Getting to Know the Culpeper Area and Events The tree-lined streets of downtown feature many fine turn-of-the-century homes. Looking west across East, Davis, and West streets toward Yowell Meadow Park. About Our Area Culpeper offers a pleasant mix of business and industry in a region noted for its open pastures, farmland, and picturesque mountain backdrops. No longer just a farming community, Culpeper now bustles with activity of all kinds. New construction projects from both local builders and national home corporations have created new neighborhoods in both the town and county and our county population is expected to reach 50,000 in about five years. Modern shopping areas include stores such as J.C. Penney, Belk, Lowe’s, Wal Mart, Target, Staples, PetSmart and Kohl's, while specialty shops in the thriving downtown offer gourmet chocolates, fine wines, and International gifts and crafts. Restaurants are available for every palate and dining can be as simple as a quick stop at Baby Jim’s or a leisurely evening spent at It’s About Thyme, Hazel River Inn Restaurant, Lucio’s or one of our other fine restaurants. Chick-Fil-A is our newest fast food restaurant, and other recent dining options include Ruby Tuesday and Chili's. We are also the home location for Tom Calhoun's famous country ham biscuits. While many Culpeper residents commute to Northern Virginia or to neighboring counties, more and more Culpeper residents find employment right at home. The Chamber of Commerce Community Guide and Business Directory offers a full list of area businesses such as industry giants like Continental Teves and Merillat Industries. Other well-known local employers are Merchant’s Grocery Co., Cargill, Inc., Culpeper Wood Preservers, Rochester Corporation, Cintas, Bingham & Taylor, Blue Ridge Growers, Willow Run Greenhouses, Coffeewood Correctional Center, Communications Corporation of America, Environmental Systems Services, Ross Industries, Structural Systems, and the Library of Congress audio visual archives. Many residents work within the area’s healthcare or schools networks, local builders provide employment in a variety of trades, and the Virginia Department of Transportation maintains both its area and district residency offices in Culpeper. The headquarters for the Virginia State Police second division is just off Rt. 29 near Brandy Station. Many businesses are based at the Culpeper Industrial Air Park at Elkwood, while smaller companies populate the Montanus commercial center at the edge of town. Once featured by Washingtonian magazine as one of the region’s best locations for small business development, Culpeper offers office space ranging from a single room on up. There are offices and store fronts suitable for small businesses at many locations throughout the downtown and several new shopping and commercial areas with space available are located at the north end of the town. Assistance is available for small business owners at the Culpeper Career Resource Center on E. Davis Street where residents seeking employment will also find information and seminars. And, Culpeper Renaissance, the downtown development program affiliated with the national Main Street program, provides business development assistance for the downtown area. For higher education, Culpeper residents can choose among Germanna Community College at Locust Grove, Lord Fairfax Community College in Warrenton, or the Old Dominion University Teletechnet site at Germanna. The Germanna Center for Advanced Technology off McDevitt Drive opened in the fall of 2006. A short commute takes students to Mary Washington University, the University of Virginia, George Mason University, and Strayer University. Cultural, civic, social, and sports activities take place throughout the four seasons. The Chamber of Commerce maintains a complete Calendar of Events that is available from the Culpeper Visitor Center or if you contact me I can send it to you. In the spring, we have street festivals, point-to-point steeplechase races, and the Culpeper Volunteer Fire Department’s parade and carnival. Summer brings the Fourth of July celebration, CulpeperFest, the Soap Box Derby, Third Thursday Concerts downtown, the Culpeper-Madison-Rappahannock Farm Show, and equestrian events at Commonwealth Park. In the fall area farmers welcome visitors for the Culpeper Harvest Days Farm Tour, the Culpeper Regional Airport holds its annual Air Fest, and the downtown hosts its Taste of Culpeper celebration featuring fine foods and wine. Downtown merchants also sponsor special trick-or-treat activities for area children at Halloween. Activities during the winter holiday season include the Windmore Festival of Trees, Community Tree Lighting and Lights of Love program at the hospital, and the Christmas Tour of Homes sponsored by the South East Neighborhood Watch. Ongoing activities include golf tournaments, history-related events, a downtown Farmer’s Market, Youth Sports Leagues, Parks & Recreation Department classes and trips, horse shows and Steeplechase races, and community concerts both indoors and open air. Windmore Foundation for the Arts sponsors theatrical productions and has special groups for writers and artists, while the movie theater on S. Main Street draws patrons from a five-county area. A number of community programs take place at the Culpeper County Library. The Town of Culpeper provides several Parks including Yowell Meadow Park where visitors can enjoy walking and nature trails, playground equipment, picnic shelters, sports fields and two skate parks. Mountain Run Lake Park also has picnic facilities and both it and Lake Pelham are popular destinations for local fishermen. The County is developing Spilman Park on Colvin Road north of Rixeyville and there is a playground and pavilion there. Fitness enthusiasts eagerly welcomed Gold’s Gym to the community several years ago and the Culpeper Regional Hospital opens its Wellness Center and therapy pool in August of 2007. Strategically located midway between I-66 and I-64, Culpeper serves as a transportation hub with Rts. 29, 3, 15, and 522 all traveling through the town. Both the Crescent and Cardinal lines provide Amtrak service from the downtown depot, private and corporate pilots fly to and from the Culpeper Regional Airport, and the Culpeper Connector bus links residents with homes, shopping, restaurants, and medical facilities. A schedule in both English and Spanish can be found at the visitor’s center where you can also pick up the Parking in Historic Downtown Culpeper brochure to help locate free downtown parking or for information on daily leased parking spaces. Culpeper is becoming a popular destination for seniors attracted here by facilities such as Amerisist that specializes in assisted living, and the Baptist Retirement Community, a lifecare center offering individual homes, duplexes, assisted living, and a healthcare center. In addition to its regional Hospital, Culpeper also has an outpatient Surgical Center, Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center, and the new Wellness Center. Go Back to Activities and History