In the words of T Pain, “She get it from her mama.” And, if we're talking about hosting and entertaining, I got it from my mama. 

In my adult life, I’ve loved throwing parties in our home and hosting all the holidays. Despite the warm and fuzzy feels I get from entertaining, I must confess: I’m a little exhausted. 

This season of life with little kids, plastic toys everywhere, and finger painting on the daily has left me feeling overwhelmed at the prospect of getting my house in tip-top shape. This past year, for the first time, I moved our holiday gathering and a milestone birthday out of our house to a local venue, and it was a game changer. The prospect of showing up to a fully set table (granted, I did plan every single detail of said table) and being able to just leave the mess behind was exactly the relief this hostess needed. And, while I’m certain my love for home entertaining will return soon, I’m fully embracing all of the great event spaces Alexandria has to offer. 

And since I’ve had a backstage pass to all the venues around town as a florist, I thought I’d share some favorites in our backyard that are perfect for private events: 

Virtue Feed and Grain

I’m a huge fan of Virtue Feed and Grain any day, but an especially big fan for events. We’ve done flowers for dozens of small weddings, birthdays, and corporate events in this space -and have even hosted our staff parties here. The team is great, booking was easy, and we found the pricing to be reasonable. Highly recommend. 

Mia’s Italian

Right around the corner from Virtue, and with a similar upstairs vibe. Mia's is warm and inviting with exposed brick walls and cozy lounge furniture. In a historic building, it brings the Old Town charm in a big way. 

Pops Ice Cream Parlor: 109 King Street

I have to give credit to my friend Lindsay for the genius idea to move the chaos of a fourth birthday party out of her backyard into this adorable venue. Parents of young kids take note. You can rent the entire parlor for parties- ice cream included- and can easily bring in outside entertainment like face painters or magicians. For those without kids, I could totally see this venue for a fun retro birthday bash for an adult crowd. (Truth be told- I’m eyeing this for my dad’s 75th. He would get a kick out of an adult ice cream party.)

Cedar Knoll

I’m a Parkway girlie, so I’d be remiss to write this article without a great venue offering for my fellow 22307/22308/22309 dwellers. Cedar Knoll is a fixture of the Ft Hunt area and offers old-world French charm and picturesque river views. I’m a big fan of the Lafayette room with access to the back patio. I could see this space being easily converted into an old-world men’s lounge for a killer birthday party for a dapper guy. Perhaps I’ll be a client for my husband’s 40th? 

Hummingbird

New within the last couple of years, the event space at Hummingbird is beautiful, modern, and bright. If you ask me, Hummingbird has done a beautiful job of positioning itself as a destination for intimate weddings with really great service and food. The venue is a blank canvas, upscale, and incredibly neutral, so if you’re interested in event aesthetics, this is a spot to check out. For groups under 15, we love th

Bonus: Hummingbird has an awesome outdoor space for the warmer months that is perfect for more casual entertaining. 

Athenaeum

Confession: I’ve done a million events here, and I still can’t spell Athenaeum properly. Aside from the tricky name, Athenaeum is quintessential Old Town. If you’re looking for a historic venue with all the charm of the city, this space should be on your shortlist. Bonus: there’s an adorable back courtyard that makes for the perfect intimate cocktail hour. We love this space for intimate weddings, milestones, corporate- you name it. The only drawback is that all food & rentals need to be outsourced here, but that can be easily managed with a call to a caterer.