About Alexandria's Del Ray

Yesterday the 25th. of October Del Ray had it's Halloween Parade. Mount Vernon Avenue was filled with little lions, bumble bees, pink poodles, cowboys, lobsters and squirrels. That was just the dogs! The kids adults and strollers were just as festive. Sweet William was to be a jester and had a new hat with ear holes so his ears were not pressed down. I think my Mom hid it. She is not a fan of dog clothes. She does understand the need for inclement coats and such. My favorite was the wagon of Chihuahuas. I heard them before I saw them. All chi owners know the bark. One of them was a lobster. The other five had on simple sweaters to keep them warm. I put Sweet William in his knit gold lame sweater, He went as a drag queen, my daughter's Auntie David would have proud. William was very courteous. He only took exception with a Boxer { no costume } who rushed at him while William had a sniff and meet with a Maltese. To Williams credit he did not back down. He was however, pulled up fast!

I did not stay to hear who's dog was voted best costume. My little fella was very tired from all the walking.

Nor did I stay for the strolled judging. I do hope the five strollers that were linked together to look like the train to Hogwarts's won. The had one of the Dads on stilts as Hagrid.

With the Mayor, most of Alexandria's City Council and U.S. Representative Jim Moran in attendance, the 2009 Del Ray Halloween Parade showed off under crisp blue skies only slightly behind schedule and with a record crowd.

A true home grown event, the Del Ray Halloween Parade is a chance for everyone  - dogs, parents, babies, etc.  - to put on a costume, or at least a funny hat, and make their way down Mt. Vernon Avenue.

And if you didn't want to "parade" it was perfectly acceptable to simply observe.

The really smart folks grabbed every available table at outdoor dining spots along the parade route which made it a great day for all of Del Ray's businesses.

Capping the night off - the Spooky Bean Halloween sponsored by Bean Creative on Mt. Vernon Avenue.

A special shout out to Gayle Reuter, the driving force behind the Del Ray Halloween Parade.  It wouldn't get done without you!

One of our neighbors at 210 Monroe Avenue in Alexandria's Del Ray neighborhood has taken Halloween decorating to a whole new level with this "vivid" depiction of events of the past year or so in the financial markets.

As much as I like to take the "high road" I have to admit that the image of Bernie Madoff makes me chuckle and I think the little pigs are really appropriate.

Thanks to one of our regular subscribers for alerting us to these great images. Stay tuned tomorrow for scenes from the Del Ray Halloween Parade.

Michael

The Arts on the Avenue festival in Alexandria's Del Ray neighborhood is really more than "just" an arts festival.  It's a celebration of doing what you love and sharing it with the rest of the world. 

It's also a celebration of what makes Del Ray an exciting place to live - a vibrant main street (Mt. Vernon Avenue), small, independently owned businesses, a variety of restaurants that are kid and dog friendly, a thriving business association, and folks who are actively involved in being "neighborly". 

We love this video from one of our favorite performing groups at the festival - Tappers with Attitude.  Haven't you ever wanted to put on a pair of tap shoes and 'strut your stuff'?  Take a hint from these folks and JUST DO IT.

Arts on the Avenue, Del Ray's premier fall showcase, was the highlight of a very busy weekend here in Northern Virginia. The rain gods went elsewhere and thousands of folks showed up to stroll Mt. Vernon Avenue. 

Whether taking in artists from around the country, feasting on a variety of foods from local restaurants and being entertained by Irish Step Dancers, Tappers with Attitude or Greek Folk Dancers, it was a day of pure pleasure.

Come see us sometime, we'd love to show you around.