Carmen’s Round Top Experience Secrets from an Expert

RRound Top. Say these two words and you’ll hear “It’s so cool!” or “It’s all the rage!” What everyone is talking about is the Round Top Antiques Show. Many collectors have either experienced the trip or it is on their bucket list. It is certainly unique as this tiny town (the population is less than 100!) transforms into a shopping mecca halfway between Houston and Austin in the Texas Hill Country.

There really are no words to describe it because it is a one-of-a-kind experience, and that is one reason why I have continued to go for almost 30 years. Today’s experience is significantly different from my original trips as an assistant to a well-known collector and published designer. It has always been a trip that I treasure immensely, but I am in business and this is my passion.

In those beginning years, Round Top consisted of collectibles, vintage items, unique found objects, and, of course, ALL things antique. Today, it is so much more than that. One must experience it first-hand to truly grasp it. I have tried to explain the experience and all that it entails to many anxious first timers, but, honestly, it simply just can’t be explained in words. (And all that have experienced it with me now understand that!)

In 1968 Emma Lee Turney decided to have an antique sale in her red barn. It was such a success that she began hosting it annually. The community joined in and began holding sales in their barns with others setting up in their fields. As the show grew and out-of-town vendors came, the locals hosted them in their barns and fields. The Show continued to grow, and new venues have popped up continuously throughout the last 30 years, but mostly in the last 5 when the show became a cult phenomenon. Today, Emma’s “Red Barn” has become synonymous with Round Top, and I never miss it. What is considered the main corridor of vendors is about 15 miles, but there are hundreds of miles of vendors that extend in every direction from the Red Barn. So much has changed in just the last five years – and that is why the connections of a Round Top Show veteran are key.

Part of the Round Top experience is how one chooses to “lodge”. What once was minimal choices has progressed to lots of neat offerings – quaint B&Bs, high-end boutique hotels, working ranches, small cottages, milliondollar mansions attained through homerental sites. There are also campsites, RV sites, chain hotels, and my personal favorite–beautiful and cleverly converted containers.
There are so many options compared to 30 years ago. Nowadays it is nothing to stay 45 miles away from The Show and drive in daily; however, there might be some logistical challenges if you partake in the overwhelming number of cocktail offerings and after parties throughout the day…and into the night! (Yes, Round Top pretty much never sleeps!)

Of the 70+ venues, each one has its own theme or flair. Many of the vendors keep to the original way of conducting things at The Show – simply presenting beautiful antiques and wares. Many of the newer venues are representing vendors with new items such as clothing, jewelry, and housewares. There is literally anything you can think of, and things you never thought of as well! For example, once I saw a table of prosthetic legs. I jokingly asked the vendor why he bothered trying to sell those… He then put me in my place and told me they all had been purchased by a well-known Hollywood movie set designer. (I no longer question anything I think is weird!)

In addition to the numerous venues, retail shops have popped up in Round Top. These have a flagship store in other towns and are now opening another location at the epicenter. Most of these stores are western wear, art galleries, or well known jewelry designers, including Kemo Sabe, Lucchese, Society Social, Junk Gypsy, and the Paul Michael company, to name a few.

Add to all the expansive shopping and lodging opportunities, the fun continues with all types of restaurants, marketplaces carrying local foods and produce, honkytonks, wine bars, cocktail lounges, speakeasys, cooking classes, concerts, fashion shows, tented dinners at local ranches, and nightly parties galore! One of my favorite parties is The Prom, which has always been held on the last Thursday of The Show. Many celebrities attended this party, and I’ve seen Miranda Lambert and Gwen Stefani. Most everyone who attends comes dressed for the part. Now, there are other “proms” around the area emulating the original.

The Show is truly sensational and indescribable fun waiting to be had at every turn! But if I’m being honest, I do get a bit overwhelmed with the rate of growth and outside “to do’s”. Every day of the show a fashion event ensues, with people arriving on the scene dressed in their interpretation of western wear, country duds, or free style gypsy – and some are over-thetop! 
Outfit planning and people watching have become one of the main activities! Every venue is constantly “one upping” their game to stay competitive. Some of the creative marketing happenings include book signings with tv personalities, celebrity lunch talks, cocktail parties with elaborate themes, dances with popular DJs, fashion shows presented by famous designers, wine and bourbon tastings hosted by acclaimed distilleries and vintners, a popular magazine hosts an elegant dinner-under-the-stars, just to name a few. All are truly fabulous! Here’s the big BUT: I am old-fashioned at heart, and I miss the nostalgia of what The Show was. I fear the rapid growth will eventually cause the area, and the experience of Round Top, to over-saturate itself. There is and always will be something about an avid antique collector, collaborating with like-minded curators and professionals. I liked being a keeper of the wonderful secret of what the Round Top experience was. The secret is most assuredly out!

What is the one thing I would advise someone considering a trip to Round Top? Prepare yourself in one of two ways so the intensity of The Show won’t cause insanity. One, you can plan every detail and everything that is a priority to see and do – and stick to it, not letting the massive number of options be distracting. Or, you can go with no expectations and truly go with the flow – do what time allows, be totally spontaneous, make memories, and enjoy the surprises that occur naturally – SO FUN!

I have been taking small groups, as well as one-on-one clients, to the show for the past few years. In addition to finding (and more importantly, coordinating) the best places to stay, securing transportation, and arranging private tours and gatherings, I have many connections acquired over the years of traipsing the show, making mistakes, and experiencing lots of blood, sweat, and tears! Private venue showings, gatherings, and aquiring hard tickets are some of the special services I provide. The primary trait I hold, however, is first-hand knowledge on not only how to make the most of enjoying the show, but what to avoid, as well as tips and secrets that I have learned and held tightly from my numerous years of hard work, trekking miles and miles, and finally, CONQUERING the now famous ROUND TOP!

The upcoming 2025 Fall Show slots are currently sold out, but a list has started for the Spring 2026 show. If interested in being a part of my experience, please call my retail shop, Social, A Shop for Gracious Living On the Square in Collierville at 901-766-6746. Please leave your information, and I or my assistant will call you back and answer any questions. Please follow along on social media for more info and pics from the upcoming show!

Come experience Round Top with a seasoned veteran and see what it’s all about. Create your own version of YOUR Round Top! You won’t be disappointed!