Visit www.washingtonbirthday.net for the most up-to-date event information, by the George Washington Birthday Celebration Committee.
The committee maintains a 24-hour phone line that will report any change of status or the cancellation of any event (in case of inclement weather, for instance). Call the events hotline (703) 829-6640 at any time.
On parade day parking is free at the parking lots adjacent to the Eisenhower Avenue 
Metro Station; from here, a FREE DASH shuttle bus will take you downtown and back from 11 am to 4pm. The free King Street Trolly service will also be in operation all day until 11 p.m. from King Street Metro Station going east and west along
King Street. For DASH service to other events, call (703) 746-3274 or go to
www.dashbus.com.
Alexandria Celebrates Washingtonís Birthday throughout February!
“Walking with Washington”
Did you know that there are over 140 places in Alexandria today that are associated with George Washington? This tour is designed to show you some of them and expand your knowledge of Washington and Alexandria, his home town.
Dates: Every Sunday in February (5th, 12th, 19th, & 26th, 2017) Ticket Price: Free! Advance reservations not required. Time: 2 p.m. (90 min tour). Location: Meet at the Ramsay House Visitors Center, 221 King St, Alexandria 22314 (northeast corner of King and N. Fairfax Streets).
The “Cherry Challenge”
The “Cherry Challenge” is a competition among the finer restaurants in Alexandria. Each restaurant will develop its own cherry cocktail, appetizer, entrée, and/or dessert, in honor of our distinguished native son, of course! The competing restaurants and their entries will be listed on our website and the winners will be announced on Parade Day.
Dates: January 29 through February 12, 2017.
Winter Warmer Tea
Enjoy the warmth and hospitality of the tavern this
winter! Choose from a variety of 18th-century desserts while you sip John Gadsby’s special blend of tea or take a cup of American Heritage Chocolate. Guest Martha Washington will catch you up on the latest Alexandria news during the tea.
Date: February 5, 2017. Location: Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, 134 N. Royal Street, Alexandria. Seatings at 3:00 and 3:15 p.m. (Arrive early for the 2:15 or 2:45 p.m. FREE tour before your tea.) $35 inclusive. Reservations required. To register, wwwalexandriava.gov/shop.
18th Century Dance Classes
In preparation for the Birthnight Ball, learn 18th-century English country dancing from expert dance instructors.
Dates: February 2, 9, 16, 2017. Time: 7:30 – 9:30 p.m. Location: Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, 134 N. Royal St.; phone: (703) 746-4242 To register, www.alexandriava.gov/GadsbysTavern.
Birthnight Banquet & Ball
You are invited to the re-creation of this famous celebration of Washington’s Birthday set in the year 1799. The evening includes an 18th-century banquet, English country dancing, dessert collation, character re-enactors, and General and Mrs. George Washington. Period costume optional; “after-five” attire encouraged. To attend the Ball only, please arrive at 9 p.m.
Date: Saturday, February 18, 2017 Time: 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Location: Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, 134 N. Royal St. Ticket Price: Tiered pricing for this event. Advance
reservations required. To purchase tickets, go to:
www.alexandriava.gov/shop
Site Contact: Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, telephone (703) 746-4242. For status
information go to
www.washingtonbirthday.net or call (703) 829-6640.
Revolutionary War Reenactment at Fort Ward Park
Historic camp and tactical demonstrations throughout the day including a Revolutionary War skirmish between the Redcoats and the Colonial Army.
Date: Sunday, February 19, 2017. Time: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (the skirmish is at 2 p.m.). Location: Fort Ward Park, 4301 W. Braddock Road. Ticket Price: Free. Registration is not required. Site Contact: Fort Ward Museum;
telephone (703) 838-4848.
Parade Day!
Monday February 20, 2017
Breakfast & Meeting of the Friendship Veterans Fire
Engine Association
Meet special guests, and enjoy a hearty breakfast with members of this historic association.
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Ticket Price: $35. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to:
friendshipfireco.org.
Speaker: S. E. Cupp, Columnist and Political Commentator. Location: George Washington Masonic National Memorial.
Wreath Laying Ceremony
at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the Revolution. Colonial military and civilians honor the soldiers of the Revolution. Time: 11:00 a.m. to Noon. Ticket Price: Free.
Location: Old Presbyterian Meeting House, 321 So. Fairfax Street, Alexandria.
Armed Forces Community Covenant Ceremony
Join us as we honor our Nation’s Veterans, Active Military, and their families with music, games and activities for children, military vehicles, demonstrations, informational booths and displays.
Time: 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Ticket Price: Free. Location: Parade Reviewing Stand at Market Square (King & Royal Streets).
George Washington Birthday Parade
The largest parade in the USA that celebrates
Washington’s Birthday – in his chosen hometown!
Time: 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Location: Old Town Alexandria.Grand Marshal: Earl Cook, (retired) Police Chief, Alexandria Police Department. Special Guest: Olympic Silver Medal Winner, Boxer Shakur Stevenson. In case of weather cancellation, the Parade will be held on June 3, 2017.
Historic Alexandria sites “Open Houses”
Admission is free to these sites on Parade Day…In honor of the birthday of George Washington. For more information, please contact each individual site.
Gadsby’s Tavern Museum
134 North Royal Street, Alexandria. Time: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Contact: Gadsby’s Tavern Museum 703- 746-4242.
Friendship Firehouse Museum
107 S. Alfred St., Alexandria. Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Contact: Friendship Firehouse Museum 703-838-3891.
Old Presbyterian Meeting House
323 South Fairfax Street; Time: 10a.m. to 4 p.m. Contact: Old Presbyterian Meeting House (703) 549-6670.
The Lyceum
201 S. Washington St.; Time: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Contact: The Lyceum, Alexandria’s History Museum (703) 838-4994
Carlyle House
121 N. Fairfax St., Alexandria. Time: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Contact: Carlyle House Museum (703) 549-2997.
Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum
105-107 S. Fairfax St.; Time: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Contact: Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum, (703) 746-3852.
Christ Church
118 N. Washington St.: Time: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Contact: Christ Church,
(703) 549-1450.
George Washingtonís Birthday
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Wreath Laying at the Tomb of George Washington
8:00 a.m., at Mount Vernon by Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22.
“George Washington, America’s Foremost Entrepreneur”
The United States was conceived in business, founded on business, and operated as a business—all because of the entrepreneurial mind of the greatest American businessman of any generation: George Washington. Using Washington’s extensive but often overlooked financial papers, Edward G. Lengel, Chief Historian of the White House Historical Association, chronicles the fascinating and inspiring story of how this self-educated man built the Mount Vernon estate into a vast multilayered enterprise and prudently managed meager resources to win the war of independence. Lengel’s book, First Entrepreneur, will transform how Americans think about George Washington and how his success in commercial enterprise influenced and guided the emerging nation.
Time: 7:30 p.m. Location: Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, 134 N. Royal Street, Alexandria. Ticket Price: $12 per person or $10 for Society members and volunteers. To register, www.alexandriava.gov/GadsbysTavern. Site Contact: Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, (703) 746-4242.
Saturday, February 25, 2017
Events organized by the George Washington Masonic National Memorial. For
information about the following events, please visit http://gwmemorial.org.
George Washington Symposium
“Washington and the Northern Virginia Frontier, 1732 to 1775” — North Lodge Room, 1:00 p.m. No cost, but please register via www.gwmemorial.org.
Annual George Washington Birthday Gala
Attire: Formal (White Tie Optional.) Tickets $125, reservations required. Reception at 5:30 p.m., entertainment in the Memorial Theater at 6:45 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 for the Gala are $125, and may be purchased at website, http://gwmemorial.org. For more information contact Shawn Eyer, Director of Communications, via e-mail at seyer@gwmemorial.org.