11 Things You Need to Know Before You Go to Spring at the Silos

We love going to Waco and Magnolia Market but it’s even MORE fun to go during the Magnolia Market Spring at the Silos event. Start planning now for the best family day trip or girlfriends’ road trip to Waco, Texas! The next Spring at the Silos is being held March 12-14, 2020.

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What You Need to Know Before You go to Spring at the Silos 2020

Before You Leave for Spring at the Silos

Plan to stay in Waco for the whole weekend – Thursday through Sunday if you can.

Bring an extra suitcase if you’re flying. If you’re driving, bring the biggest vehicle you can find. (You think I’m kidding…?) There will be so many shopping opportunities, you won’t believe it!

Get your Magnolia Market Spring at the Silos tickets online.

Get the appropriate t-shirt to wear to Waco!

How to Get to Waco

Flying: There is an airport in Waco but it’s much cheaper to fly to Dallas or Austin and rent a car.

Address: 601 Webster Avenue. Just type it into your GPS or map app on your phone. It’s easy to get there from the freeway. Or, if you don’t have a GPS, follow these directions:

From Dallas, head south on I-35E. If you have time, stop in Waxahachie and visit their historic square. There’s a super cute little cafe, Farmhouse Luck, downtown. They serve great sandwiches, salads, and soup. Plus the cutest desserts ever.

Take exit 335A to 4th/5th Streets. Turn right. Turn left on Webster.

From Austin, head north on I-35. Take exit 335A to 5th/4th Streets. Stay in the left lane, take the roundabout under I-35. Once you’re on the southbound frontage road, take a right on 6th Street. You’ll find Magnolia on the corner of 6th and Webster.

Bring a few books about Chip and Joanna Gaines, Fixer Upper, and how all this got started:

Where to Stay in Waco

There are lots of places nearby in a huge range of prices. Check out our full article with short reviews HERE. You can even stay in one of the homes that were featured on Fixer Upper!

Where to Eat in Waco

I’ve shared a whole list of my family’s favorite places to eat in Waco. FYI, Cajun Craft and Rudy’s are our typical go-to restaurants when we go to fluff up our booth. But you won’t even have to get in your car to get good food. Scroll down to “Food Trucks” to see what is available within walking distance of the silos.

What to expect at Spring at the Silos

Magnolia’s regular business hours are 9 am – 6 pm Monday through Saturday. Remember that the silos and Magnolia Table are both closed on Sunday.

Magnolia Market ‘Campus’

I’ve been calling it a campus because it’s so much more than a store. There’s the actual retail store with a warehouse-type store in the back, the bakery, the gardens and gardening center, food trucks, bathrooms, the silos, a stage, and a lawn area complete with games – cornhole, potato sack races, footballs, and more. Perfect for a picnic or to take a break after a long day of shopping.

Make sure you check out the bathrooms, too. They’re full of design ideas!

Vendors at Spring at the Silos

The additional vendors are a highlight for me. It’s fun to see how different handmade and small businesses have blossomed into “big” businesses.

Please note that there will be an “official” vendor area – these are vendors who have applied, been chosen by Joanna Gaines, and paid their LARGE vendor fee to be in the streets directly adjacent to Magnolia Market.

There will also be a few other unofficial markets around with more local, handmade, and REAL vintage items.

We always hear a lot of complaints about Magnolia Market and its vendors. Customers come expecting handmade or true vintage pieces and are disappointed at the number of products that are made overseas. Unfortunately, you won’t see a lot of real antiques or handmade inside the store. We’ve come to the conclusion that Chip and Joanna’s business has just grown so much that handmade and vintage couldn’t keep up with them. So most of what you’ll find in their shop is mass-produced.

But don’t worry… there are plenty of other shopping opportunities in Waco where you can find handmade and antique items. Here are a few of our favorites:

Lulubelle’s Market – A vintage market on the school campus just a block away from Magnolia.
Savage Finds – They also had a market during Spring at the Silos. You should have seen the JUNK there!
Craft Gallery – More handmade and gifts, including lots of Texas-themed gifts. This is where our booth is!
LaSalle Shops
Junk in the Trunk
Junky Monkey
Read the whole list of our 27 favorite antique shops in Waco HERE.

Food Trucks at Magnolia Market

There will be lots of delicious food trucks on the Magnolia Market campus and streets directly around it. There will be more food trucks at the unofficial markets and on random streets if those get too busy. We ate several times at a Mediterranean food truck when we were set up at Lulubelle’s March Market Days. Wow! It was good!

Ninfa’s and several other restaurants are also within walking distance, as is the Dr. Pepper Museum if you just want some ice cream.

Concerts & Bonus Events

The events during the day are open to everyone but you’ll need to get tickets for the Johnnyswim concert and other events in the evening. Be prepared for LONG lines to get in! We haven’t been to a concert but we have seen the lines!!!

Where to Park for Magnolia Market

There is a free parking lot on 8th street behind Magnolia Market but it fills up FAST. You’ll be able to walk straight from the parking lot into the back lawn area of the Market.

There will be a lot of free street parking, too. Just pay attention to the no parking signs and train tracks. Make sure you don’t leave any valuables in your car. If you do, leave them in the trunk or cover them with a jacket or blanket. There is a free Silos District Trolley that will pick you up. We also saw lots of extra shuttles picking up people. I don’t think there was a charge but I didn’t stop and ask.

First Baptist Church, Waco, is right across the street from Magnolia Market. They allow parking in most of their lots for $10.00. I didn’t mind paying that — it goes to a good cause and you can’t beat the convenience.

For Spring in the Silos, there was also free parking at McLean Stadium and a free shuttle that ran every 30 minutes or so. If you’re not in a rush or not going to buy much, this is a great option. You’ll get to see other parts of Waco and won’t have to deal with the traffic jams around Magnolia Market.

Other Waco Shopping Tips

Get there EARLY! Or be prepared to wait in line just to get inside the store!

Go to the bakery first. Your cupcakes will come in a cute little box with a handle, making it easy to carry them around if you don’t want to eat cupcakes at 9 am. (I had no problem with that!)

Then spend one day wandering around the silo complex. There are games to play on the lawn, a garden to explore, and plenty of places to sit and relax… and of course… SHOP!

Spend another day shopping in the many other vintage and antique shops in town. See our complete list of the best antique and vintage shops in Waco and don’t forget to go to Craft Gallery to see our spot!

If you can fit it into your budget, take a tour of Waco. I’ve lived near there all my life and we still learned some things.

Eat LOTS of good food!

If you can’t make it to Spring at the Silos, you can still get a few of the products sold at Magnolia Market.

More About Waco, Texas

If you enjoyed reading about Spring at the Silos, you might also like these:

We’ve also heard that Chip has plans to put more retail space INSIDE the actual silos. But as of this writing, they haven’t announced anything.

‘Til the next market,

Ann @ Duct Tape and Denim