ALEXANDRIA, Va. — City of Alexandria government offices will be closed Friday, July 3, in observance of Independence Day, with some facilities also closed Saturday, July 4 — and the holiday weekend is set to arrive under dangerous heat. And while the Fourth brings the usual closures, the city is saving its own celebration for the following weekend: a free evening of music and fireworks on July 11, marking Alexandria’s 277th birthday and the nation’s 250th.
Here’s what to know for the holiday weekend and the celebration to come.
Beating the heat
The National Weather Service has placed the region under back-to-back extreme heat warnings for Thursday and Friday, with the heat index expected to reach 111 on Thursday and 112 on Friday. An extreme heat watch covers the weekend, with heat index values of 105 to 110 lingering into the Fourth of July.
The city has opened several cooling locations in response. Carpenter’s Shelter, at 2355 A Mill Road, will be open from 1 p.m. Thursday, July 2, at 7 a.m. Monday, July 6. A DASH cooling bus will be parked at 417 King St. through the afternoon of Sunday, July 5. And the Charles Houston Recreation Center, at 901 Wythe St., and Patrick Henry Recreation Center, at 4653 Taney Ave., will be open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. July 3 and July 4 for residents seeking relief…