Last December, the Scottish Christmas Walk Parade started at South St. Asaph and Wolfe at 11 a.m. and ended around 1 p.m. at Market Square, at King and Royal. This year that finish line sits behind construction fencing, and the organization that ran the parade for the last four years isn't in charge of it anymore. The 55th Scottish Walk Holiday Parade is set for Saturday, December 5, 2026, with the City of Alexandria as lead producer. The City's page still says only "New Route Information Coming Soon!"
The parade day you know, with the clans and Scottie dogs in the morning and the lit boats on the Potomac at night, depended on a single corner. In 2026 the City has to rebuild the day around the loss of that corner, and the block it would normally fall back on is already in use.
A new name on the producer line
Every Old Town resident knows the parade. Fewer know who runs it. The City's account goes back more than 50 years. The Scottish Walk began as a community event that celebrated Alexandria's Scottish heritage and supported the Campagna Center, which was then called the Community Y. The Campagna Center produced it with St. Andrew's Society of Washington, DC, Old Presbyterian Meeting House and the City, and the Junior and Supporting Friends of the Campagna Center led the work. Visit Alexandria took over as lead producer in 2022, in partnership with the Campagna Center and the City. It called the parade a source of civic pride and a boost for local businesses and hospitality.
Starting this year, the City is hosting both the Scottish Walk and the Alexandria Holiday Boat Parade of Lights. The Campagna Center and Visit Alexandria are now supporting partners. The City says it took the lead role so the parade can serve as an ongoing source of civic pride and a celebration of Alexandria's communities.
You can follow the change through the budget. The FY 2027 budget, which City Council adopted unanimously on April 29, 2026, describes "the transition of event responsibilities from Visit Alexandria" to the Department of Recreation, Parks & Cultural Activities. It names the Scottish Walk and Boat Parade specifically and puts $100,000 in ongoing funding and $50,000 in one-time support into that department's budget. For comparison, a City budget Q&A dated March 26, 2025 says Visit Alexandria received $95,000 in direct payments for the Scottish Walk and $88,000 for the Boat Parade in FY 2024. Separately, the City listed up to $25,000 per parade of its own direct expenses as in-kind support.
Those numbers come from different fiscal years and pay for different things, so they don't add up to a clean before-and-after. They do show that the City's recreation department now owns the day, and it's handling its first parade the same year it lost the parade's usual stage.
The corner that isn't available
Market Square and City Hall are partway through a renovation that will run for years. The City's September 1 construction update says the contractor, Grunley, set up on site in late February. Infill deconstruction was scheduled to start in September, asbestos discoveries added 10 weeks to the schedule, and completion is now expected in Fall 2028. ALXnow reported in September that the City is looking at relief for businesses hurt by the project and also put completion at Fall 2028.
That means the next two parade days, and likely a third, have to work without the square. Last year's road-closure notice from the Alexandria Police Department shows how much of the parade happened there:
- 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. Units assembled near Lyles-Crouch, with closures on Wilkes Street and the 400 to 600 blocks of South Pitt, South Royal and South St. Asaph.
- 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. The route itself was closed, covering stretches of St. Asaph, Pitt, Royal, Fairfax, Queen and the 300 to 600 blocks of King.
- 3:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. King and North Royal plus the 100 block of North Royal were closed to vehicles and parking and set up as the reviewing stand and spectator zone.
The reviewing stand block was closed the longest, from before dawn until mid-afternoon. It was the parade's anchor.
Saturday already has a tenant on North Royal
The 100 block of North Royal Street isn't empty this fall. It's the temporary home of the Old Town Farmers' Market, which left Market Square for the renovation and now sets up there and in Tavern Square. The market is open every Saturday, rain or shine, from 7 a.m. to noon.
December 5 is a Saturday. Last year's reviewing stand footprint covered the same block during the same hours the market now uses. The City hasn't said how it will handle the overlap. Its "coming soon" note is the only route information published so far. Even so, the overlap explains why 2026 needs a new route rather than a small adjustment to the old one. The parade's old finish is fenced, and the closest open block belongs to the farmers market on Saturday mornings.
If you live along last year's route, especially the Royal, Pitt and St. Asaph blocks north of King, you can't assume this year's closure map will match the one taped to your lamppost last December.
What's settled and what isn't
As of mid-October, here's where the published schedule stands for Old Town's holiday stretch.
| Event | Date and time | Location status |
|---|---|---|
| City Holiday Tree Lighting | Sat., Nov. 21, 6 to 8 p.m. | "To be announced" |
| Campagna Center's Taste of Scotland | Fri., Dec. 4 | ALX Community Penthouse + Atrium Gallery, 277 S. Washington St. |
| Scottish Walk Holiday Parade | Sat., Dec. 5, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. per the City | Old Town; new route pending |
| Boat Parade dockside festivities | Sat., Dec. 5, 2 to 8 p.m. | Old Town waterfront |
| Holiday Boat Parade of Lights | Sat., Dec. 5, 5:30 p.m. | Old Town waterfront; viewing details pending |
| Christmas Market & Holiday Craft Show | Sat., Dec. 12 | 300 John Carlyle St. |
The parade's end time varies by source. The City lists 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Visit Alexandria's Scottish Walk page shows 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Since the City is now the producer, its listing is the one to plan around.
The tree lighting has the same problem as the parade. The City called last year's November 22 ceremony the final lighting at the "current Market Square" before renovations. This year's ceremony is about a month away, on November 21, and the City calendar still lists its location as "to be announced."
The Christmas Market at John Carlyle Square didn't move because of the renovation. Visit Alexandria's holiday market roundup placed it at the same Carlyle address in 2025. Both 2026 listings, from Visit Alexandria and the organizer, Chic Events DC, give hours of 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The evening half is better defined
The boat parade is the easier half of December 5 to plan. Visit Alexandria's holiday weekend page calls this the 26th annual Alexandria Holiday Boat Parade of Lights, sponsored by Amazon. Its boat parade page describes lit boats cruising along a mile of Potomac shoreline and dockside activities in Waterfront Park, including a pop-up beer garden, food and family activities. The City says public viewing information, participating boats and the final schedule will be posted shortly.
Last year's evening setup gives a reasonable starting point for planning, as long as you treat it as 2025's plan. Festivities at Waterfront Park and family programming at Canal Center both ran from 2 to 8 p.m., and the boats passed from about 5:30 to 6:30. Union Street ran one-way northbound between Duke and Queen starting around 3 p.m. The King Street pedestrian zone covered the 0, 100 and 200 blocks, and the King and Lee intersection was closed to all vehicles.
Planning your own December 5
Since the morning route isn't public yet, these are the steps that won't change once it is:
- Bookmark the City's Holiday Parades page. It's the new producer's page, and as of mid-October it says new route information is coming soon.
- Sign up for event texts. Last year the City told residents to text ALXEVENTS to 888777 for parade-day updates.
- Check the tree lighting venue before November 21. It will be the first sign of how the City plans to replace Market Square as a gathering spot this season.
- Get your farmers market shopping done early. The market opens at 7 a.m. on North Royal, and how parade setup affects that block on December 5 is still an open question.
- Read your street's signs in the days before. In 2025, no-parking and reserved-parking zones along the route and near Waterfront Park were posted with specific times.
When the route comes out, look first at the finish. Market Square won't be back until Fall 2028, so wherever the City ends this year's parade will probably be where Old Town gathers on parade day for the next few Decembers.
If you live along last year's route and want to talk through what the new map means for your block, or you're considering a home where parade day happens right outside the front door, I'd be glad to talk. Call Christine Garner. I've walked these streets every December, and I'm happy to share what I know about Old Town's holiday weekend as the City's plans come in.
