Art Walk - Holiday Boat Parade of Lights

At our next Art Walk event we will experience one of the region's annual holiday traditions as Alexandria's historic waterfront celebrates the holidays with dozens of brightly decorated boats, cruising along the Potomac River and the harbor buzzing with festivities.

Art Walk event

Art Walk is our regular event series, where we walk through the different parts of DC, Maryland and Virginia, taking photos, as we explore art, architecture, culture and history while having a fun time outdoors.

The 18th Annual Holiday Boat Parade of Lights in Alexandria

We will start our Art Walk at the Torpedo Factory Art Center and explore the different open studios while meeting the artists.

Christmas celebration at the torpedo factory

There is also music on the dock and other holiday festivities before the Holiday Boat Parade of Lights starts at 5:30pm.

As we enjoy the festivities and walk around the area, we will also compete for the best photo that captures the spirit of the holidays and the festivities around the historic waterfront.

Holiday Boat Parade of Lights

The Holiday Boat Parade of Lights in Alexandria is part of a Potomac River holiday tradition where dozens of brightly decorated boats, some in Christmas decor, cruise along the Potomac River, as a panel of judges award prizes in a dozen categories, including Best in Show and Thinking Outside the Christmas Box.

Brief History of the Torpedo Factory Art Center

Torpedo Factory Art Center was formerly a naval munitions factory during World Wars I and II on the banks of the Potomac River in Old Town, Alexandria, Virginia.

Inside the Torpedo Factory Art Center

The Art Center opened in the Torpedo Factory in 1974 from an idea conceived by local artist Marian Van Landingham, who proposed a project to renovate part of the factory into studio spaces for the Alexandria Bicentennial Project.

Today, the Torpedo Factory Art Center is home to the largest number of publicly accessible working artist studios in the U.S. Each year, more than a half-million national and international visitors meet and interact with the community of artists.

Light Snacks and Drinks

You can bring some light snacks and drinks for yourself to have while watching the parade or buy some food at the nearby stores.

After the event, we can break into smaller groups and get coffee, drinks or food depending on individual preferences.

Competition Rules

Take as many pictures as you would like but only upload two of your best photos for the Art Walk contest. Both the photos must be uploaded after completion of the Art Walk.

• Our judges, some who will be nominated from among our members will then judge the best photos and the overall winner. We will feature the best photos on our website and the winner will receive our award.
• The criteria for judging will be based on the artistic creativity,  uniqueness of the photo composition and picture framing besides having a stimulating effect. The photo must also capture the theme specified in the contest.
• A winner for the best photo will be announced three days after the Art Walk by our judges. The winner can pick the prize at any of our future Art Walk events.
• The winner will be invited as our guest, for our next Art Walk event.

During the event we will allocate a time frame for stopping at different locations before we continue with our walk.

Photography is more importantly an art of composing the story of an interesting moment and sharing your artistic creation with others.

The most important thing is to have fun enjoying the outdoors and the interesting company of our diverse group of participants.

Getting There

We will meet at the front-desk inside the Torpedo Factory Art Center at 4:30pm. Please take the entrance facing the harbor and walk straight in, where you will meet the group.

Alexandria is accessible via Metrorail, bus, Uber, Lyft, taxi and Capital Bikeshare. To come to the boat parade via Metrorail, take the yellow or blue line to the King St-Old Town station and ride the free King Street Trolley to the waterfront.

Event Details

Event: Art Walk - Holiday Boat Parade of Lights

Description: Explore the Torpedo Factory Art Center and the Holiday Boat Parade of Lights as we compete for the best photo for our Art walk contest.

Date/Time: Saturday December 2nd, 2017 4:30 PM to 9:00 PM

Admission: $2 for covering the cost

Meeting Place

4:30 pm - Torpedo Factory Art Center

105 N Union St Alexandria, Virginia 22314

Article Category: Events