ARTS & CULTURAL DISTRICT UPDATES & MARCH EVENTS ROUND-UP
Arts & Cultural District Updates
AEDP Call for Expressions of Interest in Arts & Cultural Anchor Spaces in Old Town North
Map of Old Town North “Arts Activations” (Image courtesy of AEDP)
Last week the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership (AEDP) announced that it was seeking expressions of interest from arts & cultural organizations who might be eligible to occupy arts & cultural anchor spaces in various Old Town North buildings and development projects. The list of sites with “arts activations” identified by AEDP includes:
The Potomac River Generating Station
The Art League (Muse)
TideLock
Venue
Madison Place
Montgomery Center
901 N. Pitt St./425 Montgomery St.
The AEDP site states that this initiative was launched in response to requests from the City of Alexandria and from several developers to help source potential businesses for these spaces.
For more information about AEDP’s Call for Expressions of Interest, visit:
https://alexandriaecon.org/old-town-north/
Save the Date: Thursday, April 10th NOTICe Spring Membership Meeting:
“What’s Up with the Arts & Cultural District?”
Mark your calendars for the evening of Thursday, April 10th for a panel discussion on the current status of the Arts & Cultural District in Old Town North. The meeting is open to the public and the panel will include Councilman John Chapman and OTNA President Ryan Whitaker. More details to follow.
MetroStage Update
New Life for A La Lucia’s Stainless Steel Bar
MetroStage recently announced that it has raised $2.2M towards the $3M needed to complete the buildout of the interior space at Venue. Producing Artistic Director Carolyn Griffin anticipates that MetroStage will be in a position to select contractors and begin the permitting phase within the next six months.
Patrons of neighborhood favorite, A La Lucia (which closed at the end of 2024 due to the impending redevelopment of the Montgomery Center), will be pleased to learn that the restaurant gifted its stainless steel bar to MetroStage and the bar will be installed in the new theater.
To read the recent DC TheaterArts article featuring MetroStage, visit:
To contribute to MetroStage’s fundraising efforts, visit:
https://www.metrostage.org/what-we-do
March Events Round-Up
Friday, March 7th
The Art League presents, “The Art of Comedy”
1201 N. Royal St.
7pm
Enjoy a night of comedy in the new Art League space at Muse. Featuring traditional stand up from Matt Chrzanowski, Alex Tyminski, and Izzy Gelfand and an improvisational set from Winston Hodges.
To buy your tickets, visit:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-art-of-comedy-tickets-1215627477509?aff=erelexpmlt
Saturday, March 8th
3rd Annual Pysanky (Ukrainian Easter Egg) Party & Fundraiser
at Made in ALX
415 King St.
5pm - 8pm
Enjoy hors d’oeuvres, drinks, pysanky demonstrations, and the opportunity to purchase your own pysanky. Made in ALX will donate 10% of all sales during the event to the Mountain Seed Foundation (raising money to help Ukrainian families). Presented by Pysanky Steph, Critical Mass, and Made in ALX.
To reserve your free spot for the party, visit:
To sign up for a class on April 6th to learn how to make your own pysanky, visit:
Monday, March 10th
MetroStage at The Lyceum presents:
Soulful Serenade: An Evening with Robert E. Person
The Lyceum (201 S. Washington St.)
7pm
MetroStage presents an evening of “soul, song, and inspiration” in the intimate setting of The Lyceum featuring Robert E. Person on vocals, a three-piece combo led by Allyn Johnson on the piano, and harmonies provided by back-up vocalists Chad Gilbert, Ronnette Rollins, and Sherice Williams. The performance will include jazz standards, popular classics, showtunes, and a tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr.
To purchase tickets, visit:
Thursday, March 20th
Royal Restaurant hosts Dine for Down Syndrome
730 N. St. Asaph St.
7am - 10pm
Dine at Royal Restaurant on Thursday, March 20th and 15% of sales will be donated to the Down Syndrome Association of Northern Virginia. It’s a win/win - you get a delicious meal and the opportunity to support a good cause.
To make your reservation, visit:
https://royalrestaurantva.com/
Friday, March 21st
Alexandria Symphony Orchestra presents:
“Bach’s Concerto for Three Violins and Goldberg Variations”
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church (228 S. Pitt St.)
7:30pm
Join members of the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra and Music Director James Ross for a program featuring Bach’s Concerto for Three Violins and the Goldberg Variations arranged by conductor and violinist Dmitry Sitkovetsky. All seating is general admission.
To purchase tickets, visit:
https://alexsym.org/performance/concertoandgoldbergvariations/
Neighborhood Notes
Congratulations to Jula’s on the Potomac (44 Canal Center Plaza, 4th floor) for earning a 2025 Diner’s Choice Award from OpenTable! Stay tuned for details on a new vision for Jula’s Terrace in Spring 2025 featuring chef-driven small plates and innovative cocktails.
The Terrace at Jula’s on The Potomac (image courtesy of Jula’s)
Visit Royal Restaurant nightly from 4pm - close for Royal After Five. Enjoy $5 Virginia craft beers, $10 signature cocktails, and 50% off wine bottles. Pair your drinks with a selection of tasty bar bites from 4pm - 7pm including lemon garlic chicken wings and burger sliders.
Please officially welcome Salon deZEN (533 Montgomery St.) to the neighborhood. The salon held a soft opening last week and is planning a grand opening celebration in March or April. Stop by to see how they have completely transformed this space (and don’t miss the beautiful interior walls at the entrance)!
Waiting area at new Salon deZEN location in Old Town North (image courtesy of Salon deZEN)
For more information about Salon deZEN or to schedule an appointment, visit:
Hotel AKA Alexandria and Old Town Books have announced that plans are in the works for another Silent Reading Party. Follow Hotel AKA’s instagram (@hotelaka.alexandria) for details.
In mid-March, Hank’s Oyster Bar will start a new Pizzeria Paradiso Pop-up Thursdays through Sundays.
Renovations are underway at the new Pupatella Neopolitan Pizzeria location at 700 Slaters Lane. No updates yet on when the location is expected to be open for business.
Don’t miss out on these regularly scheduled events
in and around Old Town North!
Weekly Farmer’s Market in Montgomery Park (every Sunday from 9am - 1pm)
Made in ALX classes (415 King St.). https://www.madeinalx.com/shop/classes-events/68
Cherry Blossom workshops on March 29th (Paper Quilling or Embroidery 101)
Volunteer with Friends of the Mt. Vernon Trail. Various dates and locations.
History lectures and events at Lee-Fendall House. https://leefendallhouse.org/pages/events