• Browsing South Congress Avenue (Austin): You never know what you’re going to find when you stroll along the row of shops and galleries on South Congress Avenue, just beyond Oltdorf; it’s the most concentrated strip of independent retailers in town. Some have been around since SoCo became trendy in the late 1990s, but new boutiques keep cropping up too. 
  • Buying Folk Art at Tesoros (Austin): Tesoros means “treasure” and for anyone who loves colorful crafts from around the world, this shop definitely qualifies. Textiles, ceramics, tinwork, paper cut-outs from across the globe are among the many types of folk art featured. There’s plenty to capture the eye across a wide range of prices. 
  • Looking for Reading Matter at BookPeople (Austin): One of the largest independent bookstores in the country, BookPeople caters to all reading tastes, from graphic novels to historic tomes, from middlebrow to cutting-edge. Check the website for the many author events.
  • Picking Up Tacky Souvenirs at Wild About Music (Austin). You’ll find Keep Austin Weird mugs, bumper stickers, and T-shirts all over town (even in the Capitol Complex bookstore), but the concentration of music-related schlock (think boom-box lunchboxes or light-up key chains shaped like turntables) is unsurpassed at the famed gift and art gallery on Congress Avenue.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.