Do you wait until you have visitors to check out the local sites? Most of us do — whether it is going into Washington, D.C. to visit the monuments and museums, or staying in Alexandria to walk around Old Town and Mt. Vernon. If you’re retired or just have extra time, why not take advantage of the cultural activities in our backyard? Our city boasts an array of walking tours, museums and special events fit for everyone. Alexandria continues to top various lists as the one of the best towns in the country to visit. The city is even being featured on a new PBS program called “Mercy Street,” about Alexandria’s significance during the Civil War. With this new notoriety, visitors from around the country are flocking into Alexandria to do everything “Mercy Street.”
Seniors Services of Alexandria is wrapping up its 2015-16 Senior Speaker Series by presenting the topic: “Cultural Activities and Civic Engagement for Seniors.” Attendees will hear about the many interesting and entertaining opportunities to explore around town. Local experts from VisitAlexandriaVA and Carlyle House Museum will share stories about how they worked with PBS in the making of “Mercy Street,” and give an overview of the different tours and events related to the show. The city’s Office of Historic Alexandria will expand on this by talking about all the different local historic sites and museums that many of us don’t even know exist.
For those interested in the arts, Metro Stage will be talking about local theatre in the area and what is on the horizon. The session will wrap up with information about the second annual session of the “Senior Academy,” which will offer seniors who live in Alexandria the chance to learn how the city works and ways to become more engaged.
The event takes place on Wednesday, June 15 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Beatley Central Library at 5005 Duke St. The event is free with light refreshments and plenty of parking. To register go online at Senior Services’ website seniorservicesalex.org or call 703-836-4414, ext. 110.
Finally, be sure to save the date of Saturday, Oct. 15 for “Senior Law Day” a program that SSA cosponsors with the Alexandria Bar Association. This event kicks off the 2016-17 Senior Speaker Series and will take place at First Baptist Church, 2932 King St. from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.