The first Portside in Old Town Festival starts Friday with tours of the tall ship Godspeed. The festival will last all weekend with a beer garden, family activities, music, art and more along the waterfront. Additional Portside in Old Town events will take place throughout the fall and into 2019.
Portside in Old Town will take place at Waterfront Park and the Alexandria City Marina while construction continues on a new waterfront park at the foot of King Street.
"Alexandria’s Portside in Old Town series activates the Alexandria waterfront near King Street with free-to-the-public themed happenings in history, art, music and fitness with activities for families and for adults, plus additional pop-up experiences and events," according to Visit Alexandria.
The festival lineup also includes an LED light performance by Incandescent Entertainment presented by The Athenaeum, a pop-up exotic car exhibit to preview next year's Alexandria Festival of Speed and Style, a free kids decorative craft project from AR Workshop, a free outdoor group fitness class from Sand & Steel Fitness and more.
Here are just a few of the highlights:
Tall Ship Godspeed: Take a free tour of a re-creation of one of the three ships that brought America’s first permanent English colonists to Virginia in 1607. Tours are on a first-come, first-served basis Friday, Oct. 12 from 3 to 6 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 13 from 1 to 6 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 14 from noon to 5 p.m.
Waterfront Beer Garden: Port City Brewing Company presents a waterfront beer garden on select weekends in October. See the complete schedule here.
Pop-Up Pizzeria Paradiso: A perfect pairing to Port City, enjoy great food from Pizzeria Paradiso. Also attend a kid-friendly pizza-making demonstration at noon on Sunday, Oct. 14. Learn more here.
LED Performance: Enjoy a unique LED light performance by Incandescent Entertainment presented by The Athenaeum starting at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 13.
Exotic Cars: Wander through the pop-up exotic car exhibit to preview next year's Alexandria Festival of Speed and Style. The exhibit is Sunday, Oct. 14 from noon to 4 p.m.
A complete schedule for the Oct. 12 – 14 festival is available at PortsideinOldTown.com.
