This past weekend, we made the trip to Round Top Antique Fair for the first time and friends, it did not disappoint. If you’re unfamiliar with the Fair, it’s a bi-annual event where people come from all over the world to buy and sell antiques. This is, capital A, B and D ‘A Big Deal’ and I’ll share our experience, the tips I’m taking with me for next time and what we came home with. 

First of all, Round Top is in the absolute middle of nowhere Texas. If you wait until the last minute to book a hotel or Airbnb, there will be absolutely nothing left for miles. We decided, though, that because we were bringing the kids with us that it’d be best to stay in Austin which is an hour and a half away. While there are a couple cute restaurants and a whole lot of nature to enjoy in Round Top itself, if you’re flying in for the occasion you’ll likely be flying into Austin or Houston and you might enjoy the variety in those cities a bit more. 

We stayed at the Austin Proper which means we’ve now stayed at 3/3 Proper Hotels (see our Santa Monica Proper stay here and our San Francisco Proper stay here.) Y’all, it did not disappoint. In an effort to be transparent and always remain a trustworthy source, there were a couple flaws. Getting to Round Top right at the opening hour is crucial if you’re trying to compete with design teams (it’s rough out there, folks.) Add in a 90 minute drive AND three kids to wake up, get ready and pack food for and you’ve got yourself quite the time crunch. We called down for valet about fifteen minutes or so before heading downstairs and unfortunately, the car wasn’t ready for 40 minutes. F O R T Y. Forty minutes is a whole lot of minutes at 7:30am with a hungry one year old who you told would eat breakfast in the car. We also had a bit of an issue with food deliveries and our room was darker than a Proper Hotel room usually would be. (you can see all the road trip essentials we always use in this post)

ALL of that aside, Kelly Wearstler absolutely blew me away as she always does. Every detail is stunning, friends. It was so unique to Austin and had such a Texas-meets-California feel which was just so inspiring. One thing I have to point out as reason alone to visit the hotel would be the gym. My goodness. It’s rare that you meet a hotel gym that takes your breath away but this one truly takes the cake. 

We drove on a Sunday and Round Top starts at 9am Monday. Our plan was to do two days of hunting and then drive home Wednesday so those two days really needed to count. 

Day 1.  

We went to The Compound for the first stop to tackle some of the vendors I’d anticipated most. I think every single building at The Compound is worth a gander, but Eneby Home and Old World Antieks are a must-visit.

(Those three photos are Oshiolema’s photography at Eneby Home and they melt me.)
Day One Links:

I set the kids and O up with lunch at a picnic table under the warm sun while I dug through a few more of the vendors and then we were on our way—with a stunning English table and French mirror waiting for us to swing back and load up the next day. I also made a note to stop by Excess Two.

Our next stops of the day we’re Blue Hill and Market Hill. We found the perfect console table for our kitchen at Leftovers along with a stunning copper teapot. This was where we all called it a day and drove back to Austin for baths and Incredibles and sweet green and much needed rest. 

Day 2. 

Day two is where things get wild because Marburger is an event in itself. To shop Marburger, you need a ticket and also have to pay for parking which isn’t try of the the other vendors, and you’ll need to be in line behind the rope ready to roll before it opens at 9am or you’ll find the best pieces are already gone. It’s truly like nothing I’ve seen before! I could have walked through the tents at Marburger alone for two days and still not seen it all. You really have to prioritize what you’re in the market for and focus if you’re on a time crunch like we were. It also helps to keep an eye on which vendor will be where so you know exactly where to go for your first stop!

Day 2 Links:

Things to remember:
+Wear comfortable shoes!
+Shipping is offered nearby, but you’ll pay a pretty penny for it. We brought a UHaul, drove it from Austin the first day and parked it at an RV Park in Round Top overnight. Most shops will let you come back at a later date to pick up your purchases so O rounded everything up and loaded to truck while the kids and I made the drive back to the hotel. Most people we talked to while shopping also had a friend, spouse or team member drive a truck back rather than pay for shipping.
+Bring an umbrella- Texas weather is always unpredictable
+Don’t forget to bring some cash. While most vendors take cards, some don’t and it’d be a shame to miss out.
+Bring a tape measure and try to have a rough idea which big ticket items you need to prioritize. It’s easy to get distracted by kettles, art and tea sets but keep your end-spend number in mind.
We will absolutely be back for the Fall Fair and I cannot wait!
Are you a Round Top regular? Do you have any tips to share? Feel free to leave them in the comments!