Photo courtesy of Visit Alexandria
George Washington Birthday Parade
Annual parade in Old Town Alexandria celebrates George Washington.
Mark your calendars, Alexandria. The George Washington Birthday Parade will march through Old Town on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2027, from 10:30 a.m. to noon. That leaves plenty of time afterward for lunch, shopping and a stroll along the waterfront.
This year's celebration looks back 250 years. The George Washington Birthday Celebration Committee, which plans the city's annual parade and other events honoring Washington in his adopted hometown, has chosen the 2027 theme "My Brave Fellows: Honoring Washington's Army." The theme honors the endurance and sacrifice of the Continental Army in 1777, one of the most trying years of the Revolutionary War. That was the year Washington's troops lost Philadelphia after defeats at Brandywine and Germantown, then marched into winter quarters at Valley Forge.
The parade draws more than a thousand participants each year, rain or shine. Registration for parade units opens in November.
A Fitting Grand Marshal
It's hard to think of a better match for the theme. The committee has named the First Virginia Regiment of the Continental Line as the 2027 grand marshal. The Revolutionary War reenactment and living history group portrays Virginia's Continental Army soldiers from 1775 through 1783. Its mission is to inspire patriotism and educate the public through authentic portrayals of the war's soldiers and civilians.
The group will look familiar to longtime paradegoers, since it has marched in recent parades.
The original First Virginia Regiment was raised in the summer of 1775 with Patrick Henry as its colonel. According to the American Revolution Institute, the regiment fought at Harlem Heights, Trenton and Princeton and spent the winter at Valley Forge. Its soldiers wore blue coats with red facings, following Washington's orders for a Virginia uniform.
An Evening With the General
Photo courtesy of organizers
George Washington at Duvall House in Alexandria.
The celebration doesn't wait for February. On Saturday, Nov. 7, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., the committee will host An Intimate Evening with George Washington at the historic Duvall House, 305 Cameron St.
The setting is the point. The Duvall House is where leading Alexandrians celebrated Washington in 1783, when he returned home after the Revolutionary War. At the reception, the general will share his most vivid memories of the war and take questions about his life and times. Drinks and heavy hors d'oeuvres will be served.
Tickets are $150 per person, and proceeds benefit the George Washington Birthday Celebration. Only 40 guests can attend, so the committee recommends reserving early. To pay by check, email gwbirthdayevents@gmail.com.
In Washington's Own Words, 250 Years Ago
The committee's fall newsletter also looks back to a darker moment from 1776. On Sept. 30 of that year, Washington wrote to his cousin Lund Washington, who was managing Mount Vernon. The general wrote from the Heights of Harlem, about two weeks after British forces took New York City.
The letter, preserved by the National Archives' Founders Online, is unusually candid. "In confidence I tell you that I never was in such an unhappy, divided state since I was born," Washington wrote. He added that if his men would stand by him ("which by the by I despair of"), he was "resolved not to be forced from this ground while I have life."
The letter has an Alexandria connection too. Near the end, Washington mentions William Herbert, an Alexandria merchant whose brother had been captured at the Battle of Long Island. Herbert had asked Washington to help arrange his brother's release in a prisoner exchange.
Sponsors Wanted
Local businesses and organizations can get in front of the thousands of spectators who line the parade route each February. The committee offers a range of parade and event sponsorships. Supporters can also donate directly.
For updates on 2027 events, visit washingtonbirthday.com or follow the committee on Facebook and Instagram.
