Business Profile

THE OLD TOWN SHOP

105 South Union Street 703-684-4682

theoldtownshop.com

Open 7 Days a Week 10 am – 9 pm

The Old Town Shop: “Where the Past Is Your Present”

It is hard to believe that this wonderful little shop hasn’t been around for many years. It just has that sort of vibe when you walk into the foyer and into the door on your right at 105 South Union Street. The Old Town Shop (OTS) will celebrate its 5 year anniversary in March of 2022. After the closing of a longtime favorite specialty retailer, The Virginia Shop that was located pretty much just across the street from the OTS, it was a welcome addition to the shopping scene in Old Town. We missed our “Virginia” specific retailer and were very excited to hear about long time Alexandria resident Valerie Ianieri’s plan to open an “Old Town Alexandria” specific venue. This shop is not just for those visitors who want to take something home to re mind them of their experience in our fair city but it is for those of us who live here and want to share our fabulous locally made products and history with family and friends alike. Ianieri is definitely following through with her vision to help preserve and promote the culture, history and most importantly the creativity of our Alexandria locals along with others in the Commonwealth.

This shop is a PERFECT place to find a gift that will impress that person on your list who has everything. The description on the OTS website pretty much says it all:

“The Old Town Shop is the only area shop to feature a variety of local curated artisan products that are offered at the Alexandria Farmers’ Market. This section, known as Locals’ Alley, is dedicated to showcasing a variety of artisans who vend regularly at the Farmers’ Market, giving these artisans a more permanent presence in a retail space. Featured vendors include Truly Life (bath & body), Capital Candles (soy candles), Watermelan Designs (jewelry), Together We Bake (granola & trail mix), and Napier Farms (jams & jellies). In addition, the Shop sells custom-designed “OTX” and Old Town Alexandria branded merchandise. Other gifts include gourmet food, books, collectives, and hospitality items for tourists and residents. The Port, our historical section, promotes the history of Alexandria, known as The Port City, with a representation of twelve state mile markers depicting the historic importance of the area.”

The OTC - open 7 days a week from 10am to 9pm - is located at the foot of King Street on North Union Street right next door to the iconic Windsor Salon and just a few steps from another icon, Union Street Public House. It is definitely in good company of this block.

While you are checking out the holiday happenings in Old Town, make it a point to explore the side streets off of the main drag and make the OTS one of your stops. You will not be disappointed!

Del Ray Vintage & Flea Market

9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission: Free Parking Lot 1900 Mount Vernon Ave. 703-915-2214 • delrayvintageflea.com Don’t miss the holiday edition of this monthly outdoor vintage and flea market in the heart of Alexandria’s bustling Del Ray neighborhood. Find 50+ vendors offering vintage, antique, thrift and artisan goods at two open-air lots, with free appraisals plus bakery and coffee booths.

A Victorian Christmas

On the hour from 11 a.m. through 3 p.m. Admission: $10 for adults; $8 for children (ages 2-12); free for children under 2 Lee-Fendall House, 614 Oronoco St. 703-548-1789 • leefendallhouse.org Experience the wonder of the season by visiting the Lee-Fendall House for a family-friendly Victorian Christmas. Enjoy traditional décor, music, seasonal crafts, a visit with Santa, a toy exhibit and more. All recommended health requirements, including face masks and social distancing, will be followed.

6th Annual Del Ray Candy Cane Bar Crawl

1 to 6 p.m. Admission: $15 for advanced tickets; $20 at the door Various locations along Mount Vernon Ave. 703-683-2570 • visitdelray.com Take a break from the bustle of holiday preparations and enjoy specialty drinks and delights at Del Ray restaurants during a neighborhood bar crawl to benefit Neighborhood Health. Enjoy holiday costume contests for individuals and groups, raffle prizes and live music. Trolley transportation will be provided along the avenue.

Christmas Market and Holiday Craft Show

11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission: Free John Carlyle Square Park 300 John Carlyle St. thecarlylecommunity.com John Carlyle Square Park will dress up for the holidays and host more than 80 artisans and crafters, independent consultants and other local small businesses. Check off your shopping list with everything from unique handmade jewelry to organic bath and body products to home décor, holiday ornaments and much more. Take a break from shopping to enjoy the beautiful Christmas Carols Show and bring little ones the Elves’ Shop where they can create a customized Christmas ornament. But make sure they do not miss when Santa stops by, ready to take pictures with him.

Civil War Christmas in Camp

12 to 4 p.m. Admission: Suggested donation is $2 per person; $5 per family Fort Ward Museum & Historic Site 4301 W. Braddock Rd. 703-746-4848 • alexandriava.gov/fortward Get in the holiday spirit with a patriotic Union Santa Claus, reenactors in winter camps celebrating the season, period decorations, soldier-led fort tours and kids’ crafting activities.

11TH, 12TH, 18TH & 19TH

Tall Ship Providence Christmas Story Time

12 p.m., 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. Admission: $5 per person, with a special rate of $25 for families of more than 5 Tall ship Providence 1 Cameron St. 703-772-8483 • tallshipprovidence.org Come aboard the tall ship Providence for a special Christmas story time. This year’s tale will be “The Christmas Ship,” the true story of the schooner Rouse Simmons, the ship that for years supplied Christmas trees to the people of Chicago by making a dangerous winter crossing of Lake Michigan. This story is sure to delight young sailors ages 5 to 12. Check in at the Gazebo on the G-H Pier next to Founder’s Park.

17TH & 19TH

Alexandria Symphony Orchestra Presents: Home for the Holidays

The ASO brings back the joy of live holiday music that audiences yearned for in 2020. ASO will accompany dancers from BalletNOVA with selections from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker. Alexandria Choral Society joins the ASO for choruses from Händel’s Messiah and will lead the audience in popular holiday carols. The concert will be presented with no intermission. Masks are strongly recommended for non-vaccinated attendees by the CDC, our concert venues and the ASO. For information based on current health guidelines, please visit our website prior to each concert. alexsym.org

17th from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Admission: $20 to $85 per adult, $5 per youth, $15 per student Rachel M. Schlesinger Center Alexandria Campus 4915 East Campus Drive

19th from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.

Admission: $20 to $60 per adult, $5 per youth, $15 per student George Washington Masonic National Memorial 101 Callahan Dr.

Olde Year’s Day at Torpedo Factory Art Center

1 to 5 p.m. Torpedo Factory Art Center 105 N. Union St. 703-746-4570 • torpedofactory.org The whole family can celebrate the close of 2021 at Torpedo Factory Art Center. Find hands-on activities, meet artists working in their studios, and get inspired for 2022.

Photo courtesy Visit Alexandria

Annual First Night Alexandria

12 p.m. to midnight Admission: Free for Market Square Kickoff, Battle of the Buskers, Block Party and fireworks finale; ticket prices vary for individual shows Various locations throughout Old Town Alexandria 703-963-3755 • firstnightalexandria.org Experience the region’s signature New Year’s Eve festival of music and more. Enjoy live performances throughout the day and into the evening for kids, teens, adults and seniors. New events include a kick-off at Market Square and a “Battle of the Buskers,” leading up to the midnight countdown and fireworks finale over the Potomac River. Visit the event website for a full schedule of events.