Our Favorite Holiday Traditions In Alexandria
When you start receiving boxes of smocked Santa dresses, tartan baby bubbles, and crochet reindeer sweaters in July and August, you’d think that you’d feel ready for Christmas by December! But every year, as soon as the madness of Black Friday starts, December feels nonstop. With so many great things to do around town, how can we not? I’m a glutton for holiday activities!
What are our favorite family holiday traditions in Alexandria? Of course, we kick off the season with the Scottish Christmas Walk Parade. I’m married to an Old Town parade enthusiast (this man seriously loves our parades so much) and we always make a special day out of it. After parade festivities, we gear up for the Alexandria Boat Parade of Lights later that night.
Another tradition we love is the Santa Train! The Whistle Stop Hobbies shop organizes four dates to take a train from the King Street Station to Old Town Manassas with Santa and Mrs. Claus on board. When the train stops in Manassas, hot chocolate, cookies, and story time with Hooray for Books are waiting for the kids. We sing Christmas carols on the way home, and everyone is wiped when we get back to Alexandria. With an excitable group of 200 people together on the train, yes, it’s very chaotic – but what Christmas activity isn’t, with kids? My boys have always had a really special visit with Santa and it’s so magical. Tickets go on sale in early October and sell out every year.
Another must for us is ICE! at the Gaylord. Every year, they feature a famous Christmas movie and we nerd out and get across the river as quickly as we can for it. With a wonderland of two million pounds of colorful ice, this year featuring A Christmas Story, we tour the exhibit, ice skate, go down the slides, and buy all the things. None of it is cheap, but the cheesy experience is priceless for us. They used to host a character brunch, too. The Grinch and Bumble the Abominable Snowman from Rudolph both mesmerized and absolutely terrified my guys in all the best ways. They still talk about it years later.
This year I’m hoping to make it to the train display at the United States Botanic Garden, the Zoo Lights, and I also hope to see the Nutcracker at Warner Theater. I love that it’s a Washington D.C. themed show, set in Georgetown in 1882 with George Washington, King George III, and other historical figures.
Water skiing Santa on Christmas Eve at 1pm (around the time my parade-obsessed husband desperately heads to the mall for my present) is always a kick. Another fun outing is checking out the Farmer’s Christmas house on Fairview Drive in Alexandria. It’s decorated with a “gazillion” lights and blow up holiday displays!
I just can’t wait for the wonderful, crazy traditions of the Christmas season. I hope you have a very happy holiday!
