Rites of Spring (LARP Adventures Festival)
- Dates
- Apr 23 to 26, 2026
- Status
- Expected
- Venue
- Mountain Run Winery, 10753 Mountain Run Lake Rd
- Price
- $50
- Camping
- Available
- Last checked
- Aug 24, 2026
The experience
What's special
Rites of Spring is the spring LARP festival of LARP Adventures, a mid-Atlantic live-action roleplaying group, held over a long weekend at Mountain Run Winery near Culpeper, Virginia, on 25 acres of forest and fields with a medieval village built in the woods. Set in the fantasy world of Osterra and themed around the vernal equinox, it blends foam-weapon tournaments, faction wargames, puzzles, and quests with feasting (a meal plan is included) and evening tavern and bonfire revelry, and is designed to be accessible to first-time players.
What people love
The wider LARP Adventures community is repeatedly described as an awesome, welcoming group with a strong emphasis on community, offering a nice mix of combat and roleplay, and Mountain Run Winery itself is praised as a great venue with a purpose-built medieval village in the woods.
See the grounds
Costumes & what to wear
Do I need a costume?
The event is specifically geared to be accessible to first-time players, you do not need plate armor or a perfect costume to take part; garb is encouraged but newcomers can rent a sword (+$25) and jump in, and non-combatant roles are available
Costume rules
Everyone is encouraged to wear garb/costume; the stated goal is 'TV/Movie quality' looks rather than strict period accuracy, with inclusivity and DIY options emphasized. Costume inspiration ranges from post-Roman Britons through the Viking age, and high fantasy is welcome as 'portal travelers.'
Weapons policy
Uses realistic latex-covered and injection-molded foam weapons (from partners such as Calimacil and Epic Armouries) rather than boffer weapons; DIY and plastidip shields are welcome and all weapons are safety-checked. Archery uses bows under 35-pound draw with slow-style foam arrows; no head shots are legal
Joining in
An immersive, story-driven four-day LARP set in the fantasy world of Osterra celebrating the vernal equinox: tournaments of sword, spear, and bow, riddles and puzzle challenges, faction wargames, feasts, and evening tavern and bonfire revelry. It is built for both first-timers and veterans, with non-combatant options
Getting there
Nearest airport IAD.
How do I get to Rites of Spring (LARP Adventures Festival)?
Taxi & rideshare 1
From IAD the winery is roughly a 50-mile, 60-70 minute drive southwest via US-29 toward Culpeper. Rideshare pickup at IAD is marked at Curb Level; rental cars are at the Consolidated Rental Car facility. There is no transit, rail, or festival shuttle out to the Culpeper venue, so a rideshare would cover the whole trip, but for a four-day campout with gear, most fly-in players rent a car. Book a return ride ahead, as driver supply thins out in rural Culpeper County
Book / info →By train
No direct passenger rail to the venue was found. Use the airport transfers or shuttle options above.
By bus
No scheduled intercity bus or public transit route to the venue was found. Use the airport transfers or shuttle options above.
🅿 Parking
On site parking available. Cost On-site parking at Mountain Run Winery (no separate parking charge documented). Prepay via None, on-site parking at the venue, no prepay system noted. The four-day campout takes place on the winery's 25 acres of forest and fields, with players camping on site from Thursday check-in through the weekend; on-site parking is available. Specific parking layout and any capacity limits were not documented this pass
🚙 Car hire
Compare car hire at IAD
The primary option for fly-in attendees: a four-day forest campout on a Culpeper-area winery ~50 miles from IAD with no transit or shuttle to the site, and players haul tents and gear. IAD sits on the I-66 corridor toward the Shenandoah Valley, genuinely closer to western-Virginia destinations than DC's other airports; a rental car covers the trip
Search car hire →Live price search coming soon.
Where
Venue
Mountain Run Winery, 10753 Mountain Run Lake Rd
Camping & Accommodation
Is there camping at Rites of Spring (LARP Adventures Festival)?
Yes, on site camping is available.
Facilities
Camping site types 3
A four-day campout at Mountain Run Winery; Thursday is check-in and camp set-up, and camping is included in the event package ($50; youth package $25). A meal plan is included. Sword rentals are available (+$25)
Van/vehicle camping fits within the four-day campout (bring your own setup); camping is primitive with facilities not detailed. Same event-package-included camping applies
The campground is primitive forest and fields with a medieval village built in the woods and a feast hall (facilities not detailed); combat is for ages 16+, with a family-friendly atmosphere and a youth package available
Pricing
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