Guide to Round Top Flea Market

Round top Antique Market Updated for Fall 2023 & 2024

Round top antiques show is back in full swing. This is the largest antique show in the area. The dates for the Round Top antiques market fall show in 2023 October 12 – 29. The 2024 dates have also been released (and I recommend booking EARLY if you need a hotel). 2024 markets are going to be March 14 – 31 and October 10-26.

One of the benefits of the Round Top antique show is that many of the venues are outdoors and believe me when I tell you, there are a lot of vendors. For treasure hunters that are starved for antique shopping, this is the big show of the year and a great place to find treasures if you can handle the weather. It still goes rain or shine, and sometimes there are some great deals in the rain.

What is Round Top Antique Market?

Living in Dallas, if you are into decorating, you have probably heard of Round Top. It’s an antique show/flea market between Houston and Austin that happens twice a year. There are hundreds of antique dealers located in a variety of different venues each April and October. This guide will help you plan how to get the most out of the Round Top Antiques Fair. One important thing to remember is there can be a lot of walking so be sure to wear comfortable shoes. Its also smart to wear layers as the weather can be unpredictable. It is best to have a game plan to get the most out of your visit to round top, especially if it’s your first time.

The small town of Round Top opens dozens of venues for almost two weeks, but the larger venues are open for a five day period that ends on a weekend.

Tip 1 – Best Selection: If you want the most selection, try to go at the beginning before the crowds come. I like to go on the first day before it is completely picked over. I have tried going at the END when there are more likely to be deals, but a lot of the good stuff is sold. Vendors often stick tags on sold items so you can see what you missed.

Tip 2Best Prices: If you want the best deals go at the end because different vendors don’t want to haul all of their stuff back home. You can make them an offer and they are likely to deal.

Best Venues at Round Top Flea Market

Round top antique fair has expanded to dozens of smaller dealers/shops plus the original larger venues. Everyone with a store front or tent within 30 miles is part of the show. The original show included these three venues: The Big Red Barn (plus the annex at the same location), Marburger and Carmine Dance Hall.

What to expect from Marburger Farm

Address: 2248 S. Hwy 237, Round Top, Texas, 78954

 Tuesday Tip: Curtain Width

This Marburger Farm venue is outdoors (with mostly outhouse bathrooms). It’s a series of giant tents filled with approximately 350 dealers. This is my favorite venue both for the prices and the selection. If it’s raining, it can be a slog through the mud but deals tend to improve as dealers want to be rid of things with smaller crowds. General admission is $10.

I like to go to the Marburger farm antique show first because it is so big that it can take 4+ hours to see everything, even if you aren’t stopping in every booth. There are 6 giant tents plus smaller structures in between.

Marburger is the perfect place to find what you may be looking for, from soup to nuts. You can find interesting furniture, dishes, silver, jewelry, collectibles too vast to list, linens, outdoor decor, home decor, artwork, lighting and pillows. I think there are better prices to be found at Marburger than at the two other major venues.

My find from Marburger one year was this coffee table made from reclaimed wood and filing cabinets.

round top antique market

Most of the vendors will accept credit cards and they will help you load your finds (which I don’t always see at other venues). If you can’t bring it with you there are shippers on site to help with that for a fee. Vendors come not only from the united states, but from all over the globe as well. You will find many vendors from Texas but you will also find european antiques, some from the UK and France.

What to expect from the Big Red Barn

This is the original “Round Top” venue.

Big Red Barn at Round Top Antique market


Red Barn Address
: 475 Texas Hwy 237 South, Carmine, TX 78932

This venue is air conditioned and indoors. In general, the prices tend to be higher than Marburger. It includes one large barn plus an outdoor tent called the Annex. The Big Red Barn added a winter show in January each year.

General admission is $10 and there can be a line, especially on the weekend. You can pre-purchase tickets on their website. The booths at the red barn tend to have more antiques and fine goods.

Carmine Hall is the third of the original venues. It is inside a dance hall. Their web site has not been updated since 2019, I will post an update on whether it’s still part of the antique weekend soon.

What to expect from The Compound

Compound Address: 2550 S. Hwy 237, Round Top, Texas, 78954

This compound venue is outdoors. There are five barns plus a shaded eating area called “The Grove”. The Peck Barn is air conditioned. It’s 6300 square feet. The rest of the barns are more outdoor venues. Dealers at this venue are from as far away as France and High Point, North Caroline.

If you are looking for larger items, this is a good venue to go to. They have lots of new and custom made furniture and even some modern style selections. It’s free and it doesn’t take long to walk through.

Where to Eat At Round Top Flea Market

The food selection has drastically improved over the last 15 years. Larger venues have church groups that cater on site plus food trucks. Marburger always has homemade BBQ but they had a taco truck and a salad and sandwich booth too.

The Compound has a collection of food trucks that range from soups and salads to BBQ.

 Food at Round Top Flea Market


Shipping from Round Top

All of the venues have shippers that can get larger items to you, but be prepared to pay. If you can drive and bring a larger vehicle you can usually find people willing to help you load up your purchases.

Where to stay when you come to round top

This is a two part answer. If you decide to come and it is MONTHS before the date you might be able to book one of the B&Bs in the area. Here is a list of the B&Bs near the venues (for a longer list of options just google “bed and breakfast near Round Top Texas”.

If you don’t book months in advance, these will all be full. In fact, they are probably booked by the time the show ends for the next show. If that’s the case you have a few options for booking a room that are within a 60 minute drive.

Here is a list of towns that are within an hour.

  • Elgin – 48 miles West (very close to Austin)
  • Carmine – One of the venue towns.
  • Warrenton – One of the venue towns
  • Giddings – 18 miles away (has a Best Western)
  • Brenham – 18 miles away (has a Holiday Inn Express)
  • Bastrop – 48 miles away (home of they Hyatt Regency which is VERY nice)
  • Columbus – 39 miles has a Holiday Inn Express

Elgin is close to Austin if you want to be near a city with an airport. Elgin has a Holiday Inn. Be sure to read reviews, these are small towns and some of the hotels might not be what you are used to.

Before you go, if you enjoyed this you might want to tack on a trip to the Silos (Chip & Joanna) or visit nearby Monday Market in Canton.

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12 Comments

  1. Sandra Windle says:

    Dates for 2021 season?

    1. I’m glad you asked. The dates for 2021 are Mar 29-Apr 3 in the Spring and Oct. 25-30 in the Fall.

  2. I’ve heard so much about Round Top – can’t wait to go someday! I’ll plan to drag you with me when I come down! 😉 Thanks for all the tips!

  3. If I want to be a vendor at the show, showing new high end textile lines, where would be the best venue?

    1. If you are focused on high end I would either try to get into Marburger or the Big Red Barn. Lots of designers go to these venues I hope this helps.

  4. Marla fierbach says:

    What are the fall dates for 2022

  5. Tina Courville says:

    The list of B&B site says Not Found. Is there another site to go to!

    1. Tina,
      I fixed it. Thanks for letting me know the link is broken. I guess the venue took away the list they like. I listed a few and explained how to find a longer list. Book far ahead!

      Andrea

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