Come one, come all to a Mardi Gras inspired winter celebration like you’ve yet to experience in historic Culpeper Downtown! Taking place throughout the day on Saturday, March 1st, the annual Culpeper Downtown Carnival will delight and excite adults and children of all ages!

With over 45 downtown shops and restaurants participating, you’re sure to discover engaging activities, family friendly entertainment, bayou inspired food and drinks, plus retail specials and giveaways! Start your day with a magic show, by nationally recognized magician Wes Iseli, performing two shows, 10:30am and 2pm, at Windmore Foundation for the Arts’ newly renovated State Theater. While out and about, you may run into a Renaissance character that will not only captivate you with their fashion, but will amuse you with riddles from yesteryear. Find the roaming juggler/stilt walker from 12pm to 2pm, plus receive free beads, masks and event info from roaming CRI volunteers between 12pm to 3pm. New this year, reserve your carriage ride in advance, courtesy of Olde Towne Carriages, with rides operating from 12pm to 4pm from the Depot/Visitor Center. (Reservation instructions will be released closer to March 1 via social media.) Visit Village Frameworks & Gallery for Sandy’s Face Painting from 11:30am to 2:30pm and don’t forget an epic sketch from Caricature Artist, Daniel Ryman, located outside of Vinosity from 10am to 4pm. Stop by Bailey’s Cookie Bar for a handmade treasure from Brennan’s Balloons and visit Raven’s Nest Coffee House and Fulton Found to enjoy live street art from local artists Layton Scarbrough and Dianna Taylor. Grass Rootes Kitchen & Cocktail will be serving up blues trio, Southside Homewreckers, on the front porch from 11:30am to 2pm. With so many activities offered at no cost, there is no reason you’ll want to keep the family at home on a day like this!

After a day of fun, plan a night of luxury by purchasing tickets for the SAFE Luxury Bingo Mardi Gras Ball. From 7pm to 11pm, enjoy music, dancing, light refreshments and a cash bar at the Culpeper Center & Suites. Go home with one of the many bingo prizes ranging from $500 to $1000 in value, what could be better than that? All proceeds will benefit and support SAFE! Learn more about this specific event by visiting www.safemardigrasball.com.

Whether a Jester, King or Queen, explore new shops, while visiting your old favorites, delighting in all things purple, green and gold. It’s not the French Quarter, its Culpeper Downtown baby, so Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler! The 2025 Culpeper Downtown Carnival is brought to you by Culpeper Renaissance, Inc. (CRI), along with downtown merchants, plus Windmore Foundation for the Arts, Visit Culpeper, and Friend of SAFE.

Interested in volunteering with Culpeper Renaissance, Inc. or sponsoring a Downtown event, email crievents@culpeperdowntown.com.