Update: Feb. 20, 2020
Before Monday's parade, a number of local restaurants got some good news. In the 12th annual Cherry Challenge, approximately 50 local restaurants created cherry-inspired dishes from beverages and appetizers to entrees and desserts. Here are the winners:
Beverage:
Café 44’s - The Lady Jame
Honorable Mention: Swings Coffee’s - Cherry-Cascara Cappuccino
Appetizer:
River Bend Bistro - Cherry & Goat Cheese Flatbread
Honorable Mention: Cafe 44 - Cherry Bistro Bites
Entrée:
Cafe 44’s - Cherry Brie Flatbread (pictured)
Honorable Mentions: Murphy’s Grand Irish Pub’s - Duck a la Cherry, Lori’s Table’s - Cherry Exploration
Dessert:
River Bend Bistro’s - Chocolate Cherry Chess Pie
Honorable Mention: SmallCakes Cupcakery’s - Cherry Chocolate Chip Cupcake
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Under sunny skies and warmer temperatures than earlier in February, the annual George Washington Birthday Parade celebrated our first president's 288th birthday.
The George Washington Birthday Celebration Committee, one of the oldest community organizations in Alexandria, organizes the parade mostly with private funds. In addition to the parade, the committee organizes a wide variety of events in February, including the Cherry Challenge (with local restaurants), lectures, tours and more.
"From the bicentennial in 1976 until 2010, the City of Alexandria provided most of the financial support for the annual Celebration. But with the increasing demands on its resources, the City began to reduce its support for the Celebration; and it is evident that the remaining financial support could decrease significantly in the years to come," according to the organization.
How to Donate to the Celebration Committee:
The Celebration Committee now increasingly depends on private and corporate donations. For next year's celebration you can donate by mail (check or money order payable to the George Washington Birthday Celebration Committee, 809 Oronoco Street, Alexandria, VA 22314) or text Give to 703-215-2191 and complete the transaction on your phone.
There are a few events remaining in February celebrating George Washington's birthday:
Lecture: George Washington: Commander-in-Chief – During this lecture on Feb. 20 from 7:30 – 8:30 pm., Professor Peter Henriques will examine how George Washington, despite his limited experience and numerous mistakes, was somehow able to overcome obstacles to win independence for the new country he committed himself to without reserve. Henriques will touch on Washington's view of a professional army, the need to win over the general populace and the necessity of civilian control of the military, as well as how Washington saved the American cause with his actions at Trenton and Princeton. Tickets are $12 per person ($10 Gadsby’s Tavern Museum Society members and volunteers). For more information, visit AlexandriaVA.gov/Shop or call 703- 746-4242.
George Washington’s 288th Birthday – Celebrate the first president of the United States on the most exciting day of the year, Feb. 22. Take a selfie while posing like George Washington in the Education Center Lobby. General Washington greets his guests in the historic area, and the Sons of Liberty provide birthday music. Savor a piece of birthday cake in the Vaughan Lobby (while supplies last) and hear the Air Force Strings perform in the Smith Auditorium. For more information, visit www.MountVernon.org/Birthday288 or call 703-780-2000.
George Washington Symposium – The theme of the 2020 George Washington Symposium is “George Washington’s Construction of the United States Capitol.” The symposium will take place Feb. 22, as part of the memorial's celebration of Washington's birthday. The lectures begin at 1 p.m. in the memorial's theater. The George Washington Symposium is held annually on Washington's birthday to provide the public with enlightening contemporary research on the life of George Washington. Admission is free, and free parking is available. Details, including information about the speakers, are available at www.GWMemorial.org.
Annual Washington’s Birthday Gala – Celebrate George Washington on Feb. 22 with a formal (white-tie optional) gala. Reception at 5 p.m. Entertainment in the Memorial Theater at 6:30 p.m. Banquet in the memorial's Grand Masonic Hall at 7:30 p.m. The presentation of the George Washington Memorial Award will take place during the banquet. Tickets are $200. Reservations are required. To purchase tickets, visit www.GWMemorial.org or call 703-683-2007.
