Here comes Santa Claus!

You’ve been waiting all year and now it’s time to welcome Santa Claus to Alexandria! Here’s where you’ll find the big man in town!

Alexandria Tree Lighting Ceremony: Friday, Nov. 29, 6 p.m., Old Town Alexandria’s Market Square (301 King Street). Celebrate the city’s annual tree lighting ceremony. Admission is free and the event will be held rain or shine. Mayor Bill Euille and Mr. and Mrs. Claus will light the city’s tree and there will be a community singalong with the Alexandria Harmonizers and the Alexandria Choral Society.

Light Up the Village at Shirlington: Dec. 3, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Shirlington. Families are invited to take photos with Shirlington’s Santa Claus and participate in activities for children. Horse-drawn carriage rides through the village will also be available.

Del Ray Tree Lighting and Luminarias: Friday, Dec. 6, 6 p.m. Alexandria’s Del Ray community will come together at the corner of Mount Vernon and E. Oxford Avenues to sing carols light the neighborhood tree. Santa is expected to drop by and will likely be available for photos. Mount Vernon Avenue will be lit with hundreds of luminarias.

Breakfast with Santa at Union St. Public House: Breakfast is table-service and we will have a very special menu, including some all-time favorites like Eggs Benedict and Belgian Malted Waffles. Only $13.50 per child and $22 per adult. Cost includes breakfast, milk, soda, coffee, tea, tax, gratuity, and, of course, a visit with Santa. Six seatings each day starting at 8:30 am.

Landmark Mall: Visit Santa in the Center Court any day until Dec. 24th

Santa Claus is Coming to Old Town: Santa and Mrs. Claus are back in Old Town Alexandria to take pictures with children every Saturday and Sunday between Thanksgiving and Christmas. This opportunity is presented by the Old Town Boutique District in partnership with the City of Alexandria and the support of area businesses.

See Santa at Pentagon City: Santa even has special hours for photos with pets! He takes breaks to feed the reindeer at 1 and 5 p.m. More info here.

Scottish Walk Parade: The Campagna Center’s Scottish Christmas Walk Weekend and Parade draws nearly 30,000 individuals and families. Tourists travel from throughout the Mid-Atlantic region to participate in this celebrated community event. More than 100 Scottish Clans, pipe and drum bands, Scottish dancers, re-enactment groups, Scottie dogs, dignitaries and, of course, Santa Claus will march through the streets of Old Town. Parade begins at St. Asaph and Wolfe St.

Breakfast with Santa: Join Del Ray United Methodist Church’s Free Annual Breakfast with Santa on Sat., Dec. 7th at 9 a.m.

Visit Mrs. Claus: Greenstreet Gardens at 1721 W Braddock Rd will have a fun twist on visiting Santa. Visit their open house on Saturday, Dec. 30th and meet Mrs. Claus.  Have your picture taken with her and give her your letter for Santa.

Whistle Stop Toys and Hobbies: Santa is coming to Whistle Stop Toys and Hobbies on Friday, November 29th. Along with Mrs. Claus and one of his cute little elves! Come take a picture with him and enjoy some holiday cheer!

Brunch with Santa at the Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City: Enjoy holiday brunch with a very special guest, Santa Clause! Sing your favorite holiday tunes along with our Christmas carolers, and receive a special gift. Reservations from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Scottish Christmas Walk Weekend

We’re all wrapped up and stuffed from Thanksgiving and now it’s time to start looking forward to Christmas! This weekend marks an exciting start to the Christmas season with the Scottish Christmas Walk Weekend. There are several events to enjoy with your family.

The first is the Deck the Halls with Santa!

This fun event for children is held on Friday Nov. 30th from 1-3 p.m. at the Masonic Temple. Kids will get to meet Santa and “Plaid the Dog.” The event features age appropriate crafts for children to help “Deck the Halls,” seasonal treats, and a raffle full of goodies, toys, and experiences for the whole family to enjoy. Note that crafts are ideally for ages 2-5 with little assistance required. The Masonic Temple does not permit strollers.

Tickets are $30 for adults; $15 for children 11 and under. You can purchase your tickets online.

Saturday, Dec. 1st beginning at 11 a.m. is the Scottish Christmas Walk Parade.

The parade features Scottish Clans, music, dancing and lots of dog groups. Line up early to get a good spot, because the parade attracts over 30,000 to Old Town to watch the 140+ groups march. The parade kicks off at 11 and will likely go until 1. Here’s the map of the parade route.

At the end of the parade there is a massed band concert where all the musicians from the parade gather in market square to perform. This is a truly amazing experience!

All of the events of the weekend are presented by The Campagna Center. The Center is responsible for providing educational and developmental services for children and families.

Welcome to HOP!

I met with Hands On Play’s (HOP) owner Sharon Thomason-Sekyi several months ago while she was preparing to open her newest venture. Sharon arrived in Alexandria with experience from the North East Stars Montessori school that she runs in DC. She saw something missing in Old Town and stepped up to fill in that gap!

HOP is filling a much needed role in Old Town as a welcoming place for children and parents. Sharon’s goal is for HOP to be a one-stop enrichment center for fun and academics serving children ages 1-12. She’s working to bring in enrichment classes on topics that parents want. Her staff is managed by licensed teachers and administrators. They are working on their offerings, so if you have an interest, pass it along! The idea for the classes is that you can drop in at anytime. You don’t sign up for a ‘session’, you simply pay per class.

Another exciting offering at HOP is the Montessori inspired playroom that helps little ones to develop fine motor skills. Rainy and cold days are no problem with this gem located near Trader Joes! Pop into HOP and let your kids run out some energy in a great setting. HOP even allows drop off play so that busy moms and dads can run errands. Drop and shop is available for children 3-12 for up to 90 minutes. Reservations are recommended. The cost for play area use is only $10 for all day or $8 an hour. HOP also hosts birthday parties and playdates, so call to book your group.

HOP is located at 688 N St. Asaph Street on the same block as Trader Joe’s.  Hours are Monday-Friday 12pm-7pm, Sat. 10am-12pm.

Nothing says Christmas in Old Town like the Scottish Christmas Walk Weekend!

One of Old Towns biggest holiday traditions is happening as I type; The 41st Annual Scottish Christmas Walk Weekend! The taste of Scotland will be tonight and boy am I looking forward to this parents night out with my husband!  The heather and greens sale & the Christmas marketplace will be going on today until 5 p.m. and then the heather and greens sale will pick back up tomorrow from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Masonic Temple.

The big draw for the kiddos (if you missed your chance to score tickets for ‘Deck the Halls with Santa’ ) will be the big parade starting at 11 a.m. tomorrow morning.  Over 100 Scottish Clans, pipe and drum bands, Scottish dancers, re-enactment groups, Scottie dog groups, dignitaries and, of course, Santa Claus will march through the streets of Old Town. The parade route begins at the corner of Wilkes and South Saint Asaph Streets in Old Town and ends at King and Royal Streets. Following the parade a massed band concert takes place at King and Royal Streets in front of City Hall at Market Square at 1 p.m.

The Campagna Center will have an open house from 12-5 p.m. also on Saturday where they will be featuring a model train display by the Potomac Module Crew.   The Campagna Center, an organization that provides vital services for Alexandria’s children and families, puts on the Walk Weekend as their largest fundraising activity.

The Santa Train

The Santa train arrives in Alexandria on December 5th, 12th and 19th. Tickets can be purchased at Whistle Stop Hobbies in old town at 130 S. Royal St.  Ticket have to be purchased and picked up in person but you can call 703-549-4912 for more details.

 

Book reading and signing at The Christmas Attic

This Saturday at The Christmas Attic in Old Town, meet children’s author Teresa Scoot Woodside, the author of her popular book series called Clemmie. She will be doing a book reading and signing from 1-3PM. Open to all ages.