Openings, Closings To Know For Thanksgiving 2021 In Alexandria

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Thanksgiving is not only a time to share a meal with extended family and friends, but it's also a federal holiday with closures for government, schools and other services.

In Alexandria, city government will be closed for Thanksgiving on Thursday, Nov. 25 as well as Black Friday, Friday, Nov. 26. Some services may be closed or altered on other surrounding days as well.

Even with many things closed around the city, the tradition of the Alexandria Turkey Trot will return Thanksgiving morning. Expect temporary road closures on Mount Vernon Avenue, Commonwealth Avenue and other streets on the race course. The race will draw thousands of runners, including top elite runners. The event is also a fundraiser to collect donations for ALIVE! and support the Del Ray Business Association.

Below are the openings and closings to know for Thanksgiving around Alexandria:

City of Alexandria government offices: Closed on Thursday, Nov. 25 and Friday, Nov. 26.

Alexandria City Public Schools: All Alexandria City Public Schools are closed Nov. 22 to 26.

Animal shelter: On Nov. 25, the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria (4101 Eisenhower Avenue) will be closed. On Nov. 26, AWLA will be open by appointment only. To make an appointment, visit alexandriaanimals.org/Adopt-by-Appointment. Animal emergencies or wildlife concerns can be reported to 703-746-4444.

Courts: The Alexandria Circuit Court Clerk’s Office, Circuit Court, General District Court and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court will close at noon Wednesday, Nov. 24 and be closed on Nov. 25 and 26.

DASH Bus: The fare-free DASH service will operate on a Sunday schedule on Nov. 25. On Nov. 26, DASH will operate on its regular weekday schedule. The free King Street Trolley will operate from King Street Metro to Alexandria City Hall, with service every 15 minutes from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Visit dashbus.com for more information.

Department of Motor Vehicles: On Nov. 25 to 27, all DMV customer service centers in Northern Virginia (including 2681 Mill Road in Alexandria) will be closed.

Health department: The Alexandria Health Department (4480 King Street), the Flora Krause Casey Pharmacy (1200 N. Howard Street) and the Teen Wellness Center at Alexandria City High School (3330 King Street) will close at noon on Wednesday, Nov. 24, and will remain closed Nov. 25 and 26, reopening on Nov. 29.

Historic Alexandria: On Nov. 25, all City of Alexandria museums will be closed. The Alexandria Archaeology Museum (105 N. Union Street, 327), Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum (201 S. Washington Street), Gadsby’s Tavern Museum (134 N. Royal Street) and Stabler–Leadbeater Apothecary Museum (105–107 S. Fairfax Street) will be open regular hours Nov. 26 to 29. All other city museums will be closed. For more information, visit alexandriava.gov/Historic

Hotlines: All emergency hotlines operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, including the child protective services hotline at 703-746-5800; the domestic violence hotline at 703-746-4911; the emergency services for mental health or substance abuse crisis hotline at 703-746-3401; the adult protective services hotline at 703-746-5778; and the sexual assault hotline at 703-683-7273.

Impound lot: The city’s Impound Facility (5248 Eisenhower Avenue) for towed vehicles will be closed Nov. 25 and 26. The Impound Facility is closed every Saturday and Sunday and on all observed city holidays. Fees accrue on Saturday and Sunday but not on holidays.

Libraries: All Alexandria Library branches will be closed Nov. 25 and 26. The Law Library (520 King Street, LL34) will close at noon Wednesday, Nov. 24 and will remain closed Nov. 25 and 26. Visit Alexandria Library website for details.

Metro: Metrorail and Metrobus will operate on a Sunday schedule on Thursday, Nov. 25 and offer weekday service on Friday, Nov. 26. Metro expects to have reduced service at least through the end of the year due to the continuing derailment investigation. For more information, visit www.wmata.com.

Parking: On Nov. 25 and 26, the Alexandria Police Department will be suspending enforcement of parking restrictions at metered spaces, in residential permit parking districts and in other areas with signed parking time limits. This suspension of enforcement applies only to the restrictions at legal parking spaces and does not permit parking in any location normally prohibited (for example, no-parking zones, loading zones or spaces for persons with disabilities). Temporary no-parking signs will be enforced on Nov. 25 and 26.

Post offices: Closed on Nov. 25.

Recreation, nature and arts centers: On Nov. 25, all City of Alexandria recreation, nature and art centers will be closed. On Nov. 26, Chinquapin Park Recreation Center and Aquatics Facility (3210 King Street), Charles Houston Recreation Center (901 Wythe Street) and Patrick Henry Recreation Center (4653 Taney Avenue) will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and the Torpedo Factory Art Center (105 N. Union Street) will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. All other recreation and nature centers will be closed on Nov. 26. Visit alexandriava.gov/RecreationCenters for more information.

Trash and recycling: Residential refuse and recycling will be collected on the regularly scheduled day during the week of Nov.21, including on Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving, trash and recycling collection will begin at 6 a.m. instead of 7 a.m. Collection staff chose to spend Thursday evening and Friday with their families,instead of having all day Thursday off and working on Friday. There will be no holiday slide, but trash and recycling collection will not occur on the Friday after the holiday. Visit the Resource Recovery website for more information.

Virginia Railway Express: There is no VRE service on Nov. 25 or 26. For more information, visit www.vre.org.