If you like street music, then you'll find no better spot to wander than Old Town Alexandria. Through-out the week, especially on weekends, musicians gather in Old Town at street corners and near the waterfront to play music for tips and applause. Most are highly talented professionals, some are learning to play their instrument in front of a crowd. I enjoy them both in different ways.
Here in Old Town Alexandria, you'll find everything from a lonely saxophone, to steel drums to an entire band. Below I've collected a few photos to give you a taste of Old Town's many musicians.
This foursome was phenomenal singing and playing old time mountain music. It was a great throwback to the Carters because the gal in the front on the guitar was a great singer. The banjo player and bass were on point, and I love the texture that the mandolin (seated behind guitar) provided.
The glass harp as played by Jamie Turner is an old town treat one simply must hear in person to appreciate.
Harpist
This miss not only strummed the harp to perfection but also sang beautifully.
At the waterfront behind the Torpedo Factory there are often a few soloists serving up music for passers-by.
Old Town is full of shops, restaurants and attractions.
Many people feel that Old Town is the heart of Alexandria VA.
As the name implies, Old Town is the oldest part of Alexandria, a port in colonial times. Historic Old Town Alexandria is found along the Potomac, just inside the Woodrow Wilson Bridge and then north toward Reagan National Airport. Old Town is served by the King St. Metro and the King St. trolley. With over 100 restaurants, shops, boutiques, coffee shops, ice cream houses and more, there's always fun to be found in Old Town.
For more information or to set up an appointment call Nesbitt Realty at (703)765-0300.
The National Christmas Tree and the Washington Monument
The first national Christmas celebrations began in 1913 when President Woodrow Wilson and over 20,000 visitors gathered together at the Capitol with a lighted community Christmas tree that began the national event.
In 1923, Vermont’s Middlebury College had presented the first official National Christmas Tree as a gift. It was decorated with 2,500 red, white and green lights and was lit by President Calvin Coolidge on the Eve of Christmas at President’s Park situated to the south of the White House also known as the Ellipse. Through the years, the National Christmas Tree had been relocated to several areas such as in 1923 when it was relocated to Sherman Plaza and to Lafayette Park years after, and was returned to the Ellipse in 1939.
On December 17, 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower started the lighting of the National Christmas Tree for the Pageant of Peace, permitting more visitors to view the lighting and celebrating Christmas Eve at home with family.
From a single Christmas tree, the National Christmas Tree now is accompanied by 56 smaller Christmas trees representing each state, territory and the District of Columbia. The National Christmas Tree is lit with reflection of the current events such as when the lights were turned off for a moment in support of the American hostages in Lebanon and their families on Christmas Eve in 1985 as instructed by President George H. W. Bush, and the lighting in 2001, when the children of the September 11 attack victims of the Pentagon had assisted in the lighting.
An array of trees, such as the Balsam Fir, Fraser Fir, Engelmann Spruce and Red Cedar were constantly donated for the event till 1973, when the National Arborist Association then donated a 42 foot blue spruce intended as a permanent National Christmas Tree till it began to die and thus a 40 foot tall living Colorado blue spruce was donated from Maryland and served as the National Christmas Tree. Standard filament burning bulbs had long ago decorated the National Christmas, then Solar energy was then used in 1995 to light the tree, in 2007 energy efficient LED lights are now used as a reminder to everyone that energy can be saved to decrease carbon footprint.
Every year, the tree lighting ceremony begins the festivities of the National Christmas Tree program or “Pageant of Peace”, with re-known performers and a military band and a message of peace by the President dedicated to everyone worldwide. Entertainment and musical performances provided by volunteer choirs, bands and dancers are for free.
For the “Christmas Pathway of Peace”, the National Christmas Tree and its accompanying 56 smaller trees shall be lit every night at dusk till 11pm all through the 1st of January. While model trains surrounding the base of the National Christmas Tree are provided by the National Christmas Tree Railroad.
The glass harp as played by Jamie Turner is an old town treat one simply must hear in person to appreciate.
At the waterfront behind the Torpedo Factory there are often a few soloists serving up music for passers-by.
