Spooky Fun: 19 Halloween Events in Alexandria

ALEXANDRIA, VA -- Ghostly cemetery tours, family-friendly trick-or-treat events at historic sites and more than a dozen other creative events make Alexandria the spookiest place to celebrate Halloween. Here's more about all the Halloween fun taking place this month in Alexandria, information courtesy of Visit Alexandria:

Dating back to 1749, Alexandria’s history is filled with remarkable stories and mysterious legends of spirits who still haunt the city’s brick-lined streets. Halloween festivities stretch throughout October, encouraging families and visitors to don their most creative costumes at events such as the 20th Annual Del Ray Halloween Parade, Trick-or-Treat with the Boo-tiques and Halloween Tap Takeover. Canine friends are also welcome at special events such as the Bark or Treat Canine Cruise and Doggy Trick-or-Treat. This year only, Port City Brewing Companyand Gadsby’s Tavern Museum join together to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Alexandria’s most famous ghost, the Female Stranger. Celebrate the legend with the release of Port City’s Long Black Veil and try to unravel the mystery.

Here are some of the spooky happenings this month:

Port City Black Veil Happy Hour | Female Stranger Mystery Quest: Oct. 14; happy hour 6-8 p.m., quest 8-10 p.m. Admission: TBA Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, 134 N. Royal St., Alexandria, VA 22314
703-746-4242 https://shop.alexandriava.gov/events.aspx
Join Port City Brewing Co. and Gadsby’s Tavern Museum as we celebrate the release of the Long Black Veil, a special craft beer inspired by the famous tale of the Female Stranger. Proceeds from this special happy hour and event, held on the 200th anniversary of her death, help support the museum’s educational programs.
Happy Hour (6-8 p.m.): Enjoy Port City’s Long Black Veil IPA in the Gadsby Courtyard for a special happy hour. Other Port City beers will be available through a cash bar. $25 per person (includes one drink and light appetizers, and dinner is available for purchase through Gadsby’s Tavern Restaurant).

Quest (8-10 p.m.): This year only, dive deeper into the Female Stranger story as you try to unravel the mystery! Join us for the happy hour then come inside and meet major players in the story. Reach your own conclusions about her identity as we celebrate the 200th anniversary of this local legend. Space is limited at this one-time event.

Bark or Treat Canine Cruise: Oct. 28 from 5:30-7 p.m. Admission: $16 adults; $10 ages 2-11; dogs free Alexandria City Marina, 1 Cameron St., Alexandria, VA 22314 703 684 0580 www.potomacriverboatco.com Come out with your costumed canine and cruise to some Halloween tunes along the Potomac! We will have Halloween treats on board. Be sure to have your four legged friend in their best costume.

Trick-or-Treating at Mount Vernon October 29 and 31, 2016 from 3:30-6:30 p.m.
Admission: $12 adults; $6 ages 11 and under George Washington’s Mount Vernon, 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Hwy, Mount Vernon, VA 22121 703-780-2000
www.mountvernon.org Participate in a special scavenger hunt, take a wagon ride on the 12-acre field, and create a boo-tiful Halloween craft during this unforgettable evening. Come and see wool carding, spinning, and fish net making in the historic area before greeting “Martha Washington” on the piazza of the mansion. In order to burn off all the extra excitement, try 18th-century dancing in the upper garden. Historic chocolate-making demonstrations and chocolate tastings will take place. A children’s costume parade around the mansion will begin at 5 p.m. and prizes will be awarded for most fang-tastic “George” and “Martha” costumes! Trick-or-Treating at Mount Vernon takes place rain or shine.

20th Annual Del Ray Halloween Parade: Oct. 30 from 2-4 p.m. Admission: Free
Mount Vernon and Commonwealth Avenues, Alexandria, VA 22305
www.visitdelray.com Don your best Halloween costume and join thousands of participants in one of Del Ray's favorite traditions. The 20th Annual Del Ray Halloween Parade begins at Mount Vernon Ave., south of E. Bellefonte, and continues down to the Mount Vernon Recreation Center play fields at Mount Vernon and Commonwealth Avenues. Children, pets and strollers in costumes are invited to march and show off their finest and scariest Halloween garb with prizes in different categories. The parade and all activities are free! Please note that both judging for Best Decorated Stroller and registration for Best Pet Costume will begin at 1:30 p.m.

Frights and Pints Old Town Alexandria Tour is currently open for public tours and private tours year round. Check the availability calendar under Book A Ghost Tour for currently running schedule.
It is an approximately 2-2.5 hour walking historic haunted pub tour. You will be taken on a tour by a costumed tour guide along a walking route that will explore the history and haunted past of some of the most historic and haunted places and buildings in Old Town Alexandria. The tour will stop at approximately 3-4 different pub locations and several different stops along the way, while giving the group time to hear a story and get a beverage at each location. The stories are a good mix of history as well as some popular ghost stories along the way. This tour also comes with a surprise gift for each person during check-in. Fridays and Saturday at 8:30 p.m. with additional days and times during October. Click Book a Tour for full availability.

MORE EVENTS:

Ghost & Graveyard Tour: Oct. 1-31, 2016 nightly at 7:30 p.m.; Friday & Saturday second tour at 9 p.m.
Admission: $13 adults; $7 ages 7-17 Tour departs from Alexandria Visitor Center, 221 King St., Alexandria, VA 22314 703-519-1749 www.alexcolonialtours.com You’ll follow an 18th-century costumed guide by lantern light through the charming streets of Alexandria’s historic district known as Old Town. On this entertaining tour you’ll hear ghost stories, legends and folklore. You will also hear about unsolved mysteries, tales of romance and angry ghosts looking for revenge. Appropriate for ages 9 and up. No pets please.

Halloween Skull Hunt: Oct. 1-31 Admission: Free Various locations between Sugar Shack Donuts’ Alexandria and Arlington stores www.facebook.com/events/1648875545442143 On Oct. 1, Sugar Shack Donuts will begin its annual Halloween scavenger hunt. This year they have hidden 40 skulls between their two DMV locations in Alexandria and Arlington. There are 36 small skulls and four large skulls. The small skulls are redeemable for a dozen house donuts. The large skulls are redeemable for lots of donuts and some merchandise, too! Keep your eyes peeled—most skulls are hidden in nearby shops, restaurants, and parks.

Ivy Hill Cemetery Tour: Oct. 16 and 29, at 4:30 p.m. Admission: $20 adults; $10 children
Ivy Hill Cemetery, 2823 King St., Alexandria, VA 22302703-519-1749 www.alexcolonialtours.com Learn the rich history of Alexandria from a different perspective. Visit the graves of many of Alexandria’s most prominent and historic families, including nurse Emma Green and Confederate spy Frank Stringfellow from the hit PBS series, MERCY STREET. Hear the stories of how the Civil War transformed their lives and the city forever.

Ghosts of Alexandria Tour: Oct. 21, 27 and 28, at 6:30 p.m. Admission: $12 adults; $10 senior citizens, active duty military and veterans; $5 children; free for ages 5 and under Tours starts at the Alexandria Visitor Center, 221 King St., Alexandria, VA 22314 https://discoveralexva.wordpress.com This ghostly experience explores Alexandria’s most haunted locations on and off the beaten path.

Raven’s Night at The Legendary Birchmere Music Hall: Oct. 22 doors open 5 p.m.; main show at 7:30 p.m. Admission: $25The Legendary Birchmere Music Hall, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria, VA 22305
703-549-7500 www.ravensnight.com Belladonna and Ken Vegas invite you to step out of the ordinary and into an extraordinary evening of entertainment! A belly dance show like no other, Raven’s Night offers a full course evening of sensational spectacles and otherworldly Celestial Bodies. Featuring pre-show entertainment such as tarot card readings, variety arts, sideshow performances and more.

“A Party to Murder"at The Little Theatre of Alexandria: Oct. 22-Nov. 12 at various times
Admission: $19 matinee; $22 evenings The Little Theatre of Alexandria, 600 Wolfe St., Alexandria, VA 22314
703-683-5778 www.thelittletheatre.com It’s Halloween and six people have come to play a murder-mystery game hosted by writer Charles Prince at a rustic island cottage in Michigan. This play is a fast-paced farce, so what could go wrong? As the characters embark on a weekend of fun, ghosts from the past begin to haunt the proceedings, and it becomes clear that they are both playing for laughs and their lives. The Little Theatre of Alexandria audiences are treated to rising tensions, secret passageways, incriminating letters, unexpected corpses, and a 25-year-old unsolved mystery that will propel the audience to…well, we don’t want to give away the unexpected and terrifying conclusion.

The Gadsby’s Tavern Ghost Tour: Oct. 28 from 7-9 p.m.; tours every 30 minutes Admission: $20 adults; $10 ages 7-17 Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, 134 N. Royal St., Alexandria, VA 22314 703-519-1749
www.alexcolonialtours.com You’ll follow your colonial-costumed guide through the eerie Alexandria streets, visit a cemetery, and enter one of the most haunted buildings in Old Town. You’ll hear the tragic story of the Female Stranger, and visit the very room where this mysterious woman was transformed into a ghost! Portions of the proceeds benefit Gadsby’s Tavern Museum.

Halloween Bash at the Brewery: Oct. 28 from 3-10 p.m.; brewery tour at 6:30 p.m. Admission: Free
Port City Brewing Company, 3950 Wheeler Ave., Alexandria, VA 22304 www.portcitybrewing.com/the-brewery/events Join us Friday, Oct. 28 for Port City Brewing Company’s Halloween Bash. The Tasting Room and brewery will be filled with tricks and treats. Start planning your costumes now! We will be giving out prizes for the Best Beer Themed, Most Unique and Best Couple/Group costumes. We will also have a Halloween Scavenger Hunt throughout the Tasting Room—keep an eye out for hidden spider rings. Find a spider ring and bring it to one of the Port City Brewing Company Beer Guides to claim your prize. Reserve tour spots online.

3rd Annual Halloween Pumpkin Hunt: Oct. 29 from 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Admission: $5 adults; $12 ages 1-10; infants free Lee-Fendall House, 614 Oronoco St., Alexandria, VA 22314 703-548-1789
www.leefendallhouse.org Alexandria’s ghosts and goblins will fill our garden with hundreds of colorful toy-filled pumpkins for local children to discover. Other activities include crafts to take home, a sticker station, temporary tattoos, spooky stories, a costume parade with prizes as well as drinks and refreshments. Every participating child receives a pumpkin—one pumpkin in each of our pumpkin hunt sessions will have a certificate for a special prize hidden inside. Costumes encouraged!

Ghosts & Grief Halloween Tours at Lee-Fendall House: Oct. 29 starting at 7 p.m. Admission: $7 in advance; $10 at the door; free to members Lee-Fendall House, 614 Oronoco St., Alexandria, VA 22314
703-548-1789 www.leefendallhouse.org Celebrate Halloween with a look at Victorian mourning traditions coupled with stories of supernatural encounters at the Lee-Fendall House with special night-time tours. Learn more about the rituals and customs behind our modern day funeral practices. Customs such as draping the mirrors, how long a widow would mourn for her husband or children, social expectations and dress will be explored.

Halloween Tap Takeover: Oct. 29 from 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Admission: Free; beers $7 per draft Blackwall Hitch, 5 Cameron St., Alexandria, VA 22314 703-739-6090 www.theblackwallhitch.com Blackwall Hitch located on the waterfront in Old Town, Alexandria, invites guests to celebrate Halloween with a Halloween Costume Tap Takeover on its expansive back patio, which boasts magnificent views overlooking the Potomac River and National Harbor. Guests can enjoy the spooky holiday fun with a tap takeover by South Street Brewery from Charlottesville, Virginia, highlighting fall and pumpkin-themed beers, as well as a costume contest. Dante Coley, brewery representative from South Street brewery, and Patricia Washington from Visit Alexandria will be in attendance to judge costumes and present awards. Guests won’t want to miss the opportunity to show their creativity and win a two-for-one brunch certificate.

Doggy Trick-or-Treat: Oct. 30 from 1-6 p.m. Admission: Free The Dog Park, 705 King St., Alexandria, VA 22314 703-888-2818 www.thedogparkva.biz It's that time of year again! You and your family, especially your doggies, to come to Old Town and trick-or-treat together. We will have treats, sales and a costume contest. Come to The Dog Park in Old Town Alexandria to get your map and pictures taken, then tour the rest of the participating stores to get more treats and find a sale or two in town.

Poe in Alexandria: Oct. 30 and 31 at 8 p.m. Admission: $15 The Lyceum, 201 S. Washington St., Alexandria, VA 22314 703-746-4994 https://shop.alexandriava.gov Come to The Lyceum: Alexandria’s History Museum for two unforgettable Halloween evenings with America’s earliest master of the macabre, Edgar Allen Poe! Actor David Keltz returns to The Lyceum’s lecture hall to re-create Poe’s visit to Virginia in 1849, shortly before his death. Individual works performed each year vary, but the program always includes a chilling story or two such as “The Black Cat,” “The Cask of Amontillado,” or “The Tell-Tale Heart,” along with well-known poems “The Raven” and “El Dorado.” Mr. Keltz’s performance has been lauded by The Poe House and Museum in Baltimore, The Poe Museum in Richmond, and the Poe National Historic Site in Philadelphia.

Special Halloween Ghost Tour: Oct. 30 at 6 p.m. Admission: $12 adults; $10 senior citizens, active duty military and veterans; $5 children; free for ages 5 and under Tours starts at the Alexandria Visitor Center, 221 King St., Alexandria, VA 22314 https://discoveralexva.wordpress.com The Halloween Ghost Tour starts at the Alexandria Visitor Center and wraps through the back roads of Old Town stopping at places like The Christmas Attic, John Douglas Brown House, Old Presbyterian Meeting House, and many more. The Halloween Ghost Tour takes visitors past Christ Church to other less-visited stops like the Freedom House. At each stop guides cover a brief background of the location, what horrible event occurred there, and what modern day paranormal phenomenon was detected. Guests are guaranteed to leave with the chills!

Trick-or-Treat with the Boo-tiques: Oct. 31 from 2-6 p.m. Admission: Free Throughout Old Town Alexandria, VA 22314 www.oldtownboutiquedistrict.com On Monday, Oct. 31, start trick-or-treating early and stop by the dozens of shops of the Old Town Boutique District dishing out treats to goblins and ghouls of all ages from 2 to 6 p.m.!

Find more Halloween events at www.VisitAlexandriaVA.com/hall....

Editor's note: Thanks to Visit Alexandria for this list of spooky happenings this month in Alexandria!