When Is the Best Time to Go to Magnolia?

To begin, I wanted to give you some background information so you know my context! I took a trip last month with my mom and aunt. It was a fun girls trips where we wanted a quick getaway to sight see and spend time together. We stayed in an Airbnb 10 miles from Waco so we could get out and enjoy the Texas country.

We went at the end of October and we wanted to go after the Silobration for our first time at Magnolia because we didn’t want it to be busy. We arrived on Wednesday and left on Saturday. It’s important to remember a few key things.

1. First and foremost, Magnolia and many other small businesses that are local are closed on Sunday. Plan your trip accordingly so that you can make the most out of your time in Waco.

2. It’s true, if you go early or at closing, there are less people there. When I was shopping at the market, I liked not having crowds of people when I’m looking at goodies to take home. We went at around 4:30–they close the Silos at 6pm—and found there were tons of photo ops and could really enjoy everything at the Silos & Magnolia Market. 

3. In terms of crowds, I felt like Thursday was the best day and we got the most done in Waco on that day. Wednesday was good too, but since we arrived from our flights with the day almost over it was hard to tell if Wednesday or Thursday were better shopping days. Generally I would think that Tuesday-Thursday are the best days to go. Friday we definitely noticed a lot more crowds and it was harder to move around. I wanted to stop in for a coffee at the new Magnolia Press on Friday, and decided not to because there was a huge line. The day before had none. We also found ourselves at the Spice Market which is very close to the Silos had a ton less people on Thursday than Friday. It was a very noticeable difference. I assume Saturday is just as crazy as Friday with more people taking a trip for the weekend including buses of people being dropped off.

4. Parking wasn’t an issue, but at the busier times we had to get a little more creative. There is free parking very close, but there’s also parking where you can pay for the day. We never had to pay for a spot since we always found on street parking.

5. Yes, Magnolia Table is worth the wait. We got there at around 10 and shortly after there were less people and open seats. It must have been a rush that we were in of some kind—just timing. We didn’t wait very long. Perhaps...40 minutes. I heard of some girls waiting much longer so it wasn’t bad at all. We were there to spend time together so it was fun to relax. I highly suggest the pecan coffee to go with your breakfast if you’re a coffee lover. It was nutty and sweet; I actually took some home to enjoy later.

6. Go to Magnolia Press in the afternoon--be strategic because they are open later than the other businesses (the market, bakery, etc.) Plan accordingly so you hit up the fun stuff while it's open and you can always go grab coffee first thing in the morning or later at night! 

7. Laverdy’s antiques was a highlight but check when they are open because they have certain days of the month that they are open so double check those days before you plan to get there. We didn’t know ahead of time and were lucky that they happen to be open—it was luck. Save room in your suitcase for all the goodies that you find.

If you like less crowds and want to enjoy your trip to Waco, from my experience we had the best time getting everything done on Thursday that we were really looking forward to. On Friday we went back to some of our favorites, but it was nice to walk around for the first time with the Silos quiet and some local shops a bit quieter since it can be so popular. I would suggest, if possible, planning a trip during the week and picking your favorite things to do first so that you can go back and visit anything that you want to look at again.