‘Round Top’ or ‘Warrenton’

The whole event area covers roughly 28 miles, starting from the towns of Rutersville and Fayetteville - to the south on Highway 159 - up through Burton on the north end of Highway 237 at the intersection with Hwy 290. That’s a lot of land to cover and most folks come out with only a few free days to enjoy all there is to shop, see and do. There just isn’t enough time to cover it all. Start by making a plan.  

Here’s how: First, as you look through Show Daily, understand that the magazine is color-coded into sections by towns. This will help you get around. The green bars at the top and bottom of the page indicate that the dealers listed here can be found in Warrenton. Red bars represent Round Top dealers, purple for Carmine, Burton, Brenham, and Giddings, and La Grange, Flatonia, Schulenburg Fayetteville, and Smithville are yellow. After years of publishing, it is pretty safe to say that Show Daily has its finger on the pulse of what some call the biggest antiques fair in the U.S. 

Show Daily magazine starts with the town of Warrenton, which is where most of the earliest shopping begins. For a more polished look, some decorators prefer focusing on the Round Top area and the paid admission venues. Both offer great and varied selections. The difference is often one of price and presentation. 

Do you collect old guns or Victorian jewelry? Maybe you’re looking for a place to park your RV or to unwind with a glass of wine? The answers to where these things - and a lot more - can be found right in the back of this magazine, in our Buyer’s Guide section. Simply take a peek under the heading of whatever you seek and you’ll find a list of dealers who specialize in those items or services, along with the page number where their ad appears.  

Start by using the color-coded bars to identify the town where those dealers with “the good stuff” set up. Warrenton alone has more than 30 individual show venues, most of which are called Fields. When the antiquers aren’t in town, our fields often are full of country cattle. 

Show Daily has a big 8-page fold-out map at the centerfold. It pinpoints every venue location between La Grange and Brenham. The magazine is set up just like the physical show area. We start at the north side of Warrenton and move south through town, cross the highway and head back north again. As one continues through the magazine, the layout matches the actual geography of the show area, heading south to north through Round Top, Carmine and on to Burton (with a short side-jaunt to Fayetteville). 

Not every Field and show venue open and close on the same day because each area is run by different individuals. There are over 60 different show areas spread out over the 28-mile stretch known as the ‘antiques corridor’. 

Rather than driving up and down the highway hoping your favorite shopping spot will be open, check the Show Daily calendar at the beginning of the magazine. Just like the magazine, the calendar is color coded by town. It lists every individual venue in those hamlets and gives the official opening and closing dates. (Note: Many Fields start selling to early shoppers prior to the published “official” dates on the calendar. Indoor venue dates are more exact.) 

Our Show Places section gives a description of each different venue - organized by town, with the contact information and specifics (including whether they offer early shopping). This info also comes in handy for those wanting to rent their own booth next season, or to know how to contact an area if looking to recover a lost package or other item (there is no centralized lost and found for the shows). 

You can now find what you’re looking for in a matter of minutes rather than days. Now that’s smart shopping.