Alexandria's Holiday Tree Lighting will not be held at 301 King Street this year. On Saturday, November 21, from 6 to 8 p.m., the City is holding it at Waterfront Park, 1 Prince Street. The City's own calendar labels it the "New 2026 location." The ceremony was in Market Square in both 2024 and 2025.
For the first time, the City of Alexandria is producing both December 5 parades, and its New Year's Eve fireworks are at Waterfront Park too. Old Town's holiday season used to be built around the plaza in front of City Hall. This year it has a new center at the foot of Prince Street, and one organizer is running it from late November through midnight on December 31.
Why the Tree Left 301 King Street
Market Square is a construction site right now. The City Hall and Market Square renovation covers the 1871 City Hall, the removal of its 1960s addition, and replacement of the two-level, roughly 90,000-square-foot garage under the plaza. Grunley Construction Company mobilized in late February. According to the City's latest construction update, crews found asbestos they hadn't expected in the 1960s south façade and interior courtyards, and that added 10 weeks to the schedule. The City now expects to finish in fall 2028.
The Alexandria Times reported in October that the renovation costs $165 million and that the closed Market Square garage had 180 spaces. The paper also quoted Assistant Director of Capital Projects Jenine Kotob on whether the garage could reopen before the building is done:
"We're still trying to be nimble with regards to at least the garage turnover and exploring opportunities to release that sooner perhaps than the overall timeline because we know that's critical."
Until that happens, the plaza is behind fencing. The City has closed the sidewalks and street parking along North Royal, North Fairfax and Cameron Streets around the site. Part of the King Street sidewalk in front of City Hall is still open. A tree lighting that draws a crowd can't go there, so it moved to the river.
One Organizer, Three Signature Events, One Riverfront
The Alexandria Scottish Walk Holiday Parade grew out of the Campagna Center, which was once the Community Y, and the Campagna Center long produced it with St. Andrew's Society Washington, DC and Old Presbyterian Meeting House. In 2026 the City became lead producer, with support from the Campagna Center and Visit Alexandria. The City is producing the Holiday Boat Parade of Lights too.
Here is how the City's own events line up:
| Event | Date | Time | Where | What's different in 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holiday Tree Lighting | Sat., Nov. 21 | 6 to 8 p.m. | Waterfront Park, 1 Prince St. | Moved from Market Square; free, with music and a visit from Santa |
| 55th Scottish Walk Holiday Parade | Sat., Dec. 5 | 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. | Old Town Alexandria | City's first year as lead producer; 10:30 a.m. step-off |
| 26th Holiday Boat Parade of Lights | Sat., Dec. 5 | Parade 5:30 p.m.; dockside 2 to 8 p.m. | Old Town North to Ford's Landing Park | Now produced by the City |
| New Year's Eve Fireworks | Thu., Dec. 31 | 8 p.m. and midnight | Waterfront Park | Same park as the tree lighting |
The Scottish Walk is the one event on that list that isn't tied to the river. Even so, the City's parades page shows how much is changing with the handoff. Applications closed November 1. Every one gets reviewed, groups that marched in 2024 or 2025 get priority, and the $75 fee is due only after a group is approved. Approval emails go out the week of November 9 through 13, which means the lineup is being set the same week this post goes up. Wegmans is the parade's sponsor.
December 5 Runs From Morning to Night in Old Town
The City has put both of its parades on the same Saturday, so December 5 runs from mid-morning until 8 p.m. If you're planning a full day, it goes in this order:
- 10:30 a.m. The Scottish Walk steps off, and the parade runs until 12:30 p.m.
- 2 p.m. Dockside festivities start on the Old Town waterfront.
- 5:30 p.m. Lit-up boats leave on the Boat Parade of Lights, running from Old Town North to Ford's Landing Park.
- 7 p.m. The District's Holiday Boat Parade at The Wharf starts the same evening across the river. The City encourages boaters to enter both parades.
- 8 p.m. The dockside activities end.
The boat parade's entry deadline is Friday, November 13. Registered captains attend a virtual safety meeting on December 2 and pick up their parade number signs at the Torpedo Factory Art Center info desk. The City says public viewing information and the final schedule will be posted on its parades page closer to the date.
Getting There Without the Market Square Garage
The garage under Market Square has been closed since Monday, February 9. The City's holidays page says parking in Old Town is limited during the renovation. It suggests DASH, the King Street Trolley, Metrorail, walking or biking, and asks people to check back before each event for current transportation and parking details.
The bus and trolley stop that used to sit at North Fairfax and King is moving too. The City says it will move several times during construction, and the first move takes it around the corner to 302 King Street.
The two biggest event days both fall on Saturdays, and Saturday morning is also when the Old Town Farmers' Market runs. The market has operated at Market Square since 1753, and it is now in the 100 block of North Royal Street and the Tavern Square courtyard, just across the street. It runs from 7 a.m. to noon every Saturday, year-round. The Tavern Square garage at 418 Cameron Street and the Courthouse Square garage at 111 South Pitt Street are free for market shoppers on Saturdays from 6:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. On December 5, the market and the Scottish Walk overlap for about 90 minutes, from 10:30 a.m. to noon, both in the blocks around City Hall.
For day-of updates, the City runs a holiday text line. Text HOLIDAYSALX to 855-925-2801.
Del Ray Keeps Its Own Calendar on Mount Vernon Avenue
The renovation doesn't reach Del Ray, so its season stays on Mount Vernon Avenue. Everything is close together, and it fills the weekends after the parades. The Del Ray Business Association's calendar lists these dates:
- Sat., Dec. 5 and Sat., Dec. 12: Del Ray Farmers' Market, Pat Miller Neighborhood Square at Oxford and Mount Vernon Avenues
- Sun., Dec. 6: Del Ray Holiday Season Kick-Off, Pat Miller Neighborhood Square
- Thu., Dec. 10: Shops of Del Ray Holiday Sip & Shop, along Mount Vernon Avenue
- Sat., Dec. 12: Del Ray Vintage & Flea Market at Mount Vernon and Bellefonte Avenues, plus the 11th Annual Del Ray Candy Cane Bar Crawl along the avenue
Down the avenue, Del Ray Artisans hold their 31st Annual Fine Art & Fine Craft Holiday Market at their gallery in the Nicholas A. Colasanto Center, 2704 Mount Vernon Avenue. It runs three weekends: December 4 to 6, 11 to 13, and 18 to 20, with different artists each weekend.
Saturday, December 12 is the busiest day outside Old Town's waterfront. The Del Ray events above share it with a Christmas Market & Holiday Craft Show at John Carlyle Square, 300 John Carlyle Street, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. That market has local artisans, carolers, a DJ, food, ornament-making for kids and photos with Santa, and parking is on nearby streets and in garages. Combined with the City's events, Alexandria's December has three hubs this year: Waterfront Park for the City's ceremonies, Mount Vernon Avenue for Del Ray, and Carlyle for one Saturday of shopping.
Waterfront Park, the fenced plaza and the Saturday market on North Royal are the Old Town our team at Pearlman Meekin & Co. follows all year, along with what the renovation means for the blocks around it through 2028. If you'd like to talk through what this construction period means for a home near King Street, book a consultation and we'll walk you through it.
