During the Columbus Day weekend, Sarah and I were invited to take a great mother-daughter trip to Alexandria, Virginia. More about this fun getaway later, but one of the many things that I liked about this easy destination was that it was so dog friendly. In fact, in a town of less than 160,000 inhabitants, there are almost 40,000 canine pets. Dog accessible stores and hotels are readily available there.
During our visit we could also see that the inhabitants of this historic town were gearing up for Halloween.
And it became slightly obvious that their beloved dogs would also be included in this annual event.
Here are some of Alexandria’s upcoming Halloween events, many of which are dog inclusive:
Bark or Treat Canine Cruise
October 27, 2017 at 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Admission: $18 adults; $12 ages 2-11; dogs free
Alexandria City Marina, 1 Cameron St., Alexandria, VA 22314
703-684-0580
www.potomacriverboatco.com
Come out with your costumed canine and cruise to some Halloween tunes along the Potomac! We will have Halloween treats on board. Be sure to have your four-legged friend in their best costume.
Zombie Escape at Carlyle House
October 28, 2017, 6:30-10 p.m.
Admission: $30 ages 13 and up
Carlyle House, 121 N. Fairfax St., Alexandria, VA 22314
703-549-2997
www.CarlyleHouse.org
Bring your wit to an escape-the-room style event inspired by The Walking Dead. The Zombie Apocalypse. D.C. was one of the first cities to fall when the apocalypse began. As such, Alexandria was a close second due to proximity. However, your group has managed to survive by barricading off a hotel. For a while the supplies were enough to keep your group going. But now, they are dwindling at a fast rate. To keep your group afloat, several of you have volunteered to head out on a supply run. Now, you must navigate your way through zombie infested territory to claim what supplies are on your list and make it back to your base safely. Your group will have 20 minutes to crack a series of puzzles and physical feats to obtain all the supplies needed for your survival group back at the hotel.
21st Annual Del Ray Halloween Parade
October 29, 2017, 2-4 p.m.
Admission: Free
Mount Vernon and Commonwealth Avenues, Alexandria, VA 22305
www.visitdelray.com
Don your best Halloween costume and join thousands of participants in one of Del Ray’s favorite traditions. The 21st Annual Del Ray Halloween Parade begins at Mount Vernon Ave., south of E. Bellefonte, and continues down to the Mount Vernon Recreation Center play fields at Mount Vernon and Commonwealth Avenues. Children, pets and strollers in costumes are invited to march and show off their finest and scariest Halloween garb with prizes in different categories. The parade and all activities are free! Please note that both judging for Best Decorated Stroller and registration for Best Pet Costume will begin at 1:30 p.m.
Ghost & Graveyard Tour
Presented by Alexandria Colonial Tours
October 1-31, 2017 nightly at 7:30 p.m.; Friday & Saturday second tour at 9 p.m.
Admission: $13 adults; $7 ages 7-17
Tour departs from Alexandria Visitor Center, 221 King St., Alexandria, VA 22314
703-519-1749
www.alexcolonialtours.com
You’ll follow an 18th-century costumed guide by lantern light through the charming streets of Alexandria’s historic district known as Old Town. On this entertaining tour you’ll hear ghost stories, legends and folklore. You will also hear about unsolved mysteries, tales of romance and angry ghosts looking for revenge. Appropriate for ages 9 and up. No pets please.
Ghosts of Alexandria Tour
Presented by Discover Alexandria
Every Friday in October at 6:30 p.m. and every Sunday in October at 7 p.m.
Admission: $12 adults; $10 senior citizens and students, active duty military and veterans; $5 children; free for ages 5 and under
Tours starts at the Alexandria Visitor Center, 221 King St., Alexandria, VA 22314
https://discoveralexva.wordpress.com
This ghostly experience explores Alexandria’s most haunted locations on and off the beaten path.
Ghosts & Grief Halloween Tours at Lee-Fendall House
October 20 and 27, 2017 starting at 7 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Admission: $8 in advance; $10 at the door; free to members
Lee-Fendall House, 614 Oronoco St., Alexandria, VA 22314
703-548-1789
www.leefendallhouse.org
Celebrate Halloween with a look at Victorian mourning traditions coupled with stories of supernatural encounters at the Lee-Fendall House with special nighttime tours. Learn more about the rituals and customs behind our modern-day funeral practices. Customs such as draping the mirrors, how long a widow would mourn for her husband or children, social expectations and dress will be explored.
Lecture: History of Candy
October 21, 2017 at 11 a.m.
Admission: $15
Alexandria Black History Museum, 902 Wythe St., Alexandria, VA 22314
703-746-4356
www.alexandriava.gov/BlackHistory
Susan Benjamin, candy historian, returns to the Alexandria Black History Museum to talk about the historic origins of candy based on her book Sweet as Sin: The Unwrapped Story of How Candy Became America’s Favorite Pleasure. This program focuses on African-American contributions to sugar production and candy making.
Raven’s Night at The Legendary Birchmere Music Hall
October 21, 2017;Doors open 5 p.m.; main show at 7:30 p.m.
Admission: $25
The Legendary Birchmere Music Hall, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria, VA 22305
703-549-7500
www.ravensnight.com
Belladonna and Ken Vegas invite you to step out of the ordinary and into an extraordinary evening of entertainment! Raven’s Night is excited to take you back in time with an all new show inspired by the “Beautiful Age” in France, from 1871-1914. An era of romance, flourishing arts and ever-growing styles of entertainment. Get out your evening wear, your favorite gothic or steam punk duds and join us for this enchanting soiree!
The Gadsby’s Tavern Ghost Tour
October 27, 2017 from 7-9 p.m.; tours every 30 minutes
Admission: $20 adults; $10 ages 7-17
Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, 134 N. Royal St., Alexandria, VA 22314
703-519-1749
www.alexcolonialtours.com
Follow your colonial-costumed guide through the eerie Alexandria streets, visit a cemetery and enter one of the most haunted buildings in Old Town. You’ll hear the tragic story of the Female Stranger, and visit the very room where this mysterious woman was transformed into a ghost! Portions of the proceeds benefit Gadsby’s Tavern Museum.
4th Annual Halloween Pumpkin Hunt
October 28, 2017 from 10:30 a.m., 12:30 and 2:30 p.m.
Admission: $5 adults; $15 ages 1-10; infants free
Lee-Fendall House, 614 Oronoco St., Alexandria, VA 22314
703-548-1789
www.leefendallhouse.org
Alexandria’s ghosts and goblins will fill our garden with hundreds of colorful toy-filled pumpkins for local children to discover. Other activities include crafts to take home, a sticker station, temporary tattoos, spooky stories, a costume parade with prizes as well as drinks and refreshments. Every participating child receives a pumpkin—one pumpkin in each of our pumpkin hunt sessions will have a certificate for a special prize hidden inside. Costumes encouraged!
Ghostly Tales at Carlyle House
October 28, 2017, 7-10 p.m.
Admission: $5
Carlyle House, 121 N. Fairfax St., Alexandria, VA 22314
703-549-2997
www.CarlyleHouse.org
Join storytellers from Alexandria’s Footsteps to the Past on the front lawn of Carlyle House for ghostly tales of Alexandria’s past. S’mores kits will be available for purchase. Along with the ghost stories, there will be a photo booth set up inside Carlyle House, as well as snacks for sale.
Doggie Trick-or-Treat
October 29, 2017, 1-3 p.m.
Admission: Free
The Dog Park, 705 King St., Alexandria, VA 22314
703-888-2818
www.thedogparkva.biz
It’s that time of year again! You and your family—especially your doggies—to come to Old Town and trick-or-treat together. We will have treats, sales and a costume contest. Come to The Dog Park in Old Town Alexandria to get your map and pictures taken, then tour the rest of the participating stores to get more treats and find a sale or two in town.
Special Halloween Ghost Tour
Presented by Discover Alexandria
October 30, 2017 at 8:15 p.m.
Admission: $12 adults; $10 senior citizens and students, active duty military and veterans; $5 children; free for ages 5 and under
Tours starts at the Alexandria Visitor Center, 221 King St., Alexandria, VA 22314
https://discoveralexva.wordpress.com
The Halloween Ghost Tour starts at the Alexandria Visitor Center and wraps through the back roads of Old Town stopping at places like The Christmas Attic, John Douglas Brown House, Old Presbyterian Meeting House, and many more. The Halloween Ghost Tour takes visitors past Christ Church to other less-visited stops like the Freedom House. At each stop guides cover a brief background of the location, what horrible event occurred there, and what modern day paranormal phenomenon was detected. Guests are guaranteed to leave with the chills!
Poe in Alexandria
October 30 and 31, 2017 at 8 p.m.
Admission: $15
The Lyceum, 201 S. Washington St., Alexandria, VA 22314
703-746-4994
https://shop.alexandriava.gov
Come to The Lyceum: Alexandria’s History Museum for two unforgettable Halloween evenings with America’s earliest master of the macabre, Edgar Allen Poe! Actor David Keltz returns to The Lyceum’s lecture hall to re-create Poe’s visit to Virginia in 1849, shortly before his death. Individual works performed each year vary, but the program always includes a chilling story or two such as “The Black Cat,” “The Cask of Amontillado,” or “The Tell-Tale Heart,” along with well-known poems “The Raven” and “El Dorado.” Keltz’s performance has been lauded by The Poe House and Museum in Baltimore, The Poe Museum in Richmond, and the Poe National Historic Site in Philadelphia.
Trick-or-Treating at Carlyle House
October 31, 2017, 5-7 p.m.
Admission: Free
Carlyle House, 121 N. Fairfax St., Alexandria, VA 22314
703-549-2997
www.CarlyleHouse.org
Bring your little ghosts, goblins, princesses and action heroes to one of Alexandria’s most haunted dwellings for a fun evening of free trick-or-treating.
Find more Halloween events at www.visitalexandriava.com/halloween.
Travel Gal Kim Swidler 