Old Town's 2026 holiday season will happen at the bottom of King Street. Market Square has been fenced off since winter, and the City says the City Hall and Market Square renovation now runs to fall 2028. So the tree lighting, long held at Market Square, has moved to Waterfront Park this year. That puts it alongside the boat parade and New Year's Eve fireworks, which were already on the river. The City itself is now producing the Scottish Walk parade. The blocks around the construction fence are the ones that could use your company this season.
Behind the fence at 301 King
The City's November 4 update is titled around "holiday impacts" for a reason. "Since Market Square is under construction," it says, "some of our most popular holiday events will move to new locations for the upcoming holiday season."
The work behind the fence has reached a visible stage. Grunley Construction is removing the 1960s infill section of City Hall, and the current job is the tall terra cotta smokestack from the old boiler room. That chimney isn't original to the building. It went up in 1946 and 1947, when a courtyard was dug out for the boiler. Under the new design, those mid-century structures are coming out to make room for community events and City Hall offices. To watch it come down without standing at the fence, the City's project page has a construction webcam that refreshes every 10 minutes.
The timeline has already shifted once. The City says Grunley mobilized in late February and visible deconstruction began in September. An unexpected asbestos cleanup added 10 weeks to the abatement phase. As of the Alexandria Times report on the asbestos discovery on October 7, fall 2028 was still the target. That puts this holiday season first in a run of at least two, and likely three, organized around the closure.
The closure goes beyond the plaza. The Market Square underground garage has been closed to the public since February 9. Fencing has also closed sidewalks and street parking on North Royal, North Fairfax and Cameron streets around the site. City Hall's offices are spread around town. The Mayor and Council, City Clerk, City Manager and Planning & Zoning are at 421 King Street, and Council meets at the Del Pepper Resource Center, 4850 Mark Center Drive.
The tree goes to the river
The first casualty of the closure is the tree lighting's address. The City's 2026 Holiday Tree Lighting is on Saturday, November 21, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Waterfront Park, 1 Prince Street. The City's listing calls it the "New 2026 location." The event is free and open to all ages, with music and a visit from Santa Claus. The Zebra put it plainly on November 6: "Follow King Street down to the Potomac for this year's holiday tree lighting," and it noted that Market Square, "the ceremony's longtime home," is closed for the renovation.
The move gives Waterfront Park all three of the City's big after-dark gatherings this season. The Boat Parade of Lights already belonged to the river, and the City's New Year's Eve fireworks are at Waterfront Park on December 31, with shows at 8 p.m. and midnight. A walk to the water was already part of the season for anyone who went to the boat parade. Now it starts in November.
One new name may be pouring coffee on that corner later in the season. Cana Café plans to open in December at 100 S. Union Street, in the former Starbucks at King and Union, depending on when construction wraps up. ALXnow reported that the café will announce its date and hours once they're set.
December 5 is now a City-run day, morning to night
The other change this year has nothing to do with the fence. The Alexandria Scottish Walk Holiday Parade began more than 50 years ago as a benefit for the Campagna Center, then called the Community Y. Visit Alexandria took over as lead producer in 2022. When it did, the Campagna Center said the parade's scope had grown and the handoff would let it focus on its mission of serving children and families. In 2026, the City of Alexandria became lead producer, with support from the Campagna Center and Visit Alexandria. The City says it took the role "to elevate this signature event as an ongoing source of civic pride and celebration of Alexandria and its communities."
The City is also hosting the Holiday Boat Parade of Lights and handling the 2026 boat applications. For the first time in this arrangement, one organizer runs the whole first Saturday in December, from the bagpipes in the morning to the lit boats at night.
Here is the weekend as currently listed:
| Day | Event | Time | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., Nov. 21 | Holiday Tree Lighting | 6 to 8 p.m. | Waterfront Park, 1 Prince St. |
| Fri., Dec. 4 | Taste of Scotland, Campagna Center | 6:30 to 10 p.m. | See Campagna Center listing |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Scottish Walk Holiday Parade, sponsored by Wegmans | Starts 10:30 a.m. | King, Royal and Fairfax streets |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Boat Parade dockside activities | 2 to 8 p.m. | Waterfront Park |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Holiday Boat Parade of Lights | 5:30 p.m. | Old Town North to Ford's Landing Park |
| Thu., Dec. 31 | New Year's Eve fireworks | 8 p.m. and midnight | Waterfront Park |
The parade itself stays the same. Visit Alexandria describes Scottish clans in tartan, pipe and drum bands, terriers and hounds, and community groups marching through Old Town. The Campagna Center's Taste of Scotland listing says the weekend is hosted in partnership with the City, so the Friday-night tie to the parade's founding charity continues. For boat parade viewing spots and the final schedule, check the City's Holiday Parades page. The City also sends day-of updates by text if you text HOLIDAYSALX to 855-925-2801.
Getting down the hill without the Market Square garage
The City's holiday page is direct about it: "Parking is limited in Old Town during the City Hall and Market Square renovation." It suggests DASH, the King Street Trolley, Metrorail, walking or biking. With a parade route along King, Royal and Fairfax and evening crowds at the foot of Prince Street, these are the options the City names:
- The free King Street Trolley. It runs every 15 minutes from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., every day of the year, so it covers the tree lighting and the boat parade. The 10:30 a.m. parade starts before the first run. The Zebra recommends riding Metrorail to King Street–Old Town and taking the trolley toward the water.
- The garages that replaced Market Square. The City lists Tavern Square, Courthouse Square, Torpedo Factory, South Union Street and 220 North Union as alternatives to the closed garage. The last three are the closest to Waterfront Park.
- The City's live parking page. The City asks visitors to check its Getting Around page before each event, because the guidance may change over the season.
Saturday mornings already moved, and they're on the parade route
The farmers market went first. The Old Town Farmers' Market now runs in the 100 block of North Royal Street and the Tavern Square courtyard, every Saturday year-round, rain or shine, from 7 a.m. to noon. Shoppers park free on Saturdays from 6:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Tavern Square Garage, 418 Cameron Street, and Courthouse Garage, 111 S. Pitt Street.
On December 5, the market runs during the same morning hours as the parade, a block from the route on Royal Street. The free garage window lines up with the parade morning too. That makes Tavern Square Garage a practical place to park for both the market and the pipers, then walk downhill for the boats in the afternoon.
The block behind the fence is the one that needs the foot traffic
The move to the water has a cost, and it falls on the businesses around City Hall. In September, ALXnow reported that shops within a block of 301 King Street were dealing with lost street parking, closed sidewalks and constant construction noise. One of them was Today's Cargo at 117 N. Fairfax Street, where staff described an unusually slow summer. Next door, Carlyle House Historic Park has seen fewer visitors. NOVA Parks Executive Director Justin Wilson told ALXnow, "We have definitely seen impacts due to the moving of the farmer's market, the loss of street parking, the loss of the parking garage and just general challenges with foot traffic."
The City has responded. ALXnow reported that a task force convened by the City Manager, including Visit Alexandria, will meet monthly. Its recommendations include garage partnerships, parking validation and discount programs, a video series on businesses next to City Hall, and advance notice of City events and seasonal activities. Mayor Alyia Gaskins said at the September 8 Council meeting that some ideas "may work better in the summer than they do in the winter." Communications Director Ebony Fleming said the City will review whether the plan is working in January.
This season falls between those two meetings, so how the holidays go on these blocks will shape that January review. On December 5 especially, parade-goers will pass North Fairfax and Cameron streets on the way down to the river. Carlyle House sits right there, and so does Today's Cargo for stocking stuffers. For the next two holiday seasons, the stretch of Old Town most affected by the fence is also the one closest to where the parade passes.
We live and work in these neighborhoods too. If you're thinking about what the 2028 City Hall and a rebuilt Market Square could mean for the streets around them, or you just want to compare notes on parking for parade day, Denny Horner and the Denny & Leyla Team would be glad to hear from you. Contact Us.
