I've been lacking inspiration and topics to post on as it is a rare day that I get to go antiquing, but this past weekend was a special occasion as Rachel, one of my bestest friends, came to visit from Chicago. She is a die-hard Joanna Gaines and Fixer Upper fan, so I knew this would be the perfect time to visit Magnolia Market in Waco. She arrived on Saturday, but we thought Monday would be less crowded, we ventured up 35 from Austin yesterday morning. After taking the exit, we quickly spotted the silos to the west. It is pretty crazy that this property is situated right in the center of Waco, with Baylor University to the east and downtown Waco to the west.
The other things we spotted quickly as we got closer were the crowds of people walking toward the silos and the LINE. We got a little disheartened because we were on a time crunch since Rachel was flying out of Austin early that evening...we drove two hours there and had to go inside! What happened to a smaller weekday crowd? Oh yeah - spring break. Even though spring break in most of central Texas is next week, I now know spring break for Waco ISD is this week. Hence the crowd. We got there just before noon so decided to go grab lunch and come back in hopes that the line would go down, or at least we wouldn't be hungry and impatient (two things with which I don't deal well!).
This was a mistake for two reasons: 1) the line was longer when we returned (should have figured), and 2) they have food at the silos! There are a handful of food trucks and the options looked good: Common Grounds (coffee), Milo (Asian), Luna Juice, 900 degrees Pizzeria (this was actually closed when we visited), Co-Town Crepes, Club Sandwich, and Cheddar Box (gourmet grilled cheese {mouthwatering}). Insider tip: if you present your receipt from a purchase made inside at Magnolia Market, you get 10% off. So shop first and eat after!
On second thought, it wasn't that big of a mistake for another two reasons: 1) the line moves SUPER fast, and 2) we stumbled upon Schmaltz's Sandwich Shoppe, which is a local little sandwich joint known for incredibly tasty sandwiches on fresh bread - think Schlotzsky's style buns but uber fresh! So mistakes canceled out and we still maintain our credibility as wise and savvy shoppers and eaters.
I dropped Rachel off so she could get a spot in line and I went to park.
Some perspective to see where Rachel started - by the soon to open bakery. The line went up the sidewalk, into the tent, and then onto the ramp.
Parking tip - be careful as you turn into the alley to go to their parking lot because the alley is narrow and there are shoppers taking selfies by the marking on the back of the building, as well as cars exiting the lot. The lot is pretty large and I found a spot easily so I headed over to join Rachel in line. She had already moved almost half of the length of the sidewalk, which was a good sign. Don't be deterred by the line because it really does move quickly. Someone commented that the line was designed like those at Disney World - it is organized, efficiently maintained, well staffed, covered by a tent, and there is reading material along the way. They handed out copies of the "Magnolia Times, which has a little welcome message and some fun facts to help pass the time in line. As we got closer to the front, another staff member was distributing an area map with other attractions in Waco (Baylor, the zoo, the Dr. Pepper Museum, etc.). The young ladies working the line welcomed us, asked where we were from, and made nice small talk.
We made it to the front of the store in about 30 minutes.
We were welcomed in to the market and the picture-taking really got going. Not good photography by any means; I should have had Rachel take the pictures as she is a legit photographer! (Check out her awesome work!) Everywhere you looked there were people and there was a long line up through the center of the store for the registers. It was crowded and I definitely would have preferred to have more room to shop, but they did manage the crowd well.
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If you couldn't tell from the pictures, Magnolia Market features a lot of home decor accessories: crates, pillows, candles, vases, flowers, cotton, wreaths, dishes, centerpieces, wall decor, etc. I have to be honest; I was underwhelmed by the selections, primarily because I anticipated at least some vintage/antique items since she frequently shops for and decorates with one of kind pieces for her clients on Fixer Upper. I also had in my mind that Jo had her own line of decor, but instead the store features mass produced wholesale items that even I have purchased at Dallas market - meaning so does every other retailer whose style includes farmhouse decor. Much of the jewelry was from a boutique jeweler here in Austin, one I happen to love, but again I was expecting Jo to have her own line. She is so incredibly talented as a designer and I would love to see her designs in the store - I am sure that is coming one day! She is one busy lady after all!
Even though I didn't get much inspiration from the reproduction decor, the displays were creative and impressive. The prices at Magnolia Market are quite a bit higher than at other retailers, but that sure didn't keep shoppers from buying! Nearly everyone had a few items in their hand, like souvenirs to mark the experience.
That is exactly what Magnolia Market and the Silos offer visitors - an experience - and a free one! They could make a killing off charging admission to the property but they don't. While I enjoyed checking out the selection of the retail store, I had even more fun taking in the scene out back. The food trucks are on the edges with lots of picnic tables to enjoy a bite to eat in the center. The garden beds had some great veggies growing. The whole property is very family friendly; as a mama of a little one, I was very impressed that the interior bathrooms offered a changing station, There are bathrooms in a small building out back as well. There were lots of kids running about and enjoying the various sporting equipment like hula hoops, bats and balls, and kick balls that were strewn across the lawn for visitors' entertainment.
The only building open during our visit was the front half of the market; there is a large section of the warehouse in the back that wasn't available to shoppers when we were there, so not sure if that is open at other times or just hasn't opened yet. Soon to open is the garden shop, bakery, and perhaps something inside the silos...so this experience will be even better in the near future!
Have a chic week,
~Sarah
