Yep. We traveled to Texas JUST to visit Waco and the Magnolia Market. I have been a HUGE fan of the show for over two years and absolutely adore Jo's style--fashion, design-- and her lifestyle--faith and family. The show Fixer Upper is seriously one of the best shows on television for a multitude of reasons...the main one being that Chip and Jo are simple, regular people following God's plan for their life and not making a single excuse or apology about it. Guess what? It's a huge hit which speaks to the fact that maybe, just maybe the majority of us regular folks yearn to do the same and are not represented accurately in today's political and media realms. Chip and Jo get us. I KNOW they do. Keep reading for TONS of pictures and my top 5 details about the silos.
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| The sign on the coming soon garden shop! |
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| The silos and the lawn complete with games |
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| The market! |
1. The LINE
We went during what must have been the entire state of Texas' spring break. We arrived at about 9:45 to a line that went from the market, down the block, and up the next block. I was a tad nervous about how long it would take us to actually step foot into the store. Thankfully it was 80 degrees and sunny so standing in line was not too painful. Once the store opened at 10, the line moved very quickly. We were stopped a few times along the way, including right at the entrance as they only could allow so many people inside the market at a time. Shopping was a bit difficult as the store was PACKED and moving around and seeing items was tricky at times. The checkout line was fairly fast and we had our purchases in hand about an hour after entering the store. By the time we exited the store the line was borderline ridiculous. They redirected the line to a tent area at the back of the market and it was at least 200-300 people deep at all times. The employees were stellar about keeping the line moving and providing water for those that were waiting outside for long periods of time. We spoke to several people later who waited in line nearly two hours. I have no idea if this line and wait time is typical...not even sure how they could have enough stock each day to meet the demand of so many people.
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The tents set up to shield those in line from the sun
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2. The Market
As you would expect if you watch Fixer Upper at all, the market was set up and decorated beautifully. There were so many things to look at beyond the products you could buy. The displays were put together with great care and every detail seemed to be addressed. My purchasing was of course curbed because I FLEW to Texas and could only take so many items back home with me. We did check an EMPTY suitcase to house all of the items we purchased. I got a Magnolia wreath that is currently in the care of my oldest daughter until she comes home for a visit. We bought several t-shirts as souvenirs, a couple of vases, a mug, and a tote bag. The prices were a bit on the high side for some items, but overall most items were reasonable and reflected Jo's style perfectly.
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| Gorgeous fireplace and book display as you enter |
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| Checkout line in the warehouse section |
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| Brand display behind checkout in the main store |
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| floral display |
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| main market floor |
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ME at the entry!
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| Gorgeous table display as you enter the store |
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| Jimmy Don signs for sale |
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| Jo's jewelry section of the market |
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A welcome from Chip and Jo as you enter...so many tiny details!
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3. The Lawn and Food Trucks
It seems that Chip and Jo's goal was to make visiting the silos an experience. It is not just about the shopping. They have a beautiful set of grounds which include the market, the silos, a game lawn, food trucks, a soon to be garden shop, and a soon to be bakery. We did not take part in any lawn games but we visited two of the food trucks and loved the fare from both. I had a wood fired pizza and a luscious cinnamon and sugar crepe. I hope to return someday when the garden shop and bakery are open.
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| The line of food trucks |
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| Wood fired pizza...with mushrooms please! |
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| Crepes...so yummy almost forgot to take a picture until it was almost gone! |
4. Parking
I would say the only negative about the whole Market experience was parking. There is no designated parking lot per-say so all of the cars must park on the streets around the silos. This is a fairly limited amount and the day we visited thousands of people came through the silos and parking was fairly awful. We arrived early and still parked about 5 blocks away and had a decent walk. We witnessed several cars with parking tickets affixed to their windshields as we toured the area around the silos. A few lucky people hit the parking lottery when CHIP came around with an 8 seater golf cart and drove people from their far way parking spots right up to the silos. We watched him make about three trips doing this---very cool.
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Valet Chip!
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5. Harp Design Co.
When in Waco one must also visit the store behind some of Jo's most amazing furniture pieces...Clint from Harp Design Co. This shop was located right next to the Harp family home which was a Fixer Upper episode from season 1. Again, the displays and decorating in this shop were so well done and so many details were evident. I ended up purchasing a shiplap A and a metal 6 from Harp Design Co.
That was more than you probably every needed or wanted to know from our trip but I just had to share. Thanks for hanging out in Waco with us for a few minutes!
