Culpeper becoming an events destination

Culpeper is becoming a “destination” for events. This is different than events that are born out of local organizations. I am talking about events that are established and looking for a venue that works for the occasion. Culpeper is being discovered as a great place to hold special events. And not just one type of event — we have a broad range of events that we are able to accommodate.

In June, Culpeper will host Bike Virginia. Registration for this event is sold out at 2,000 cyclists who will travel roadways from Charlottesville to Culpeper and then on to Orange. The five-day event is fully supported with a logistic army of volunteer specialists. We are expecting the 2,000 cyclists to arrive in Culpeper on June 21! On Monday June 22, the Town of Culpeper has arranged a downtown welcome event for the cyclists where there will be food, beverages, and music to enjoy while they browse and discover one of Virginia’s special treasurers — Downtown Culpeper. The public is invited to join in the event which will be June 22 from 5 to 9 p.m. 

In August, Culpeper is hosting the Culpeper Sprint Triathlon. The event will bring 700 competitors to our area for the race on Aug. 2. The event has sold out in the past and will likely do the same this year. At least 25 local athletes are currently in training to compete. This event benefits both the Culpeper field hockey team and the Organization for Autism Research according to the event website. What a great reason to participate.

Last year the Law Enforcement Rodeo was held at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. Guess where it will be held this year? Right here in Culpeper hosted by the Culpeper County Sheriff’s Department on Sept. 17, 18, and 19. There will be a motorcycle training and competition between 150 law enforcement officers traveling to Culpeper from along the east coast.

These are just a few events that are on the calendar for Culpeper in the next few months. However, there are many more. Some that relate to agri-tourism like the Farm Tour held in October and others that relate to Eco-Tourism that include events involving our natural resources. In addition, our Culpeper County Parks and Recreation Department receives frequent requests to allow regional tournaments on our well-managed sports fields. Our location makes it easy for regional sporting teams to find a central location to meet conveniently.

We are on the map … for many reasons! An interesting statistic about Culpeper is that there are approximately 66,891,000 people in a 300-mile radius around Culpeper, 29,933,000 in a 200 mile radius, and 10, 292,000 in a 100 mile radius according to information provided by the Culpeper County Department of Economic Development.

As we are discovered as a preferred place to hold events, it is clear that we are ready. When arriving a day early for an event or taking a day after the event, there are so many things to explore in our area. Culpeper is a place of history, natural beauty, fine dining, world-class entertainment, and most importantly a warm and hospitable community.

Jim Charapich is the president of the Culpeper County Chamber of Commerce. His column appears each Monday in the Star-Exponent.