Okay, maybe not the last last.
But certainly every time I mentioned to friends or family that I was making a day of driving down to Waco to check out Magnolia Market last week, I heard "Oh, I love that place!" It seemed I didn't know very many people who hadn't been there yet!
Magnolia Market is the brainchild of Chip and Joanna Gaines, the powerhouse couple behind HGTV's Fixer Upper. Magnolia Market as we currently know it opened in 2014 in Waco and has since blossomed into a successful tourist destination for Waco.
Magnolia Market is located in downtown Waco, and, despite what I initially thought, it is more than just a high end home decor store! Magnolia Market is actually the perfect day trip with your girlfriends, your kids, your SO... It's a fun little getaway!
One of my best friends from college moved from Chicago to Austin back in February, and, until last Friday, we hadn't been able to make our schedules line up so we could finally get together. We put this date on the schedule weeks prior and decided to meet in Waco because it is literally half way between Arlington and Austin. The drive to Magnolia Market took me just about an hour and a half and was 91 miles from my home in southwest Arlington.
I was surprised to find that there are lots of paid parking lots around Magnolia Market. To be blunt, I'm super cheap when it comes to things such as parking and generally don't pay if I don't have to. So my youngest and I found street parking a few blocks out and decided to just walk rather than pay $10 to be closer. I was also surprised at how crowded the whole area surrounding the market was! It was a Friday, but the crowds and tour buses were already swarming.
We started out at Silo Bakery, where my youngest enjoyed a cinnamon roll and I had a coffee and a Silo Cookie. Don't let the line-out-the-door intimidate you! Inside is standing room only, and the line doesn't take very long. We then got to sit at the tables outside and enjoy the fresh air and delicious coffee!
Next to the bakery is the market itself. I had been warned by many people that a lot of the items weren't as kitschy and original as things I might see on Fixer Upper, and I found this accurate. The items, while gorgeous, felt a little more West Elm posh than Joanna Gaines earthy (and the price tags were definitely all West Elm posh). I loved browsing the tshirts and Magnolia-specific items. I went gaga for their soy candles, which all smelled divine (I fell hard for a scent called Joy), but I couldn't justify the $28 price tag for the 8 ounce size (in my head, I heard my husband asking if, for that price, the candle would fold his laundry, too.). My youngest loved some of the gorgeous wall hangings, and there were a few I would have loved to hang in my living room!
Beyond the market is a wide open space next to the silos. Pets aren't allowed on the green to keep it clean for kids to run barefoot on or perform cartwheels on (that was my kid- cartwheel after cartwheel). Striped bean bags are scattered throughout the green for lounging and sunbathing. My friend and I sat here for hours catching up, enjoying the weather and the people-watching. We also saw communal games peppered around the green for sharing and enjoying.
Next to the Silos is an entire food truck park with loads of yummy offerings. There was a popcorn truck and a gourmet juice truck and, our favorite, Cheddar Box, a gourmet grilled cheese truck. At 30 minutes, the wait for a grilled cheese was long, but, I assure you, my grilled cheese was most definitely the best I've ever had! There are lots of picnic benches to devour your food truck delicacies or enjoy your own picnic lunch!
Overall I really enjoyed my trip to Magnolia Market. We were there about four hours, and the drive was three hours round-trip, making it a fantastic day outing. I can only imagine how beautiful (and Instagram-worthy!) it will look during the holiday season. I highly recommend it is a week-day getaway with a few girlfriends or sisters, as you'd be able to kick back and really enjoy the scene. If you do need to bring the kids (or, gasp!, the husband!) rest assured they will be well-entertained, too. (Just maybe make sure your husband doesn't know the going rate of, say, any home decor before you go if you actually hope to leave with any!)
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