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Old Town Alexandria came alive with music, pageantry and patriotic displays on Feb. 14 as the George Washington Birthday Parade helped usher in the 250th anniversary year of the Declaration of Independence.

Held for the first time on the Saturday before the national Presidents Day holiday, the 2026 parade followed the theme “Virginia’s Son – America’s Founding Father.” The tradition dates to 1801 and is recognized as the nation’s oldest and largest parade honoring George Washington.

Ginnie Sebastian Storage, president general of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and Michael J. Elston, president general of the Sons of the American Revolution, served as grand marshals.

Community groups, youth organizations and historical reenactors filled the route through the city’s historic corridor. Brian Hilton appeared as General Washington, while Benjamin Goldman portrayed the Marquis de Lafayette. Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck joined the festivities dressed as Abraham Lincoln.

The Bishop Ireton High School Varsity Cheerleading Team performed along the route. The First Virginia Regiment of the Continental Line staged demonstrations recalling Alexandria’s Revolutionary-era history.

Other participants included the U.S. Army 3rd Infantry Regiment Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps and members of the John Alexander Chapter of the DAR. The event also featured a tribute to military veterans as children and other spectators watched from curbside seats.

The parade is a centerpiece of Alexandria’s monthlong George Washington Birthday Celebration. More than a dozen historical and cultural events are planned, including free museum admission and 18th-century-themed banquets.

The wider celebration highlights Washington’s extensive ties to Alexandria, where more than 140 sites are connected to the personal and professional life of the nation’s first president.