Austin.com Shop Until You Drop at Wimberley Market Days

Empty those piggy banks and bring the kids out for a shopping experience they’ll never forget! Here’s everything you need to know about tackling the market with kids so you can shop until you drop at Wimberley Market Days!

Wimberley Market Days

Wimberley Market Days occur on the first Saturday of every month from March through December. They are open rain or shine from 7:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (3:00 p.m. during the summer months). It’s about an hour drive from Austin, depending where you’re starting from, so put on your best folksy playlist and head out for a beautiful drive through the country. When you reach your destination (601 FM 2325, Wimberley), look for one of the parking lots across from the market. Most charge $5 to park. Parking in the official Lions Club lot will allow your donation to go towards scholarships and charitable donations to nonprofit organizations.

Walk across the street to find the market. If you bring your little ones, you’ll most likely be interested in finding a bathroom right away. Luckily, they are right in the front and they are very clean. Also near the front are handy carts, which are helpful for carrying around all the treasures you are about to find.

One thing to keep in mind if you do bring your kids is how breakable everything will suddenly appear. Glass, pottery, and fragile, one-of-a-kind pieces are everywhere. We tried to encourage the look but don’t touch rule (which, as you probably already know, doesn’t really work). Another option is to offer to let them touch with only two fingers. This allows them to experience feeling the items that interest them, but gently since you can only use your pointer and middle finger on one hand. We lucked out and left without anyone breaking anything (even if there were a few close calls)!

Look, but don’t touch! Breakable things are everywhere.

I was surprised by how many booths were filled with things for kids–hand crafted wooden toys, vintage toys, children’s art, and even things that weren’t specifically targeted at kids that mine still fell in love with. We had our boys bring some of their own piggy bank money and said they could buy whatever they wanted with it. They loved the feeling of being so mature and in control. My oldest told me he felt really grown up after we made him pay for the things he bought all by himself.

So proud of his purchase!

There are many unique and vintage items that would fill any nursery or playroom with character. While I’m Target’s and IKEA’s biggest fan, there’s something to be said for having special items in your home that can’t be found anywhere else.

If you have too many purchases to carry or bought something big, you can hire the “You Call We Haul” service to deliver your stuff right to your car for you! (Call or text 512-618-7121. $10 minimum donation.)

Be sure to save a little cash for lemonade and snow cones on a hot and humid morning!

Some other things to keep in mind when you go:

Bring wagons or strollers to help carry tired kids or your purchases. That said, it does get pretty crowded, so it might be easier to wear those babies in a carrier instead.
While it’s fairly well shaded, I would recommend wearing hats and sunscreen on hot summer days. Also, bring plenty of water or buy some there to stay hydrated.
Pets aren’t allowed, so leave your dogs at home.
There are plenty of food and drink options to buy and you can enjoy your refreshments in the covered pavilion while listening to live music.
Bring cash just in case you aren’t able to pay with a credit card.
Get there early (they open at 7:00 a.m.) to avoid the heat and crowds.
Make the most of your trip to Wimberley by checking out Blue Hole or Jacob’s Well while you’re there.
Encourage older kids to bring their own money and decide how they’d like to spend it. Then, make them pay for what they want by themselves. They will be filled with pride!