
Alexandria/Mount Vernon: Beer and Barbecue at Bilbo Baggins
In the Kitchen
Ancho chili pepper, garlic and onion powder are poured into the large aluminum pot already simmering with ketchup, vinegar and leftover pork drippings.
Alexandria/Mount Vernon Weekend Fun: July 3-5
Events in Alexandria and Mount Vernon for the July 4 weekend.

ACCT Stages ‘Cheaper by the Dozen’
Comedy tells of efficiency expert who raises a family with 12 children.
Aldersgate Church Community Theater (ACCT) is staging the light-hearted classic comedy "Cheaper by the Dozen" July 3-19 in Alexandria.
Alexandria: Going the Distance for City’s Children
Parks, play and promising futures.
Summer vacation season is upon us. Vacations are not just fun, but can also be important for our health. We can return from time away with a renewed sense of vigor, fresh perspectives, and increased mental acuity. A break from the daily grind can relieve stress and increase productivity in all of us.

Alexandria/Mount Vernon Weekend Fun: June 26-28
Events in the Alexandria/Mount Vernon areas this weekend.

Alexandria: Lodato Memorial Playground Now Open
The new accessible playground, named after Ruthanne Lodato, an Alexandria piano and music teacher who was an active supporter of Alexandria’s special needs community, is officially open.
Alexandria Appetite: Good Restaurants Make Good Neighbors
Once bereft of eateries, Carlyle community now boasts embarrassment of riches.
For years, the Carlyle community has been more than a nine-to-five business district. While condos and apartments have been full for more than half a decade, the restaurant population has been slow to catch up. In a neighborhood that was once dominated primarily by sandwich shops and other lunchtime eateries, some more substantial dining spots have emerged, and they’re certainly worth a visit.

Alexandria/Mount Vernon Weekend Fun: June 12-14
Events in Alexandria and Mount Vernon for the weekend of June 12-14
L'Hermione: On Its Way to Alexandria
L'Hermione arrived at Mount Vernon on Tuesday, June 9. L’Hermione is an exact replica of the ship that brought the Marquis de Lafayette to America in 1780.

Alexandria: ‘Family Paint Night’
The Office of the Arts hosted a second “Family Paint Night” on Friday, June 5 at the Durant Arts Center

Alexandria: Food Truck Showdown
At Food Truck Rodeo, mobile vendors express frustration with city truck policy.
“Food Truck Rodeo” is a bit of a misnomer. The event outside Southern Towers on Seminary Road did have several food trucks, but there were also two clothing boutique trucks, a homemade jewelry store, and a mobile skateboard shop.

In the Kitchen: Working Inside Alexandria Food Trucks
Specializing in what their customers want.
Mike Tokarz has pulled on his transparent plastic gloves and scoops out the second layer of the Pearl Special, a pint-size container layered with mac and cheese, baked beans and chopped pulled pork in the Rocklands Barbeque food truck kitchen.

Alexandria: Blackwall Hitch Second Location Now Open
The Blackwall Hitch restaurants are named for a type of nautical knot used by immigrants that sailed out of London’s Blackwall Port in the 1860s. They would dock in Maryland and Virginia.