Round Top Tips

Austin designer shares top tips for making the most of Round Top 2022

Austin-based interior designer Blair Burton shares her top tips for Round Top.

Photo courtesy of Blair Burton

The fall iteration of Texas' most famous antique fair kicked off this past weekend in Round Top and runs through October 29. Starting in 1968, Round Top has become one of the largest antique shows in the country, drawing the likes of high-profile interior designers like Kelly Wearstler and Ken Fulk, who sourced several ideas for his work at the Commodore Perry Estate from the show.

Over its five-plus decades, one venue multiplied to miles of sites along Highway 237, where shoppers can scour for antique treasures in fields, barns, and tents. The two largest are the Continental Tent and the Big Red Barn, which comprises 30,000 square feet of textiles, art, furniture, and accessories. Overwhelmed already? Us, too.

Thankfully, one Austin interior designer Blair Burton, who has been traveling to the show for years on behalf of her clients, reached out via email to share all her tips and tricks.

Here are her top three insider secrets for making the most of the show:

Favorite venues
"My favorite venues are Marburger (of course), the Compound, the Arbors, and Blue Hills," Burton shares. "They all do such a great job of curating a lovely shopping experience. It's exciting to see how much The Compound has grown, it keeps getting bigger! I have found so many treasures for projects at Blue Hills, especially case goods, artwork and rugs."

Where to eat
"Royers in RoundTop is an institution (restaurant and pie shop), and for good reason," according to Burton. "The people and the food are top notch. Below is a picture of me with Bud Royer, the owner and such a gem."

Royers Round Top Blair Burton poses with the owner of Royers, a great place to replenish between browsing.Photo courtesy of Blair Burton

"The venues have great food options now, too. Kettle corn is a must, and I always seem to need a little pick-me-up (or cool down) with homemade lemonade. Finish the day with Wildflyer Mead at Blue Hills, or a cocktail at the Ellis Motel in the middle of Henkel Square."

How to make the most of browsing
"The thrill of the hunt is invigorating," says Burton. "There is nothing better than finding the most unique pieces that *make* a space. I bring a list for each project, but also hold the list loosely, as we never know what we will find. Right now we have a long list for about 10 projects!"

To download a full .pdf guide to Round Top, check out the show's website and head to the homepage to buy tickets ahead of time.

round top

Turkey Day News

Austin plates up top-30 rank on list of best cities for Thanksgiving

Photo courtesy of RedFarm

Enjoy a whole Peking Turkey at RedFarm in Austin for Thanksgiving.

Austin is sitting at the head of the table as one of the best places in the country to celebrate Thanksgiving this year, a new study has revealed.

Austin ranked No. 30 out of 100 of the largest U.S. cities in WalletHub's annual "Best Places to Go for Thanksgiving" report, published November 12.

The study analyzed each city based on 18 metrics to determine the best places for Thanksgiving, such as the number of pumpkin patches per capita, the average cost of a Thanksgiving dinner, the number of volunteer opportunities, the average weather forecast, and more. The metrics were then organized into five overall categories to determine the rankings.

The category that Austin ranked the highest in was the average weather forecast during the holiday period (No. 4), while the lowest-ranked category was for safety and accessibility (No. 69). Other categories that determined Austin's overall ranking were the number of celebrations and traditions (No. 39), the city's relative affordability (No. 39), and a "giving thanks" rank (No. 59).

Austin restaurants are getting prepared for their big Turkey Day meals, and CultureMap has rounded up a thorough list of all of the local restaurants hosting holiday feasts, from to-go meals, dine-in experiences, and desserts abound.

"The best cities for celebrating Thanksgiving all have an abundance of high-quality restaurants and places to buy festive decorations, and their residents get very excited for the holiday based on their Google search history," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo.

By Thanksgiving on November 28, Austin will be fully decked out for the December holidays. Austinites who will have extended family in town during Thanksgiving weekend can take in of all the marvelous Christmas lights brightening the city. The Texas Capital certainly goes all out for the most wonderful time of year.

Elsewhere in Texas, Dallas (No. 5) and San Antonio (No. 7) were the among the top 10 best cities to celebrate Thanksgiving, while Houston ranked No. 15.

San Diego, California (No. 1) topped the overall list of best places to go for Thanksgiving this year, followed by its Golden State neighbors San Francisco (No. 3) and San Jose (No. 4). Atlanta, Georgia (No. 2) rounds out the top five.

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