In partnership with
Hey neighbor,
Look up this weekend, Culpeper. The 26th annual Culpeper Air Fest fills the sky over Brandy Station on Saturday, and it's still free. Up the road in Madison County, Graves Mountain's Apple Harvest Festival is pouring cider and frying apple butter donuts to live bluegrass both days. Downtown has the farmers market, a history walking tour, and a hands-on pumpkin succulent workshop, and Friday night brings free trivia at Belmont Farm and card games on Main Street. Grab your calendar, we're pulling up.
— J. Patrick
✨ Fairy Pick of the Weekend
Culpeper Air Fest
Culpeper Air Fest
Saturday, October 10 | Gate and show times not posted yet — check before you go 📍 Culpeper Regional Airport, 12517 Beverly Ford Rd, Brandy Station
"The best little airshow in the East" turns 26 this year. The day honors the country's service members and the historic aircraft they flew, with vintage warbirds and aerobatic acts overhead and the Air Fest's STEM program for future pilots. Sponsors, donors, and volunteers keep it free every year.
Skip the airport traffic: parking is free at Culpeper County High School or Eastern View High School, with a shuttle to the airfield. Bring ear protection for the little ones, a chair, and a camera.
📅 Weekend Rundown
Friday, October 9
🏛️ "We Declare" Exhibit — 8:00 AM–5:00 PM, Carver 4-County Museum, 9432 James Madison Hwy, Rapidan. An exploration of natural rights and the 27 grievances that pushed colonists to declare independence in 1776.
🃏 TCG Open Play Friday Nights — 4:00–7:00 PM, Collector's Den, 205 S East St, Suite 101. 🔁 Weekly. Free — Pokémon, Magic, One Piece, Lorcana, and more.
⚔️ Friday Night Magic: Commander — 5:00–9:00 PM, Final Boss, 201 N Main St. 🔁 Weekly. Sign in with the Companion App for a free prize raffle.
🎙️ Trivia Night with the Trivia Guy, Brandon Hamilton — brewery opens 5:00 PM, trivia kicks off 6:00 PM, Belmont Farm Distillery, 13490 Cedar Run Rd. 🔁 Weekly Friday. Free to play, and you're drinking at the newly named 2026 Virginia Distillery of the Year.
Saturday, October 10
🥬 Culpeper Downtown Farmers Market — 7:30 AM–12:00 PM, Culpeper Baptist Church, 318 S West St. See Farmers Markets below.
✈️ Culpeper Air Fest — Culpeper Regional Airport, 12517 Beverly Ford Rd, Brandy Station. ⭐ Fairy Pick — see above.
🍎 Graves Mountain Apple Harvest Festival — 10:00 AM–4:30 PM (also Sunday), Graves Mountain Farm & Lodges, 205 Graves Mountain Ln, Syria. The 57th year of the Madison County classic: fresh cider, apple butter donuts, apple pies, hard cider and apple wine, the Hay Maze and Hay Mountain ($5), and 29 miles of trails. Live bluegrass Saturday from White Oak Ramblers. $12 per person per day.
🌵 Pumpkin Succulent Workshop — 10:30 AM–12:30 PM, Botanical Dwellings, 105 E Davis St. Top a locally grown heirloom pumpkin with succulents, air plants, dried flowers, and moss with botanical designer Leslie Geer. No carving, so it lasts all season. Materials included, ages 9+, plus 10% off plants in the shop. Registration required (non-refundable).
🚶 Downtown Culpeper History Walking Tour — 11:00 AM–12:30 PM, meets at 111 Commerce St. A 75-minute story-driven walk from Native lands through the Revolution and Civil War. $25/person.
🧙 Strixhaven Pre-Con League — 5:00 PM, Final Boss, 201 N Main St. 🔁 2nd & 3rd Saturdays. $30 entry; players need to be in the store's Discord for reporting.
Sunday, October 11
🍎 Graves Mountain Apple Harvest Festival — 10:00 AM–4:30 PM, Graves Mountain Farm & Lodges, 205 Graves Mountain Ln, Syria. Day two, with Reckless Brigade on the bluegrass stage. One more festival weekend left after this (Oct 17–18).
🖼️ Art @ The Vineyard: Richard Young — Revalation Vineyards, 2710 Hebron Valley Rd, Madison. Landscape paintings in both tasting rooms through Oct 31. Free; a good excuse for a Sunday glass on your way back from the mountain.
🥬 Farmers Markets
Culpeper Downtown Farmers Market — Saturday, 7:30 AM–12:00 PM, Culpeper Baptist Church lot, 318 S West St. Produce, eggs, meat, baked goods, and more from area growers, run by Culpeper Renaissance Inc. The season wraps at the end of October, so catch it while you can.
🚛 The Flavor Route Sponsored by Trukfoo!
If you're here → go eat here. No touring truks have logged confirmed Culpeper stops for Oct 9–11 yet, so here's the confirmed festival food plus the regular weekend pattern. Check Trukfoo before you head out.
Saturday, October 10
🍎 Apple butter donuts, apple pies & homemade ice cream @ Graves Mountain Apple Harvest Festival, 205 Graves Mountain Ln, Syria, 10 AM–4:30 PM — confirmed by the farm (plus smoked BBQ at the Graves Mountain Farm Restaurant)
🍺 Weekend food truk @ Old Trade Brewery & Cidery, 13270 Alanthus Rd, Brandy Station — unconfirmed, based on the regular weekend pattern (it's just down the road from the Air Fest)
Sunday, October 11
🍎 Festival food & fresh cider @ Graves Mountain Apple Harvest Festival, 205 Graves Mountain Ln, Syria, 10 AM–4:30 PM — confirmed by the farm
👉 Want the full, always-updated schedule? Head to trukfoo.com to see every truk's stops in real time.
25% More Hydrated Skin in Just 15 Days
Cooler weather can leave skin dry, dull and depleted. Pique's Radiant Skin Duo turns two everyday drinks into a simple ritual that supports glow from within.
Start the morning with Sun Goddess Matcha for clean, steady energy and concentrated antioxidants. Then hydrate deeper with B·T Fountain, a beauty electrolyte clinically backed to deliver:
25% greater skin hydration in 15 days
36% greater skin elasticity by Day 60
8.2% improvement in wrinkle depth by Day 60
For Pique Week, get a FREE Nectar Sweetener with any $115+ order, plus 20% off for life when you subscribe.
Around Virginia
Central Virginia / Richmond
Richmond Folk Festival
Friday evening, October 9 – Sunday, October 11 📍 Brown's Island & the Downtown Richmond riverfront, 470 Tredegar St, Richmond
One of Virginia's biggest events and it's free: six stages and 30+ performing groups from around the country and the world, plus traditional crafts, storytelling, and food. Brown's Island is mid-makeover but still hosts two stages and the food vendors. Check the schedule for stage times.
Charlottesville
Fall Crozet Arts & Crafts Festival
Saturday, October 10 – Sunday, October 11 | 10:00 AM–5:00 PM 📍 Claudius Crozet Park, Crozet
125+ juried artists in the Blue Ridge foothills, with craft demos, live music, kids' activities, food truks, and Virginia wine and beer. Tickets at the gate or online (12 and under free), leashed pets welcome, and free parking with a shuttle from Western Albemarle High School and Henley Elementary.
Northern Virginia
City of Fairfax Fall Festival
Saturday, October 10 | 10:00 AM–5:00 PM 📍 Historic Downtown (Old Town) Fairfax
The big 5-0 for one of NoVA's classic hometown festivals: 400+ art, craft, and food vendors, multiple entertainment stages, beer gardens, and kids' activities. Free admission (rides cost extra), free parking, rain or shine.
Hampton Roads / Virginia Beach
Port Warwick Art & Sculpture Festival
Saturday, October 10 – Sunday, October 11 📍 Styron Square, Port Warwick, Newport News
An outdoor walk-through gallery of up to 120 juried artists from across the country, with cash awards in 14 categories, live entertainment all weekend, family activities, and food truks. Check pwartfest.org for hours.
Shenandoah Valley
Massanutten Resort Fall Festival
Saturday, October 10 | 11:30 AM–6:00 PM 📍 Massanutten Resort, McGaheysville
Fall on the slopes with local artisans, food truks, and three Valley bands: Spilling Dew (noon), The Judy Chops (2:15 PM), and The Six Piece Suits (4:30 PM). $11.79 in advance through Oct 9, $20 at the gate, 6 and under free; scenic chairlift rides are $7 and sell out.
That's the lineup, Culpeper. Whether you're watching warbirds over Brandy Station, chasing an apple butter donut at Graves Mountain, or dressing up a pumpkin on Davis Street — get out there and live it. Downtown doesn't slow down, and neither should you.
See you next weekend.
Pull up soon,
J. Patrick
🚀 Before You Go
If you like what you see here, pull up and connect with us on these platforms:
📧 Subscribe to The Pull-Up Newsletter — weekly local events, every Thursday.
🍽 Join Trukfoo — discover food truks near you.
The Pull-Up is your weekly guide to food truks, festivals, local events, and hidden gems in Culpeper and beyond. Published by FestiveFly. Written by J. Patrick.