The Torpedo Factory Art Center will be a festive destination for visitors before and after the Holiday Boat Parade of Lights on the Potomac. Artfully Chocolate will offer a selection of its world-famous gourmet hot chocolates near the riverfront entrance and many artists will provide goodies from Bread & Chocolate in their studios.
Artist Alison Sigethy’s light display Suspended Animation will be projected from within the building to encourage people to come inside and explore. The pattern is reminiscent of light reflecting on water, which is fitting for the lights displayed on the river during the Boat Parade.
Inside, the Alexandria Choral Society will sing seasonal favorites at 5 pm and 6:15 pm with the Braddock Brass Quintet performing at 8 pm. Following the close of the Boat Parade, Santa will visit with shoppers on all three floors of the Torpedo Factory Art Center and will assist in handing out door prizes at 7 pm.
Throughout the evening, Yelp.com will lead guests in a hands-on paper lantern project. Visitors can become captain of their own boat in an elaborate wintery photo station created by members of the Torpedo Factory Artists’ Association.
Schedule of events
- 4 pm: Holiday festivities begin. In the lobby, Yelp.com leads visitors in creating paper lanterns. Artfully Chocolate’s gourmet hot chocolate station opens by the riverfront entrance for guests watching the Holiday Boat Parade of Lights.
- 5 pm: Alexandria Choral Society’s first performance.
- 6:15: Santa arrives at the close of the Boat Parade and visits studios throughout the building. Alexandria Choral Society’s second performance.
- 7 pm: Santa helps distribute the door prizes.
- 8 pm: Braddock Brass Quintet’s performance.
Shop Local, Buy Handmade
In 2014, Alexandria was estimated to be home to nearly five time the national average for creative business (Americans for the Arts), thanks in large part to the Torpedo Factory Art Center, which features the largest community of working artists’ studios in the U.S. All of the artists in the Torpedo Factory Art Center are also small independent business owners. Not only do they help to shape the distinctive creative personality of Old Town Alexandria, but on average, dollars spent at local businesses return three times more money to the local economy compared to a chain. (Civic Economics)
Plan your visit ahead of time by reviewing the Visitors Guide and Map and learning more about the artists of the Torpedo Factory.
This event is supported in part by Yelp.com, Artfully Chocolate, and John Farr Lighting Design.
