Market Square Is Under Construction Until 2028. Old Town's Holiday Season Has Shifted Toward the River.

"This will also be the last tree lighting event at the current Market Square, as renovations will begin in January 2026." The City of Alexandria put that line in its November 2025 tree lighting announcement. It read like a footnote in a routine release about Santa's trolley ride.

A year later, that footnote decides how this season is laid out. For years the plaza at 301 King St. was where Old Town's holiday season began. It is now a construction site, and the City's current schedule keeps it that way through next year's holidays too. The season's events haven't gone anywhere. They have moved downhill along King Street toward the Potomac, and the new storefronts on the blocks in between are now the route most people will walk.

Two holiday seasons without the square

According to the City's project page, City Hall needs upgrades to its building systems, space, security and accessibility. The plaza and garage need structural repairs. The plan is to demolish the below-grade garage and build a new one.

The timeline so far:

1. February 9, 2026. Market Square Garage closed to the public.
2. Late February. The contractor, Grunley, mobilized on site. Asbestos abatement and other preparatory work followed.
3. September. Infill deconstruction began.
4. Fall 2028. This is the projected completion date in the City's September 1 construction update. Unexpected asbestos added 10 weeks to the schedule.

A fall 2028 finish means the holidays of 2026 and 2027 both happen with the square offline. That makes this year's arrangement worth learning, because on the current schedule it is the template for next December as well.

Saturday mornings start on North Royal Street

The Old Town Farmers' Market has been held at the Market Square plaza for more than 260 years, and the City describes it as the oldest farmers' market in the country held continuously at the same site. It now sets up in the 100 block of North Royal Street. It runs Saturdays, 7 a.m. to noon, year-round. The market draws more than 70 vendors in peak season.

Parking has changed the most. The Market Square Garage is gone for now, but the City offers free parking in the Tavern Square and Courthouse garages during market hours. Its holiday page is blunt about the rest of the season too. Parking is limited in Old Town during the renovation, and the City suggests DASH, the King Street Trolley, Metrorail, walking or biking.

For anyone within walking distance, a December Saturday can now be one continuous line. Start at the market on North Royal in the morning, then walk down King toward the water as the day's events move east.

The calendar now ends at the water

The City's holiday listings show how far the season's center has moved. In 2024, ALXnow listed the tree lighting at Market Square in front of City Hall, and the 2025 event was held there too. This year the City's holiday overview lists the Holiday Tree Lighting for Saturday, November 21, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Waterfront Park. The event's own calendar entry still says "location to be announced," so check it before you head out. The program itself hasn't changed. It's free, Santa arrives aboard the King Street Trolley, and the tree is lit to music.

After that, nearly every date points to the river:

December 5 is the day the new layout matters most. The City is lead producer of the Scottish Walk parade, with support from the Campagna Center and Visit Alexandria. Clans in tartan, pipe and drum bands, and Scottie dogs fill Old Town's streets in the morning. Dockside activities for the Boat Parade of Lights open at 2 p.m., and lit boats run along about a mile of shoreline after dark. Visit Alexandria lists a Port City Brewing pop-up beer garden among the Waterfront Park activities. In past years the square sat between those two events as a gathering point. This year the walk from the morning parade to the afternoon waterfront runs straight down King Street.

The blocks in between have new stops

That walk passes more new storefronts than it did last December. Several opened within the past five months, and they're clustered at both ends of King Street.

At the 400 block, a few minutes uphill from the water:

• Twosome Place, 404 King St. The South Korean chain chose Old Town for its first U.S. café. Asia Economy reported that it officially opened October 17, with customers arriving before the 7 a.m. opening.
• Life Alive Organic Cafe, 402 King St., right next door. It opened in June, according to Alexandria Brief.
• Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, inside The Alexandrian hotel, which also opened in June.

At the 1500 block, near the King Street Metro end:

• Long Dark House, 1510 King St., a horror and science fiction bookstore that opened September 1. Alexandria Brief covered it. It shares the address with Madame Coco's Emporium.
• Lumos Collective, 1511 King St., across the street. ALXnow reported that the shop moved into this larger space from its temporary spot at 106 N. St. Asaph St.

One more could arrive in time for gift shopping. Hotel Chocolat plans a chocolate shop at 128 King St., in the block closest to the water. In late September, Alexandria Brief reported that the shop expected to open before the holiday season but hadn't set a date.

The foot of King Street is changing too

Lower King Street, where this year's events gather, is also in the middle of its own changes.

The 200 block of King Street, home to the Visitor Center, is now permanently car-free. In July, ALXnow reported that the City had started repaving the block. Curb work and platforms were slated for mid-August, along with bollards and a new all-walk crossing at King and Lee streets, where pedestrians cross in every direction at once. City staff said the businesses on the block were generally supportive. The City hasn't announced a finish date for that work.

A larger plan for the waterfront itself is moving through review. On October 6, ALXnow described the City's proposal. It would replace the asphalt on the unit and 100 blocks of King with brick and add a 20-foot riverside walkway, plus new promenades at Waterfront Park and Point Lumley Park. The plan follows the National Park Service's rejection of a proposed pump station, after which the City switched to an enhanced gravity storm sewer. The proposal was on the Board of Architectural Review's October 7 docket. The City hasn't published a construction schedule for Waterfront Park this holiday season.

For this December, the sequence is straightforward. The market is on North Royal. The parades and the listed tree lighting are at the river. The newest coffee, ice cream and bookstores are along King Street in between. If you like to make a day of Old Town in December, our earlier guide to Alexandria waterfront weekends covers the parks along the shoreline, and the Alexandria neighborhood page has more on Old Town's streets.

A renovation that runs into 2028 also affects how a home near Market Square shows, how buyers get there and where they park. If you live in Old Town and are wondering how the City Hall project and the waterfront plans could factor into your home's value, Thomas Cauley can walk you through it block by block. Start with a free home valuation.