Advice Navigating Antiques Week in Round Top
How to make the most of your shopping expedition.
It’s that time of year again: one of the biggest shopping events in the country, Antiques Week in Round Top, Texas. So grab some girlfriends, plenty of cash, borrow a truck if you have to and head east. Round Top and the surrounding towns are just a little more than an hour’s drive away. Whether you’re going to make it a day trip or turn it into an annual girls’ getaway, you need to know how to get around to make the most of your time.
If You Only Have One Day
Marburger Farms March 31 – April 4
(Early buying, $25, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; $10, 2 to 5 p.m.)
Here, you’ll find everything from antiques to mid-century modern furniture, architectural pieces, African masks, garden items, art, prints, vintage textiles and much more.
Why:
My mother and I make the trip every season for opening day. It’s a ritual I look forward to. There are friendly faces of patrons I’ve come to recognize year after year, the vendors I can trust to have what I need or want, and the trends are set here. All are constants I can count on. At Marburger, everything is thought through. It’s more polished than the other shows, and presented like one beautifully staged antique showroom after the next. Finds are purposely displayed, well organized and legitimate. They even have their very own “authenticity advisor,” whose job is to help management, staff and dealers maintain the integrity of the show, says Tara Suel, chief connection officer at Marburger Farms.
Tips:
- Leave Austin early. Gates open at 10 a.m. on opening day, and there can be a long line of cars to get in. There are 10 tents, 12 historical buildings and more than 350 vendors from the United States and abroad. You’ll have a lot of ground to cover.
- Wear comfortable shoes and bring a bottle of water. (They actually ran out one year when it was unseasonably hot.)
- It’s good to have plenty of cash on hand. Credit cards and checks are widely accepted, but you have more leverage with the green stuff.
- A camera or iPhone is convenient for snapping pictures of items you’re thinking of purchasing. But don’t expect to make many calls, as coverage is spotty.
- After you are finished for the day, large purchases can be picked up behind the tents and vendor spots where you purchased them
Perks:
There is no need to leave for lunch. My favorite, Black’s Barbecue, piles your choice of pork or brisket on top of sourdough buns. Grab a bag of chips and an iced tea the size of your head. Now is the time to sit down, rest and scan your camera for all the pictures of items you need to consider buying.
A new café opened last spring at Marburger Farms. And new to this show will be two satellite coffee stations at either end of the field. As if the antiques are not stimulating enough!
If You Have Several Days
Round Top Antiques Week runs March 20 through April 5. If you plan to stay for the week or several days, you’ll likely need a place to stay. Look to Round Top’s Chamber of Commerce to find rooms that are still available.
Melissa Deakins, who’s been coming to Antiques Week every season for the past decade with a group of 10 women, has a few suggestions. “If you can get a place with a kitchen, that’s key,” she says. “Somebody will bring lasagna. One evening we’ll pick up a quiche from Pie Haven, and we’ll always go to Royers for dinner one night. If you like your accommodation and plan to attend next fall, you’ll save yourself time and headache by rebooking and putting down a deposit when you checkout.”
Upon arrival, grab a copy of Show Daily. It will be your guide to the complete list of vendors and shows. It also contains a buyers’ guide index that lists the items each dealer carries. If you’ve come for something special, this guide will be extremely helpful in finding it.
Venues Not To Be Missed:
- La Bahia: (east of Round Top) Beautiful vintage linens.
- Ex-cess: (Warrington) Great architectural salvage.
- Blue Hills: 50,000 square feet of covered shop- ping, with a great assortment of antiques, vintage pieces and accessories.
- The Original Round Top Antique Fair: Starts April 1, and $10 buys you entry to all four shows: Big Red Barn and Tent, the Continental Tent and Carmine Dance Hall.
Where to eat:
- Royer’s Round Top Café: Reservations are required during Antiques Week.
- Pie Haven: Ideal for a quick breakfast or a snack on the go.
Whenever you decide to visit Round Top, prepare yourself for an adventure. Regardless of whether you buy something, it’s a great place to be inspired and enjoy the company of friends. And know that it’s only a short six months until the next show!
Round Top Antiques Week, March 20 – April 5
Photos courtesy of Jenna Dee for Marburger Farms, Melissa Deakins and Meredith Ellis.
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