Dec. 2 Holiday Parades—Road Closures, One-way Traffic Pattern and Extended Pedestrian Zone

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Page updated on November 20, 2023 at 11:47 AM
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Two major parades on Saturday, December 2, 2023, create the foundation of Alexandria’s Biggest Holiday Weekend: the 52nd Annual Alexandria Scottish Christmas Walk Parade sponsored by Wegmans which kicks off in the morning, and the 23rd Annual Alexandria Holiday Boat Parade of Lights sponsored by Amazon, which includes waterfront festivities starting in the afternoon and the parade in the evening.

In order to safely produce these signature events, road closures, reserved parking and no parking zones will be in effect on Saturday, December 2.

Event Information

The Alexandria Scottish Christmas Walk Parade steps off at S. St. Asaph and Wolfe Streets at 11 a.m. and concludes at Market Square, King and Royal Street, at 1 p.m. View the route map and details at ALXScottishWalk.com.

The Alexandria Holiday Boat Parade of Lights starts with dockside festivities in Waterfront Park (1 to 8 p.m.) and a family friendly event at Canal Center (3 to 7 p.m.) The parade will cruise along the waterfront from about 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Find program details and one mile of viewing locations at ALXBoatParade.com.

Text ALXEVENTS to 888777 for event updates.

One-Way Traffic on Union St. in Afternoon and Evening

At approximately 3 PM on Union Street between Duke St. and Queen St., a one-way traffic pattern heading north will go into effect to mitigate increased traffic for the Alexandria Holiday Boat Parade of Lights.

King St. Pedestrian Zone Expands to 200 Block

At approximately 3 PM, King Street’s pedestrian-only area (0/unit block and 100 block) will expand to include the 200 block. Lee St. from Duke St. to Cameron St. will be open to local traffic only which includes residents, customers, parking garage patrons and deliveries. The intersection of King St. and Lee St. will be closed to all vehicles. The Alexandria Police Department will have officers present to manage access for local traffic and divert all other vehicles.

Avoid Road Closures

Please be mindful of road closures and parking restrictions on Saturday, December 2. In addition to reviewing the enclosed information, you can download the free Waze app to navigate road closures.

No Parking & Reserved Parking Zones

Areas along the Scottish Walk parade route and adjacent to planned activities in Waterfront Park may have no parking or reserved parking. Please read signs carefully and comply with the times posted. Your cooperation is essential to the success of the events, and the safety of event participants, attendees, and those who live and work in the City of Alexandria.

Business Impacts

Businesses should remind employees and patrons of the impacts of the events. Please schedule deliveries in advance or after the events to minimize the number of vehicles accessing event locations. Deliveries on Union Street may still occur as regularly scheduled using the new traffic patterns established for Saturday, December 2.

ROAD CLOSURES & COMMUNITY IMPACTS – SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2023

Plan ahead to avoid driving in areas with closures. The Alexandria Police Department will be on site to direct traffic and manage key intersections. Signage will be placed in advance of the event to alert drivers to closures and new traffic patterns. Closures and other public space impacts may change based on event conditions and the advisement of on-site safety personnel. Check ALXScottishWalk.com and ALXBoatParade.com for the most up-to-date information on the status of the events and logistical information. Text ALXEVENTS to 888777 for event updates.

 

Location

Approximate

Time

Access Information

King St. & N Royal St.,

100 block of N Royal St.

3:30 a.m.

to

3:00 p.m.*
  • Road closed
  • No parking
  • Parade viewing stand area

Wilkes St. (300 - 700 blocks) between S. Washington St. and S. Fairfax St.

S. Pitt St. (400 - 600 blocks) between Gibbon St. and Wolfe St.

S. Royal St. (400 - 600 blocks) between Gibbon St. and Wolfe St.

S. Saint Asaph St. (400 - 600 blocks) between Gibbon St. and Wolfe St.

Wolfe St. (600 block)

5:00 a.m.

to

2:00 p.m.*
  • No parking and road closures – parade assembly area.
  • Vehicles MUST be cleared for the safety of event participants, attendees, residents and visitors.
  • Only authorized vehicles of parade participants, City personnel.

S. Saint Asaph St. (100 - 600 blocks) between King St and Franklin St

N. Saint Asaph St. (100 - 300 blocks) between Queen St. and King St.

S. Pitt St. (100 - 400 blocks) between Wolfe St. and King St.

N. Pitt St. (100 - 300 blocks) between King St. and Queen St.

N. Royal St. (100 - 300 blocks) between King St. and Queen St.

King St. (300 - 600 blocks) between Fairfax St. and St. Asaph St.

N. Fairfax St. (100 - 300 blocks) between King St. and Queen St.

Queen St. (300 - 600 blocks) between Fairfax St. and Saint Asaph St.

7:00 a.m.

to

2:00 p.m.*
  • No parking and road closures- Parade route.
  • Vehicles MUST be cleared for the safety of event participants, attendees, residents and visitors.
  • Only authorized vehicles of parade participants, City personnel

Union St. between Duke St. and Queen St.

3:00 p.m.

to

10:00 p.m.*
  • One way traffic north.
  • Traffic and crowd mitigation for Boat Parade afternoon and evening waterfront activities.

King St. (Unit block - 300 blocks) between Fairfax St. and Union St.

3:00 p.m.

to

10:00 p.m.*
  • Pedestrian access only. No vehicles.
  • Traffic and crowd mitigation for Boat Parade afternoon and evening waterfront activities.

Lee St. between Duke St. and Queen St.

3:00 p.m.

to

10:00 p.m.*
  • Local traffic only. No through traffic.
  • Intersection of King St. & Lee St. closed to all vehicles.
  • Traffic and crowd mitigation for Boat Parade afternoon and evening waterfront activities.

Prince St. (100 block) between Lee St. and Union St.

3:00 p.m.

to

10:00 p.m.*
  • Local traffic only.
  • Traffic and crowd mitigation for Boat Parade afternoon and evening waterfront activities.

* Or when deemed safe to do so by Alexandria Police Department.