Industry Night: How We Work Live & Play in Today’s Small Towns

Hey everyone, welcome to Industry Night. Today we’re taking a day trip to Warrenton, Virginia, and we’re filming from the beloved Claire’s. Huge thanks to Laura Torpy and the team at Fabulous Fauquier—aka Fauquier Fabulous—for getting us here and showing us the lay of the land.
I launched this road-show series about a year ago, crisscrossing the region to spotlight communities that are rewriting what small town means. Over the last 30+ years, places like Warrenton have invested in people-first main streets, not just big-box corridors. We’re talking independent restaurants and retail, real work-live-play energy, and programming that keeps the sidewalks buzzing.
Warrenton itself is a gem: incorporated in 1810, named for General Joseph Warren, set in the Piedmont with the Blue Ridge as a backdrop AND about 45 minutes from D.C. and the Shenandoah. It’s classic horse and wine country, with a historic downtown, brick sidewalks, beautiful architecture, and a growing community that still feels like a town.
So today, we’ll taste, talk, and walk through what makes this place hum with The Mayor, Carter Nevill, Chef Anna Crossman of Claire’s & Matt Carson who has brought back Britches Great Outdoors.

Let’s get into it ~ Listen to the full episode here and watch it here.