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Antiques & Crafts Show Guide

Shop 'til You Drop in Old Round Top


EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT THE ROUND TOP SHOWS BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK

Antique & Craft Central - Okay, you heard about Round Top on TV or maybe in a newspaper or magazine. Considering Round Top’s glut of high profile public relations over the last year, it’s likely that’s how you heard about this little town of 81.

After all, Emma Lee Turney’s Round Top Antiques Fair, the Festival-Institute at Round Top, its music and herb gardens, and even this little newspaper have been the subjects of a lot of media attention... or maybe a friend had visited before and was raving about the “Round Top show” and you just had to come see what all the fuss was about. It sounded kind of relaxing to do a little antiques and crafts shopping in a tiny little town lost in the Texas countryside.

You called several weeks ahead and tried to get a room. Everyone was much too nice to laugh, but even so, you found that all the inns were full. Okay, that was a minor setback. You swore to do better in the Spring.

Then, that fateful day arrived when you drove up to Round Top. As you turned onto Hwy 237 from Hwy 71, you noticed the traffic was getting a little stiff but you didn’t let that bother you either. You’re a professional shopper. You’re a lean, mean buying machine and you carry cash. Nothing can stop you...except Warrenton.

Suddenly, the horizon is filled with tents and tables covered with every implement of household decoration known to man. People are rushing around like human piranhas in a feeding frenzy. The traffic is at a standstill. You’re lost...bewildered...distraught. What can you do? What can you do?

It’s simple. Just open the world famous Round Top Register

Oh...yeah, you already did that.

Our wild guess is that there are about thirty-five separate show locations housing at least 2,500 dealers! That’s a lot of shopping to do in a weekend.

In addition to that, a number of the communities either enroute to the show or in the area have special antiques and crafts events timed to occur simultaneously with the Round Top shows either in local shops or at shared locations. This is true in Fayetteville, Flatonia, Bellville, Columbus, La Grange, Brenham and Schulenburg, to name a few.

So, you better wear your Nikes.

Ms. Turney then added a huge new venue she calls the "Big Red Barn." It's out on Hwy 237 between Round Top and Carmine. You can't miss it. You can reach Emma Lee at (281) 293-0320 by phone, or check out her website listed below. Over the years however, an increasing number of “me too” shows have opened up across the region and many have grown to be substantial events on their own.

Two years ago, Emma Lee sold her locations to another successful promoter, Susan Franks of Franks Productions who can be reached at info@roundtoptexasantiques.com. Susan has expanded her use of the Big Red Barn, and has sponsored other events during the year including a huge Polka Fest starting polka Icon "Big Joe."

Emma Lee still runs her Round Top Folk Art Fair and Creative Market, which remains at the location on Hwy. 237 across from Festival Hill. She has expanded it considerably so it's still a great venue. 

Three of the earliest of these were the Square Fair, put on by the Do Your Duty Club on the Round Top town square, the Warrenton Antiques Show and Sale that is now held in the Renck/Baca Pavilion in Warrenton, and the Shelby Antique Show which is held in Harmonie Hall in the tiny town of Shelby.

Warrenton continues to expand its offerings every year, and many new venues have opened in the last five years. 

Particularly in Warrenton, dealers show up ready to sell as early as three weeks before the Round Top show. In fact, unsubstantiated rumor has it that some dealers show up early for the Warrenton show to stock up for resale at the Round Top events. Who knows? Antiqualope gossip runs rampant.

Even so, there is no question that Warrenton is going strong by the weekend before “antique weekend.” Several other shows open on Thursday, the 2nd.

Our calendar of events lists the opening dates of the main shows.

There are now twenty-some-odd individual major shows. Every year new ones pop up and some old ones die out. The various shows and dealers are not always cooperative and supportive when it comes to their competitors, so be careful about what you hear from one show about another.

The closest thing to a master contact list is available at the Round Top Chamber of Commerce. Give them a call at (409) 249-4042 and...good luck! Here are a list of a few of the larger shows and contact numbers:

Round Top Folk Art Fair
Emma Lea Turney (281) 493-5501
turnyshows@aol.com

Round Top Original Antiques Fair
Susan Black - 512-237-4747
info@roundtoptexasantiques.com

Marburger Farm Antiques Show
John Sauls (800) 947-5799
Roundtop-marburger.com

DYD Square Fair (Arts and crafts only)
Carol Nagel (979) 249-3803

An alternate route is to take Hwy 290. Turn left on Hwy 237 about three miles past Burton and drive 8 miles to Round Top. Another is to take Interstate 10 to Columbus then grab Hwy 71 to La Grange. Exit on Hwy 159 in La Grange, take a right and go 18 miles to Round Top. About half way Hwy 159 turns right to Fayetteville and the road straight ahead becomes Hwy 237.

If you’re coming from Austin, just reverse the directions.

If you’re coming from San Antonio, the best route is to come up I-10 to Flatonia and take winding FM 609 to La Grange. In La Grange, take a right on old Hwy 71 and go through town to Hwy 159. Take a left and follow it until it becomes Hwy 237 a few miles before Warrenton.

No matter how you come, you’re going to run into some traffic, particularly in Warrenton and Round Top. The temptation to park illegally can be great but don’t surrender to temptation. There are suitable locations for parking in all areas so stay off the roads and out of private drives. You may be towed!

Most of all, relax. It may seem like a traffic jam on the big city freeway but it’s not. Put on that laid-back country attitude and take your time. Be patient and courteous. Wave at people. Slow down. Get a life!

Miss Turney’s original shows, especially the events at the Round Top Rifle Hall and the Big Red Barn still rule the roost in terms of overall quality. If you are a serious collector, you don’t want to miss these events. Due to the quality of her dealers’ merchandise, often museum quality, the uninformed sometimes question her dealers’ prices. But if you are shopping the high end, it’s still quite possible to get a great bargain at the Round Top Antiques Fair . Miss Turney has a new building opening at the Spring 2001 show on Hwy. 237 between Round Top and Carmine.

A big new show that has them talking is the Marburger Farm Antique Show on Hwy 237 between Round Top and Warrenton. It's huge, well run and is chock full of quality dealers.

Shows that have shown consistent quality over the years are the La Bahia Antiques Show show at 237 and Hwy 290, the Shelby Antiques Show and some of the indoors locations in Warrenton. Of particular note in Warrenton is Rosemary Sampley’s Rose of Texas Antiques Show in the old Legal Tender Saloon & Hall.

Other higher quality Warrenton shows are held inside the Zapp Hall, the Renck/Baca Pavilion, the Campbell Building and around the Warrenton Inn.

 Miss Turney’s Folk Art Fair is on Hwy 237 just down the road from the Festival-Institute at Round Top. Some top people show here. It’s worth a visit.

The Square Fair on the Round Top town square is also a great place to visit. Lots of local artisans show there. There’s a lot of good food too!

Warrenton has a reputation for being the bargain hunter’s paradise. Due to the fact that it has such a wide variety of product and quality, we have to agree. A good deal of the merchandise in Warrenton, particularly items sold outside the main indoor halls, would more rightly be called “flea market” goods.

That doesn’t mean there aren’t a number of treasures to be found. It just means you may have to sift through a lot of marginal merchandise to find it. Every year, a number of large institutional buyers, restaurant chains, decorators etc., come early to Warrenton searching for goodies. They can’t all be wrong.

In the old American Legion Hall on Hwy 237 just past Ms. Turney's Arts and Crafts show is a new show but seems to be doing very well.

Two other good places to look for “buried treasure” are the two shows on FM 1457 between Shelby and Round Top, Black Gate Antiques and The Barn at Kajan Farms.

We’ve found some great bargains on architectural antiques and textiles at the The Old Depot Antique Show in Round Top on Hwy 237.

In Round Top, there are several shops you don’t want to miss. At the Round Top Inn, Sandy Reed and Kathy Johnson run the Home & Hearth, the Herb Haus and the Garden Gate. The Shops at the Round Top Inn are a two square block compound of historic buildings and all of the shops are chock full of treasures. On the Square, Kathy and Sandy have recently opened two new shops. One's a gallery and the other sells coffee and all kinds of treats and books to go with it. There’s a great selection of antique furniture next door at Old Stone Brewery Antiques on Mill Street and you can get fine wine by the glass, or bottle, next door at the Round Top Wine Shop. Two new shops on the Square have everyone talking, the Royer family's Three Queens, and Next Stop Paris in what used to be Porch Office Antiques next to Round Top Real Estate.

On the square, browse through the Apothecary at Henkel Square. It’s the entrance to Round Top’s famed museum village and worth a look. . Check it out. In addition to their antiques, they well quality wine and cigars and some great pizza!

Across Hwy 237 is the Round Top General Store. Hugh and Peggy Wood operate the historic old store these days. Stop in, have some fudge and shop around. Great Scott Outfitters runs a great clothing store next to the Round Top General Store

For some great fun, stop by P J Hornberger’s little gallery in the old bank building on the Round Top square. P J often displays her popular folk art in Emma Lee Turney’s shows so she may not be home when you knock but it’s worth a try.

On the way to or from Round Top, you ought to check out Carmine. Carmine has been a well kept secret but the secret has started to get out now that Miss Turney has the Carmine Dance Hall & Show Tent in full swing. There are a number of good full-time antique dealers right on Hwy 290 year-round. Deanna Mesecke at Unique Antiques in Carmine has a tasteful and well chosen selection. Tell her the Register sent you.

There are a lot of good food vendors throughout the shows. The best are fund raisers for local organizations. At the Round Top Rifle Hall, you can get some awesome barbecue and brew. It’s the biggest fundraiser of the year for the Rifle Association so eat hearty. Other such groups serve good food in Carmine, Warrenton and Shelby.

Bud Royer’s famous Round Top Cafe also serves his usual scrumptious menu but that doesn’t stop people from lining up several deep on his front porch. If you have to wait, no problem. Waiting on Bud’s porch is all part of the ambience. You can get on the "list" by calling, or by going to his website at royersroundtopcafe.com.

Klump’s Restaurant has started serving on the front porch on “Antique Weekend.” That’s good. In the past, their delicious barbecue has been hard to get because they had more takers than servers.

Pasquali's Restaurant in Round Top is a must stop for high end fair. Pasquali is an incredible chef, but like at Royers, you need reservations.

Just down the road, a mile past Warrenton is a place that only the locals have found. It’s called Oaks Restaurant and new owners Lori is real pro and can cook! Try her soups! By next year, they’ll be swamped so you better get there while the getting is good!

Some other great local restaurants are the Burton Cafe and the Brazos Belle in Burton, Orsak’s Cafe in Fayetteville, the Warda Store in Warda, Olsen's, The Main Street Bistro and Schulze's Grill in La Grange.

On the way to and from Round Top you will pass a number of choice eateries. Our favorites are Pockets in Smithville, ...Of the day/A Cafe in Columbus and Must Be Heaven on the square in Brenham. If you’re coming in from San Antonio, perennial favorites, the Oakridge Smokehouse and Frank’s can take care of you. If you’re coming up through Bellville, check out Margarita’s on the square. In Sealy, everybody eats at Tony's.

What is it about having old things around that makes us feel good down in our bones?

Of course, we don’t really know, but we’ll hazard a guess. Maybe it has something to do with when we were children. After all, America has been predominantly a rural nation through most of its history. Very few of us look back more than a generation or two to find family members that worked the land or at least lived in a rural area. Many of us have pleasant memories of summer visits to the ranch or farm.

Even those of us descended from city folk must have genetic memory about old things that helps us remember an earlier time, a simpler, gentler time.

Perhaps the reason we treasure old things is that they remind us of when we were children and not subject to the harsh realities of the world...or perhaps they take us back to a time when America itself was young, a time when things were made by hand and we had a more personal connection to our homes and to ourselves.

If so, that seems like a pretty good reason to come to Round Top and buy something new...or old.

Drive carefully on the way home.

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Round Top Register - Texas Fun Travel Guide