Your Guide to Holiday Parade Day in Alexandria 2023

Based on anticipated attendance, arriving early and using public transportation and alternative modes of transportation are highly encouraged. Transportation options include Metrorail (blue and yellow lines) from the King Street station, water taxi, Capital Bikeshare, taxi and free DASH buses, which run from 6 a.m. to midnight. Throughout Saturday, the free King Street Trolley (11 a.m. to 11 p.m.) will run a modified route from the King Street Metro to the Lyceum (201 S. Washington St) and back until 10 p.m.

If you do drive, plan to park a fair distance from the parade locations. Find a map of garages on the City of Alexandria’s parking page and avoid driving in the parade zone. $5 parking is offered from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. at 44 Canal Center, courtesy of Canal Center Plaza.

Find additional details on road closures and the community impact around Scottish Walk and the Boat Parade.

Plus, make a weekend of it with special holiday hotel packages.

Pictured: Chadwicks; Image Credit: Scott Suchman for Visit Alexandria

Before the fun begins, grab breakfast at Chadwicks, Table Talk, Laporta’s, Hummingbird, Hen Quarter or one of Alexandria’s popular brunch spots. For a quick grab-and-go option, pick up a fresh pastry and hot drink to-go from the Old Town Farmers’ Market, located steps from the Scottish Christmas Walk Parade. Select vendors will stay after the parade ends and into the afternoon.

The city celebrates its Scottish heritage with the iconic 52^nd Annual Alexandria Scottish Christmas Walk Parade beginning at 11 a.m. Dozens of Scottish clans dressed in colorful tartans parade through the streets of Old Town, joined by pipe and drum bands from around the region, community groups as well as terriers and hounds and more.

Bring a pop-up chair to enjoy the parade from anywhere along the mile-long route through Old Town; just be sure not to block sidewalks, streets and residences. While we love furry friends, they may be more comfortable at home given the high volume of attendees and dogs participating in the parade.

For dining post-Scottish Christmas Walk Parade, we recommend making a reservation to guarantee you’ll be seated during a busy day or else enjoying a fast casual meal. Try Old Town restaurants slightly off the beaten path of the parade, but within walking distance, like Eddie’s Little Shop & Deli, The Italian Place, Southside 815 or Sisters Thai. Or, warm up with a latte from Misha’s Coffee, ESP Tea & Coffee or Turkish Coffee Lady.

Image Credit: Evan Michio for Visit Alexandria

After the morning parade and re-fueling, squeeze in some holiday shopping as you pick up stocking stuffers from The Old Town Shop, King Street Souvenirs and Bellacara.

Then, check out the pre-Boat Parade programming, including the following:

Canal Center at Old Town North Waterfront

• Canal Center festivities return to the Old Town North waterfront from 3 to 9 p.m. Peruse the holiday bazaar of arts, crafts, vintage goods and more, while enjoying food and drink from Chalkboard Wings & BBQ, Scuttlebutt Bakery, Port City Brewing Company and other local food vendors. Pop into The Gallery at Canal Center to see the current art exhibition, and enjoy live music from 3 to 8 p.m. from the Yellow Door Concert Series featuring holiday jazz favorites.

Alexandria City Marina (0 Cameron St.)

• Holiday Festival at Torpedo Factory Art Center (2 to 6 p.m., 105 N. Union St.)
• Santa arrives by fireboat at the Alexandria City Marina (3:30 p.m., 0 Cameron St.)
• Video light projection by Monica Stroik, in collaboration with artists from the Art Center, on the waterfront façade of the Torpedo Factory (Dusk to 8 p.m.)

Waterfront Park (1A Prince St.)

• Activities (1 to 5:30 p.m., 1 King Street)
  • Get creative with ornament and watercolor holiday cardmaking with Shop Made in VA, write postcards to Santa with Penny Post, craft holiday ornaments with AR Workshop Alexandria and design a children’s bracelet with Pippin Toy Co. Plus, shop sustainable gifts from Ten Thousand Villages at ALX Dog Walk‘s plastic-free pop-up. Holiday music from 97.1 WASH-FM will deliver a festive atmosphere all day, and their street team will round out the Waterfront Park experience with giveaways from 3 to 5 pm.

• Food and Drink Options (1 to 8 p.m.)
  • Enjoy a pop-up beer garden from Alexandria’s award-winning Port City Brewing Company along with hard cider from Alexandria’s Lost Boy Cider. Sip hot chocolate from Dolci Gelati and enjoy food options such as American comfort food from Mason Social and empanadas from Tequila & Taco. New this year, grab pizza by the slice from Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana and cookies and snacks from Together We Bake.

At 5:30, more than 50 brightly lit boats will cruise along Old Town Alexandria’s Potomac River shoreline during the 23^rd Annual Alexandria Holiday Boat Parade of Lights sponsored by Amazon.

Transportation Tips:

• Be sure to arrive as early as possible to minimize delays due to traffic or crowds.
• Leave your car behind and travel via Metrorail (blue line to King Street Metro), bus, Lyft, Uber, taxi, Capital Bikeshare and more.
• Note that parking garages closest to the waterfront fill up in advance of the event, and new traffic patterns and street closures near the waterfront go into effect at around 3 pm.
• The following garages in Old Town North will offer $5 parking from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
  • 44 Canal Center, courtesy of Canal Center Plaza
  • 1033 N. Fairfax Street
• Check out more transportation and parking information.

Viewing Vantage Points:

The parade route stretches for one mile along Old Town Alexandria’s waterfront. The Old Town North Waterfront offers the first glimpse of boats before they cruise to the Alexandria City Marina/ Waterfront Park and continue south to end at Ford’s Landing Park near the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. The parade begins at 5:30 p.m., and its duration can vary from 30 minutes to one hour.

Please note there is limited visibility within the Alexandria City Marina (0 Cameron St.) while the following parks offer a more comfortable, less crowded viewing experience. Below are suggested parade viewing areas:

• Canal Center Plaza (11 Canal Center Plaza)
• Rivergate City Park (2 Montgomery St.)
• Oronoco Bay Park (100 Madison St.)
• Founders Park, 351 North Union Street
• Alexandria City Marina, 0 Cameron Street (limited visibility)
• Waterfront Park, 1 King Street and 1A Prince Street
• Point Lumley Park, 1 Duke Street
• Robinson Landing, 7 Pioneer Way
• Windmill Hill Park, 501 South Union Street
• Shipyard/Harborside Park, 1 Wilkes Street
• Ford’s Landing City Park, 99 Franklin Street

Pictured: Kismet Modern Indian; Image Credit: Scott Suchman for Visit Alexandria

Keep the fun going and clink glasses with a reservation for drinks or mocktails at King & Rye, Kismet Modern Indian or Brabo Brasserie. Or, warm up with an elevated dining experience at Elaine’s, Josephine or Oak Steakhouse.

Text “ALXEVENTS” to 888777 to receive event updates.

Discover everything Alexandria has to offer this holiday season.

Header Image Credits: Matt Chenet for Visit Alexandria (left); Evan Michio for Visit Alexandria (center and right)