Michael's Grand Opening Sept. 18 in Alexandria: Gift Card Giveaways, Prizes

ALEXANDRIA, VA -- "Crafty" Alexandria residents eagerly awaiting the opening of Michaels at Bradlee Shopping Center will want to hear some new details about the store released Monday.

Here's some new info, by the numbers:

• Size: The new store will be 18,661 square feet
• Employees: The store will employee roughly 60 employees.

The grand opening date for the new store, which takes the place of the Dress Barn and a health club, is Sunday, Sept. 18. The grand opening will include a ribbon cutting, welcoming the new store, taking place at 9:45 a.m. As part of the grand opening celebration, Michaels will be giving away more than $1,500 in gift cards and prizes throughout the day. There will also be special offers in the custom framing department and whole purchase discounts.

The arts and crafts store is expected to open its doors for a "soft opening" on Saturday, Sept. 3 (this contradicts earlier information from a different employee who stated the store would open Friday, Sept. 2; stay tuned).

The soft opening will coincide with Labor Day weekend. The first day of school for Alexandria public schools is Tuesday, Sept. 6.

The new Michaels store will offer a variety of classes on an ongoing basis with options like cake decorating and paper crafting. Additionally, every Saturday, kids can explore their creativity with $2 "Kids Club" crafting events that continue all year long. There will also be some unique free classes available during the soft opening between Sept. 3 and the grand opening on Sept. 18, according to a Michaels spokeswoman.

PHOTO courtesy of Michaels