You never know who you might bump into in Round Top during the antiques shows, from college friends you haven’t seen in 20 years to nearby neighbors and friends — and, yes, HGTV stars and celebs. Our show-season pilgrimages are more than nonstop shop-a-thons; they’re the see-and-be-seen events of the season. Each show brings its own slew of celebrity sightings, and this year’s spring edition saw award-winning musicians making special appearances, as well as a full lineup of HGTV stars who showed up in a big way.

            At Junk Gypsy, HGTV stalwarts Grace Mitchell (One of a KindTy BreakerDesign At Your Door) and Leanne Ford (Home Again with the FordsRestored by the Fords) set up a tent filled with their vintage finds. Fans snapped pics, got side-hugs, and chatted with the duo, who made Junk Gypsy their home base for a few days. Ford also peddled custom hand-signed scented candles created in collaboration with her neighbor back home, and branded T-shirts produced by her husband, Erik Ford, co-founder of American clothing brand Buck Mason. Meanwhile, Jamestown Provisions Co. sold a line of sundries curated by folk band Jamestown Revival, which played a special acoustic set for fans. The whole gang stuck around to attend Junk Gypsy’s annual prom. This was Jamestown Revival’s first acoustic concert since their early days, shared band member Jonathan Clay, who had just undergone shoulder surgery after a charging bull at a friend’s ranch forced him to jump a barbwire fence. Thankfully the injury didn’t affect his guitar playing, and the tight harmonies he shared with band mate Zach Chance were a true treat. As for Mitchell and Ford, their Round Top visit provided endless design inspiration for their TV shows, and they relished interacting one-on-one with their fans. “These are our people,” Mitchell told us. “They love to find vintage items and pair them with modern things. You can’t find that anywhere else.” Ford and her husband are currently renovating a circa-1900 farmhouse outside Pittsburgh, which had gone untouched for decades — a truly blank canvas. “Vintage adds soul,” Ford said. “The newer your house is, the more art and pieces with soul you need to add to it. Your house shouldn’t look like a catalog. Curate, don’t decorate.” To which Mitchell chimed in, “Ditto that. You shouldn’t be the oldest thing in your house.”

Designers Grace Mitchell and Leanne Ford pop up and party down at Junk Gypsy this spring. (Photo by Courtney Dabney)

            Mitchell brought another HGTV heavyweight with her to a VIP Dinner at The Halles: Brian Patrick Flynn and his husband, costume designer Hollis Smith. Flynn oversees every detail of HGTV’s annual home giveaways Dream Home and HGTV Urban Oasis. His newest series, Mind for Design, airs on Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Network. 

Hollis Smith, Grace Mitchell and Brian Patrick Flynn enjoyed The VIP Dinner at The Halles. (Photo by Chris Pierre Bachman)

            We ran into HGTV’s Kim Wolfe (Why The Heck Did I Buy This House?) at Knock on Wood in the ExCess Field; she told us this is always one of her first stops. For her new series, which is being filmed in her home town of San Antonio, the 2012 Survivor winner comes to the rescue of homeowners who have major buyer’s remorse. The contestant whom Wolfe beat to win that $1 million Survivor prize, Chelsea Meissner, went on to star on a little Bravo reality show called Southern Charm for four seasons. The former Survivor rivals have forged a design-loving friendship over the years, and they shopped Round Top together this spring. They’re even partnering on an upcoming HGTV episode of Wolfe’s series.

Survivor alums and designing friends Kim Wolfe and Chelsea Meissner at Excess. (Photo by Chris Pierre Bachman)

            Meanwhile, country music star Pat Green amped up one of The Arbors’ happy hours, taking the stage for an intimate concert. (He followed up his Round Top set by selling out Billy Bob’s in Fort Worth and two nights at Gruene Hall in New Braunfels, all in celebration of his own 50th birthday, his wife, Kori Green, shared.) It seems no one can resist the casual, country elegance of Round Top during the show seasons.