2 Holiday Parades Return For Alexandria's Biggest Holiday Weekend

ALEXANDRIA, VA —Alexandria's busiest weekend of the holiday season arrives on Saturday, when a parade doubleheader draws many visitors to the city. The 53rd Annual Alexandria Scottish Christmas Walk Parade and the 24th Annual Alexandria Holiday Boat Parade of Lights will be held on Saturday Dec. 6 at 11 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., respectively. Old Town Alexandria residents and visitors should prepare for road and parking closures.

The Alexandria Scottish Christmas Walk Parade will run from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the streets of Old Town Alexandria. The parade is a nod to Alexandria's 1749 founding by Scottish merchants and its naming after Scotsman John Alexander, who owned the land that became Alexandria. More than 100 parade units participate, including dozens of Scottish clans dressed in colorful tartans, pipe and drum bands, terriers and hounds and community groups. The grand marshal in 2025 is Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins, and the Masters of Ceremonies are NBC4 Northern Virginia bureau chief Julie Carey and former Scottish American Women’s Society of Washington, D.C. president Heather Haddock.

The parade route starts at S. St. Asaph and Wolfe Streets, goes up St. Asaph Street, turns on Queen Street, Fairfax Street and King Street before ending at King and Pitt Streets. The parade is produced by Visit Alexandria in partnership with Campagna Center and the City of Alexandria with support from Wegmans, Scottish Government USA and First Watch Strategies & Events.

Before parade day, the Campagna Center will host Taste of Scotland, a ticketed event with tastings of Scotch and whiskeys. The event is a fundraiser for the Campagna Center's educational programs.

After the Scottish Christmas Walk Parade, visitors can stick around for the 25th Annual Alexandria Holiday Boat Parade of Lights sponsored by Amazon along the Potomac River shoreline at 5:30 p.m. Dockside activities will start at 2 p.m. and run until 8 p.m. The parade features at least 50 brightly lit boats showcasing their illuminated displays along one mile of the Potomac River shoreline from Old Town North to Ford’s Landing Park. Suggested viewing areas are Rivergate City Park, Oronoco Bay Park, Founders Park, Alexandria City Marina, Waterfront Park, Point Lumley Park, Robinson Landing, Shipyard/Harborside Park, Windmill Hill Park and Ford's Landing City Park. The parade could last 45 to 60 minutes.

In between the parade, dockside festivities will happen at Waterfront Park, including a pop-up beer garden from Port City Brewing Company, food and beverage vendors and family-friendly activities. Activities at Waterfront Park will end at 5:30 p.m. as the parade begins. Other participating vendors include Frank Pepe Pizza Napoletana, Tequila & Taco, Together We Bake, A.M. Kettle, Dolci Gelati, Penny Post, Pippin Toy Co., AR Workshop Alexandria, Lee-Fendall House Museum and Garden, and A Hobby Gone Wild.

The parade is produced by Visit Alexandria in collaboration with the City of Alexandria, City Cruises – Alexandria and the Old Dominion Boat Club.

Road closures, no parking zones and reserved parking will be in effect on Saturday to facilitate the parades. Areas along the Scottish Christmas Walk Parade will have no parking and reserved parking signs posted. A one-way traffic pattern will be implemented on Union Street between Duke Street and Queen Street starting at 3 p.m. into the evening. Drivers should be aware the unit block, 100 block and 200 block of King Street are pedestrian zones permanently closed to vehicular traffic. During parade day, Lee Street from Duke Street to Cameron Street will be open to local traffic only for residents, customers, parking garage patrons and deliveries. The intersection of King Street and Lee St. will be closed to all vehicles.

Residents and visitors can see a map of road closures for the parades.