Things to Do in Culpeper

Valley Ballooning takes passengers’ breaths away with safely obtained, unobstructed aerial views of the Shenandoah Valley’s majestic rivers, vineyards, and animal inhabitants. Tours at sunrise or sunset cover up to 10 miles, with experienced pilots pointing out such incomparable sights as whitetail deer bounding below or the Blue Ridge and Appalachian Mountains frolicking in the distance. Winter flights include a warming cup of hot chocolate or coffee to keep passengers from growing envious of balloons, and toast packages conclude with the celebratory ringing of sparkling-cider glasses.

A 2,000-year-old game from Asia. An Argentinean polo player. A farm in northern Virginia. What may seem like the openings to three different stories is actually the description of one place: Middleburg Polo Academy. The scenic farm ground originally set the scene to a polo boarding and training facility by seasoned polo player Daniel Tognini and his wife, Ilene. These grounds morphed into an academy in 2007, thanks to the Tognini children, who had become enraptured with polo and the eponymous collared shirts the horses wore. Striving to inspire other youths with the game he first mastered in his native Argentina, Tognini fills Middleburg’s calendar with classes, camps, and private tutorials, teaching the history of polo and techniques to help students eventually compete in the sport.

Through the doors at Pots and Palettes’, Catherine—who occasionally dons the motherly teapot costume from Beauty and the Beast —cavorts from table to table, handing out friendly advice to children and adults as they paint selections from more than 500 bisque pottery pieces. Catherine and her artistic staff equip budding artists with all the necessary tools, including brushes, kilns, and fire hoses full of paint, to transform blank mugs and piggy banks into colorful works of art. Child- and adult-size tables set the stage for Family Thursdays, and date night on Fridays encourages flirty creativity with a two-for-one studio fee.

When they set about designing their year-round outdoor fields, WarPlay's founders—two Marine veterans who have played paintball for nearly 30 years— meticulously mapped out layouts that impacted strategy, which was something they felt most paintball fields lacked. They set up not only traditional woods-ball and speedball fields, but they also created their own hybrid fields that meld the quick pace of speedball with the more methodical play of woods ball. These course designs emphasize teamwork and heighten play because the fully automatic markers and density of cover—which may include concrete bunkers, standing timber, and out-of-work black holes—make the fields seem bigger than they are. This can lead to rapid swings in momentum and intense firefights—first contact usually happens within 50 seconds. To keep the action going, every field features spawn areas that let players return to games within five minutes of being hit.

Discover Virginia hosts a variety of outdoor events that celebrate local wines, foods, and retailers in a family-friendly environment. During the annual food and wine festival, local vendors flock to Greene County to pour samples of Virginia-made wines and fresh bites as families enjoy activities such as live music and face painting. Especially popular is the yearly chili cook-off, which sets chefs against each other as they compete to see which recipes can set off the most fire sprinklers.

Amid the tree-canopied foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, clusters of tubers and kayakers drift idly down the James River for a day of relaxation or recreation on these local waters. For more than 20 years, outfitters Kevin and Geneva Denby have facilitated just such excursions, providing not only the watercrafts, but guided instruction on paddling or floating technique and transportation to their launch site. Among the day trips offered, river adventures come by way of self-guided trips in the Denbys’ kayaks, rafts, or canoes, as well as several overnight trip options that ensconce visitors in the local scenery for up to two days at a time. The pair also furnishes expeditioners with supplies such as live bait, tackle, cameras, and sunscreen for their adventures. Upon return, Kevin and Geneva invite guests to wash off the day’s sweat, sunscreen, and kisses from passing boat captains in their hot showers.