Round Top Antique Fair Review
We’ve been planning a trip to Texas to visit friends and they happen to live very close to Round Top. So….we planned our visit to coincide with the Spring Round Top Antique Fair.
I did not really know what to expect…but in my mind I was thinking giant flea market! The city of Round Top is very small but explodes twice a year when the fair is in town.
Vendors set up booths in fields that line the road from Warrenton to Round Top…which is about 20 miles of shopping. Tents line the road and in some places they are 20 - 25 tents deep!
Vendors come from all over the country to sell their collections. If you plan to shop…wear comfy shoes and prepare to walk in the fields!
Here we are…fresh and ready to shop! Look at all those tents in the background…and that is just one row in one field.
Parking was easy to find and cost $5 in most places…traffic was crazy!
Some spaces had tables filled with a menagerie of items….
…and some spaces were nicely curated with cohesive collections.
Marburger Farm opened on Tuesday, the day after most of the other venues opened. When we arrived there was a long line of cars waiting to get in and before we parked…the gatekeepers told us there was a $40 per person “early bird” entry fee for this group of tents. Ooops! I should have done a bit more research. I’m just too cheap to spend $160 (there were four of us) for the privilege to shop.
We were told that if we returned after one o’clock the fee was only $15 per person. We opted to return after 1:00.
The Marburger tents were filled with high-end pieces and they were beautifully displayed.
I’ve been looking for a french style table for our barn studio and I saw many of them in these tents. All had sold tags on them and went for $3500 - $5000. That was well over my budget!
Be prepared to spend some $$$ in this venue and shop the early bird sale. I was surprised how many large pieces sold early that morning.
I found a lot of inspiration in these tents and really enjoyed the curated atmosphere…but I believe the target market for this part of the fair was interior designers who were shopping for their clients.
I loved these potted calla lilies in the tall urns! Such an impactful display. I believe this could be done on a smaller scale in any home. Give it a try!
Have you ever thought of planting hostas in urns? I have not…but I have been inspired!
Where to Eat in Warrenton
We ate lunch at The Dugout and enjoyed Texas size meals…They were all delicious and they had cold beer!
Then it was back to shopping!
Here’s a unique way to use antique insulators…
Beautiful patina on these well loved chairs…oh the stories they could tell!
We tried not to lose our heads while we were there….
Antlers anyone?
Vintage needle cases…
and sewing machines.
Soooo many unique collections!
Sights around the tiny town of Round Top
I bought a few things at the fair but not as many as I expected. I was prepared to ship items home…but in the end…it all fit in my suitcase!
I was surprised at how high the prices were…even in the field tents. Our friends took us to a couple of antique stores in the area and I found those to be much more budget friendly!
I’m glad I had the opportunity to experience Round Top Antique Fair…and it was like our hike to the base camp of Mt. Everest…I’m glad I did it…but don’t feel a need to do it again.
Coming soon…I’ll post what I purchased at Round Top and surrounding areas of Texas!
Barebones Walnut Scissors
from $24.00
Wood Brushes
from $2.50