What's Open, Closed For New Year's 2022 In Alexandria

FORT HUNT, VA — With Christmas in the books, the countdown to 2022 approaches.

New Year's Day will fall on a Saturday, which means there will be various closings on the day before, Friday, Dec. 31. Many students are already off for winter break, and New Year's Eve is a holiday for some workers.

With the omicron variant spreading and COVID-19 cases rising in the DC region, residents should be aware of New Year's event cancellations. First Night Alexandria has canceled all activities but midnight fireworks. Residents are encouraged to spread out at various fireworks viewing locations and wear a mask if social distancing is not possible.

Some restaurants may have their own New Year's specials. Visit Alexandria has a guide to holiday dining on New Year's Eve. Restaurants featured in the guide are Whiskey & Oyster, Rustico, Thai Signature, Village Brauhaus, Northside 10, Oak Steakhouse, Royal Restaurant Kaizen Tavern, Mount Purrnon Cat Cafe and Wine Bar, Myron Mixon's Pitmaster Barbecue, Evening Star Cafe, Hank's Oyster Bar, and Hops N Shine. BARCA and Vola’s Dockside Grill have canceled larger parties but will still provide an a la carte menu and a DJ along with fireworks views at midnight.

Below are the closures to know for New Year's around Alexandria.

City of Alexandria government offices: City government offices are closed on Dec. 31.

Alexandria City Public Schools: Closed from Dec. 20 to 31 for winter break.

Courts: Alexandria Circuit Court Clerk’s Office, Circuit Court, General District Court and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court will be closed on Dec. 30 and 31. The Court Service Unit will be closed on Dec. 31.

DASH: On Dec. 31, the fare-free DASH bus will operate on a Sunday service schedule. On Jan. 1, DASH will operate on a regular Saturday service. The free King Street Trolley will operate from King Street Metro to Alexandria City Hall every 15 minutes, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. For more information, visit dashbus.com.

Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV): All DMV customer service centers in Northern Virginia (including 2681 Mill Rd.) will be closed on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.

George Washington's Mount Vernon: Open daily, including on New Year's Day.

Health department: The Alexandria Health Department (4480 King St.), Flora Krause Casey Health Center (1200 N. Howard St.) and Teen Wellness Center at Alexandria City High School (3330 King St.) will be closed on Dec. 31.

Historic Alexandria: All City of Alexandria museums, except the Alexandria Archaeology Museum, will be closed on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. The Alexandria Archaeology Museum (105 N. Union St.) will be open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Dec. 31. 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 mental health services or substance abuse crisis hotline at 703-746-3401; the adult protective services hotline at 1-888-832-3858; and the sexual assault hotline at 703-683-7273.

Impound facility: The city’s impound facility (5249 Eisenhower Ave.) will be closed on Jan. 1. Fees will accrue while the facility is closed on Saturdays and Sundays, but will not accrue on holidays.

Libraries: All Alexandria Library branches and the Alexandria Law Library (520 King St.) will be closed Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. Visit alexlibraryva.org for more information.

Metro: Metrorail operates 7 a.m. until 1 a.m. on a weekday schedule and Metrobus operates on a Saturday schedule on Dec. 31. Metrorail and Metrobus will run on a Sunday schedule on Jan. 1. Metrorail hours are 7 a.m until 12 a.m. on Jan. 1. Due to the continued impacts of the derailment and 7000-series investigation, Metrorail service will be reduced at least through Dec. 31. Visit www.wmata.com/schedules/timetables for more information.

Old Town Farmers Market: The Old Town Farmers Market will be open on the normal schedule on Jan. 1 from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Parking: The Alexandria Police Department will suspend enforcement of parking restrictions at metered spaces, residential permit parking districts and other areas with signed parking time limits on Jan. 1. 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 posted and enforced on the holiday.

Post offices: Closed on Dec. 31.

Recreation, nature and art centers: On Dec. 31, Chinquapin Park Recreation Center & Aquatics Facility and Charles Houston and Patrick Henry Recreation Centers will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Torpedo Factory Art Center will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and all other recreation centers and the nature center will be closed. All recreation, nature and art centers will be closed on Jan. 1.

Trash and recycling: There is no schedule change for residential refuse, yard waste and recycling during the week of Dec. 27. The Household Hazardous Waste Electronic Collection Drop-off Center (3224 Colvin St.) is closed on Jan. 1. There will be no leaf collection on Dec. 31. Christmas tree collection will happen from Jan. 3 to 31. Visit alexandriava.gov/ResourceRecovery for more information.

This article originally appeared on the Del Ray Patch