🌱 New Alexandria Budget Proposal + New Del Ray Dog Fest! + Museum

Hey, everybody! It's me, Sean Peek, your host of the Del Ray Patch newsletter. Here are all the most important things to know about what's happening in town.

But first, your local weather:

• Thursday: A couple of morning showers. High: 69 Low: 42.
• Friday: Cooler with periods of rain. High: 46 Low: 42.

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Here are the top three stories in Del Ray today:

1. On Feb. 28, City Manager James Parajon met with the Alexandria City Council to present his proposal for the fiscal year 2024 city budget which includes a General Fund Base Operating Budget of $881.1 million. Parajon will review and explain the budget to residents at a budget presentation on Mar. 2 at 7 p.m. at Charles E. Beatley Jr. Central Library, located at 5005 Duke St. (The Zebra)
2. The very first Del Ray Dog Fest, a new spring festival celebrating all things dogs, will be held Sunday, Apr. 2! All dogs and humans are invited to attend the event, which includes dog activities, dog menu items, live music, vendors, and of course food. The event is from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the George Washington Middle School parking lot, located at 1005 Mount Vernon Ave. (Del Ray Patch)
3. The Alexandria Black History Museum is reopened for the first time since it closed in March 2020. On Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 28, the museum celebrated the opening and the completion of the building renovations. Audrey Davis, the Office of Historic Alexandria's director of African American history, said, "We have a new exhibition and we also re-evaluated one of our old exhibitions. We're putting the focus more on stories told by Black voices." (WJLA ABC 7)

Today and tomorrow in Del Ray:

Thursday, March 2

• The Inklings At James M. Duncan Jr. Branch Library (6:00 PM)
• Vanessa Carlton At Birchmere, Alexandria (7:30 PM)

Friday, March 3

• “Fun With One” Exhibit Opening Reception By Rusty Lynn At 2704 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria (7:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• There were 99 pets adopted from the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria in February! Animal Welfare League thanks all the adopters and supporters. (Animal Welfare League of Alexandria via Facebook)
• The cherry blossom peak bloom is predicted for Mar. 22-25! You know what that means, mark your calendars for the special events and offerings throughout Alexandria. (Visit Alexandria VA via Facebook)
• The local real estate scene is buzzing with activity, and there are a variety of homes to browse these days. Check out the latest homes for sale in the Del Ray area, including a two-bedroom on E. Linden Street for $799,900! (Del Ray Patch)

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Featured events:

• Reserve Mansion, Mclean Downsizing Online Auction (March 2)
• Win $2,000 at the Alexandria Wedding Showcase! (March 5)
• Taxes in Retirement Seminar on March 7th and 8th at Marymount University (March 7)
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You're all caught up for today. I'll see you around!

— Sean Peek

About me: Sean Peek is a writer and entrepreneur with a degree in English Literature from Weber State University. Over the years, he has worked as a copywriter, editor, SEO specialist, and marketing director for various digital media companies. He currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.