer Festival sponsored by Ting Internet 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.

Thank you to our 2023 festival sponsors and partners: Ting Internet, Virginia Tourism Corporation, Dominion Energy and Volunteer Alexandria. Festival title sponsor Ting Internet provides super-fast fiber internet in select U.S. towns and cities. Ting is committed to net neutrality, digital equity, the open internet and improving the communities they serve by supporting and championing local good works.

For a full festival schedule and more information, visit PortsideFestival.com.

Event Listing

Portside in Old Town Summer Festival sponsored by Ting Internet

Fri. and Sat., June 16 and 17, 2023
Time: 6 to 9 p.m., Fri., June 16; 1 to 9 p.m., Sat., June 17
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 sponsored by Ting Internet. 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. The event features Friday evening jazz performances and readings by Alexandria poets as part of the ALX Jazz Fest presented by the City of Alexandria’s Office of the Arts. 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 sponsored by Ting Internet 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. Recognized by Travel + Leisure among the Best Places to Travel in 2023 and Best Cities in the U.S. 2022 and voted a Condé Nast Traveler Top 5 Best Small City in the U.S. 2022, Alexandria is a welcoming weekend escape on the Potomac River, minutes from Washington, D.C. Founded in 1749 and boasting the nation’s third oldest historic district, Alexandria hums with a cosmopolitan feel. Stroll Old Town Alexandria’s King Street mile to find more than 200 independent restaurants and boutiques plus intimate historic museums and new happenings at the waterfront. Explore vibrant neighborhoods beyond Old Town, trace George Washington and the Founding Fathers’ footsteps and follow the stories of Black Americans who shaped the history of Alexandria and the United States.

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.

Connect with us!  

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Facebook:           Facebook.com/VisitAlexandriaVA
Twitter:               Twitter.com/AlexandriaVA
Instagram:          Instagram.com/VisitAlexVA
Hashtags:            #visitALX

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