The “Aspen of Texas” With Just 90 Residents Hosts America’s Largest Antique Fair Twice a Year

The Tiny Texas Town That’s Big on Charm: Your Ultimate Guide to Round Top

Texas Monthly called Round Top the “Aspen of Texas,” a nickname proudly displayed on the town’s website.

Whether you agree or not, there’s not doubt that Round Top is one of the most eclectic and unique places to visit in Texas Hill Country.

Around the town square, you’ll spot the beautiful 1880 Fayette County courthouse and Victorian buildings with their original longleaf pine floors. Every first Sunday in August since 1873, the town celebrates its German roots with the Round Top Schuetzenfest. 

And that’s just the start of what makes Round Top deserving of a spot on your Lone Star travel bucket list.

Treasure Hunt at the Round Top Antiques Fair

Twice yearly, during March and October’s final weeks, Round Top hosts North America’s biggest antique show, stretching 11 miles along Highway 237. The main attraction is the 30,000-square-foot Big Red Barn, where Emma Lee Turney started it all in 1967.

Dealers from 50 states and 15 countries bring everything from Louis XIV armoires to 1920s factory lights. The show fills over 60 venues, including Marburger Farm’s 43 acres and the Original Round Top Antiques Fair’s massive space.

Smart shoppers come two days early for setup deals, bringing cash (cell service is spotty), tape measures, and rolling carts. With 2,500 verified vendors across spots like The Compound and Excess I and II, you’ll need three full days to see it all.

Dance the Night Away at Henkel Square Market

Seven lovingly restored 1860s buildings spread across 2.5 manicured acres make up this historic square. The crown jewel, 1850s Henkel Hall, comes alive on Friday nights with regional Texas country bands like Jake Hooker & The Outsiders and Weldon Henson.

Couples have been two-stepping on these original longleaf pine floors for 165 years. Newcomers get free dance lessons from regulars like 80-year-old Miss Betty, who’s been dancing here since 1955.

The surrounding Biergarten showcases Texas mountain laurel and possumhaw holly, plus three historic sculptures saved from the 1890s Fayette County courthouse.

Feast at Royers Round Top Cafe

In a building that started as the town’s first haberdashery in 1850, Royers has been serving up comfort food since 1987. Their Texas Trash Pie, loaded with pretzels, coconut, and caramel, has earned spots on Food Network and in Southern Living magazine.

The menu changes eight times yearly, featuring specialties like their famous grilled shrimp with chipotle butter and cheese grits.

Bud Royer’s family runs the place, chatting with guests between serving Texas comfort food and their popular pie flight samplers featuring four different varieties. Unsurprisingly, reservations are a must during antique fair season.

Experience Festival Hill

The International Festival-Institute at Round Top brings world-class classical music to this former cattle ranch. Their 210-acre campus features a stunning 1,000-seat concert hall where sound echoes for nine seconds, making it perfect for classical performances.

Visitors can tour the Gothic Revival buildings and gardens (designed by Henry Flowers) year-round, peeking into 64 practice rooms where rising stars rehearse Tchaikovsky. 

During the six-week summer festival, 95 talented musicians from top conservatories gather for intensive study and performances. The grounds host 45 concerts annually, filling the Hill Country air with classical masterpieces.

Shop at Junk Gypsy World Headquarters

Sisters Amie and Jolie Sikes turned their unique style into an empire, opening this 8,000-square-foot flagship store in 2013.

They fill it with verified vintage finds, including rare 1960s Austin concert posters, custom furniture made from salvaged materials, and their own clothing line – a favorite of stars like Miranda Lambert and Dierks Bentley.

Six HGTV specials have featured their style, but the sisters stay down-to-earth, helping folks pick outfits and arrange furniture. Don’t miss their showstopping displays, including a chandelier crafted from 47 vintage cowboy boots and their famous wall of 200 antique tin signs.

Stay at the Vintage Round Top

Paige and Smoot Hull have transformed five 1890s buildings into luxury getaways that blend history with modern comfort. Each space keeps its original shiplap walls while adding mid-century modern furniture and smart home features.

Their properties, including the 1930s Boho farmhouse and the 1800s No. 1450 Sunday house, have caught the eye of Architectural Digest and Garden & Gun. Guests get insider perks like private access to dealer preview days during antique shows and detailed guides to local treasures.

Explore Winedale Historical Complex

Just three miles out, the University of Texas maintains this 225-acre living history center. The complex includes the 1858 Wagner House, where UT’s 50-year-old Shakespeare at Winedale program stages summer performances.

Four authentic German-Texas farmhouses, built between 1825 and 1860, show how early settlers lived. Visitors can watch demonstrations of period skills like soap making and blacksmithing. Every November, the Winedale Folk Life Festival celebrates German heritage with traditional music and crafts.

Picnic at Round Top Festival Institute’s Gardens

While Festival Hill’s known for music, its 20 acres of gardens steal plenty of attention. The formal European-style spaces include a knot garden with 2,000 boxwood plants, hidden spots with limestone benches, and meadows showcasing 44 native Texas wildflower species.

Locals favor the 12 hand-carved stone benches scattered through Chapel Hill Gardens for picnics. Mid-March to early April brings peak beauty, when 1,500 bluebonnets bloom, creating postcard-perfect Hill Country scenes.

Browse Bader Ranch’s Unique Finds

Owner Katy Bader transformed this 1940s cattle ranch into a 57-acre shopping destination during spring and fall antique shows. The ranch specializes in architectural salvage and industrial pieces from pre-1950s Texas factories and European churches.

Five restored ranch buildings, including the original 1946 house and cattle barn, now display everything from 1920s factory lights to 19th-century barn doors. Katy’s known for keeping detailed records about special pieces, especially those rescued from historic Texas buildings.

Reserve Time for a Meal at Lulu’s

Round Top’s newest food spot opened in 2021 in a converted 1967 feed store. The 3,000-square-foot space keeps its original concrete floors and exposed beams while serving Italian-influenced Texas dishes using ingredients from five nearby farms and ranches.

Their climate-controlled cellar stocks 122 wines, including 25 Texas varieties. During antique shows, the 1,200-square-foot patio hosts popular dealer’s dinners where shoppers swap stories over house-made pasta and local beef.