Culpeper

Four-year-old Ava Ward tries out her bubbles near the Earthquest tent during last year's CulpeperFest.

The largest business and community themed social event of the season, the 43rd Annual CulpeperFest returns 4-8 p.m. this Friday to Cyclone Stadium at Eastern View High School. Tickets are free at EventBrite.

The family-friendly event will feature giveaways, raffles, large vehicle displays, food trucks, live music and more than 120 vendors. Waking Napster will perform at 4 p.m., 5:30 and 7 p.m. INAT USA Taekwondo will do a demo at 5 p.m. and IMAS International Multi-Lingual Academy will do traditional Latin dancing at 6:30 p.m. in the stage area.

Earthquest will be at CulpeperFest with its wild birds, including new this year, Maggie the Pelegrine Falcon, the fastest creature on the planet at top diving speed of 235 miles per hour. Earthquest will do a demo at 5 p.m. And on the field at 6 p.m., check out the Mascot Race.

New and soon-to-be parents are invited to a community baby shower Saturday at the Fick Conference Center on the campus of Mary Washington Hospital, 1301 Sam Perry Blvd., Fredericksburg.

The free event is sponsored by Mary Washington Healthcare and scheduled from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Those attending will be able to learn about hospital services, meet community businesses and find local resources for them and their little ones, according to a news release. The Fredericksburg Police Department will offer free safety checks for car seats.

As of earlier this week, more than 20 vendors and 300 people had signed up to attend. Those interested are asked to register at BabyShower.mwhc.com or call 540/741-1404.

Old House Winery, Distillery & Brewery and Chili Appreciation Society International are joining Cruisin' 4 Heroes for a dual charity fundraiser this weekend for the Fisher House Foundation and pancreatic cancer research.

The 2023 Virginia State Chili Championships will be held noon to 6 p.m. Sunday at Old House, in Stevensburg, Culpeper County. Come sample some of the best meat-and-bean concoctions in the commonwealth at this family-friendly event supporting military and community. Live music from 1-4 p.m.

Rappahannock Rapidan Community Services will hold its next regularly scheduled Board Meeting at 4 p.m. on June 13 at its offices, located at 15361 Bradford Road in Culpeper.

Individuals with disabilities who require special assistance to attend and participate should contact Tammy Keaton at 540/825-3100, Ext. 3146.

The South Carolina Corps of Cadets Class of 2023 are now part of the Long Gray Line. Sara Hume, of Warrenton, earned an Intelligence and Security Studies Bachelor of Arts degree from The Citadel.

She graduated during the South Carolina Corps of Cadets commencement ceremony on May 6, according to a release from The Citadel.

James Jennings of Warrenton earned a Master of Science in Health Exercise Sport Science from The Citadel at graduation. He graduated during The Citadel Graduate College's commencement ceremony

More than 500 members of the South Carolina Corps of Cadets and almost 400 students from The Citadel Graduate College accepted their degrees at commencement. Approximately 30% of the graduating cadets accepted commissions as officers into the U.S. Armed Services.

The Citadel, with its iconic campus located in Charleston, South Carolina, offers a classic military college education for young men and women focused on leadership excellence and academic distinction.

Dr. Gary Gallagher, the John L. Nau III Professor of History Emeritus, University of Virginia, will give a free talk at 5 p.m. Saturday on "What Caused the Civil War," at the Brandy Station Volunteer Fire Department Hall, 19601 Church Road in Brandy Station.

The Brandy Station Foundation is sponsoring this event. There will be a book signing of Gallagher's titles which attendees can bring or buy at the event. He is the author or editor of 22 books on the Civil War, including "The Confederate War" and "Lee, the Soldier."

Rappahannock Rapidan Community Services transportation will not operate on Friday due to an Employee In-Service Training.

Free parenting classes for Spanish speakers will be held 5:30-7:30 p.m. tonight, June 15 and June 22 at Culpeper Baptist Church. Classes in English are planned for the near future. Contact [email protected] for more information.

A former assistant principal at Culpeper County and Eastern View High Schools, Kelley A. Pearson is an independent candidate running for Culpeper County School Board Salem District in the November election.

Pearson will be meeting and greeting Culpeper community members next week at CulpeperFest Friday at Cyclone Stadium at Eastern View.

"Kelley is looking forward to catching up with familiar faces, meeting new friends and hearing about public education issues of importance to our community members," a campaign release stated.

Culpeper Battlefield Tours, with partners, will host real-time tours, a living history experience, including a cavalry and artillery reenactment, a screening of the movie, "Gettysburg" and a film talk with the director this weekend for the 160th Anniversary of the Battle of Brandy Station.

Still the largest cavalry battle ever fought on North America, June 9, 1863, with 19,000 amassing on horseback, Brandy Station was the opening engagement of the Gettysburg campaign.

For the anniversary, certified guides will lead free, real-time tours of the Battlefield Friday starting at 5:30 a.m., the approximate start of the battle. Attendees can also experience a living history camp, cavalry and artillery reenactments and lectures on June 10-11. All battlefield events will take place at the intersection of St. James Church Road and Beverly Ford Road in Brandy Station, next to Culpeper Regional Airport.

The Graffiti House, a Civil War field hospital with Federal and Confederate graffiti, will be open to visitors this weekend with living history on site. Historic Fleetwood Church next door will be open as well. Experience the drama of what came after the Battle of Brandy Station at 4 p.m. Sunday at a 30th anniversary screening of "Gettysburg," with director Ron Maxwell in the theater at Woodberry Forest School, along U.S. Route 15, in Madison County.

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