Photo courtesy of Visit Alexandria
George Washington Birthday Parade
Annual parade in Old Town Alexandria celebrates George Washington.
George Washington's Birthday Parade, celebrating the founding father's 291st birthday, is set for Feb. 20 on the streets of Old Town.
The parade is the nation’s largest George Washington Birthday parade and follows a one-mile route through Alexandria — but this year, that route is very different!
This year, the parade will start at the intersection of Pendleton and North Fayette Streets (see map below), travel south on North Fayette Street and turn west on King Street. The parade will proceed past the King Street Metro Station to the George Washington Masonic Memorial, ending in front of the iconic building.
The parade features drum corps, color guards, bands, community and fraternal organizations, youth groups, local merchants, city dignitaries and, of course, General Washington and Martha Washington.
This year, the theme is “George Washington: The Man, The Mason, The Cornerstone of Our Republic.” The Grand Marshal will be George D. Seghers, Executive Director of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial, in honor of the 100th Anniversary of the laying of the Memorial’s cornerstone.
For more information, including the parking, maps and status, visit www.washingtonbirthday.com.
Later in the day, the George Washington Masonic National Memorial will celebrate the 100th anniversary of its cornerstone ceremony. (Registration is recommended but not required. To learn more, please visit www.gwmemorial.org/pages/cornerstone.)
GW Birthday Parade Committee
The groundbreaking ceremony for the George Washington Masonic Memorial took place on June 5, 1922. On Nov. 1, 1923, the Memorial’s cornerstone was dedicated in a Masonic ceremony. Construction took years, with the Freemasons contributing to the construction of the Memorial. On May 12, 1932, the bicentennial year of George Washington’s birth, the dedication of the Memorial took place with President Herbert Hoover. Construction on the interior continued through 1970.
