Some weekends require a long drive. This one stayed close to home, but still delivered plenty of interesting finds.

The Lehnis Railroad Museum

The market inside the The Lehnis Railroad Museum leaned toward craft vendors and specialty goods, and being on the smaller side meant it was easy to actually talk with people at their tables.

One display that immediately stood out was a selection of vanilla pastes sourced from several regions of Africa, each with slightly different flavor profiles.

Across the room was a table full of handmade sterling silver jewelry set with bright turquoise stones, the kind of pieces that stop you mid-walk just to take a closer look.

Small market, but plenty to see.

Brownwood

If the Railroad Museum market leaned craft fair, Market Days at The Hideout leaned heavily toward baked goods and artisan food vendors.

Tables were packed with cookies, cupcakes, breads, jams, and specialty pantry items. If you arrived hungry, you were in trouble.

One vendor even had a variegated Alocasia plant on display with dramatic marbling in the leaves that looked almost painted. Rare plants showing up at markets is always a fun surprise.

One of the most colorful tables belonged to Margaret’s Homemade Jams and Jellies, where rows of jars lined the table in nearly every shade imaginable.

The standout was a jar of Mountain Dew jelly.

Yes. Mountain Dew.

The color is almost electric green and according to Margaret it tastes exactly like the soda. She also mentioned she takes flavor requests, which opens the door to all kinds of experimental jelly ideas.

Find them on Facebook:
Margaret’s Homemade Jams and Jellies

This table was doing serious damage to people's self control.

The Butterfly Effect Baked Goods specializes in baked treats made with organic ingredients and without seed oils or artificial dyes.

By the time I arrived the lemon bar samples had already disappeared, but there were still a couple of the actual bars left on the table. One of those followed me home.

I also picked up a banana nut muffin, which was just as good.

One sample they were still offering was a strawberry and white chocolate chip cookie, served in tiny lidded plastic cups so people could easily walk around the market with them. A very thoughtful touch. Unfortunately, that sample convinced me I should have bought one, and by the time I realized it, I had already moved on. I’m still thinking about that cookie.

I also had the chance to meet Lacey and her team, exchange socials, and chat for a bit. They were incredibly sweet, and the baked goods absolutely lived up to the hype. The lemon bar was outrageously delicious, and the banana nut muffin did not last long either.

Facebook: The Butterfly Effect Baked Goods
Instagram: @butterfly.effect.bakery

The most dangerous table of the day might have been the one covered in mason jars of homemade salsa.

J.O.A.T. had more than a dozen varieties available for sampling.

Naturally I asked for the spiciest option they had, which turned out to be Habanero Carrot. It was so flavorful, delicious, and yes, very spicy!

I eventually left with their award-winning Tomatillo salsa, which later turned into an excellent batch of green chicken tacos at home.

Highly recommend.

Their online presence is something of a mystery. The website on their card would not load and they were difficult to find on social media.

Which means if you want their salsa, you may have to hunt them down the old fashioned way.

At the market.

Another table drawing attention was Texas Handmade Suds, run by Carmen.

Her display of goat milk soaps immediately caught the eye with a wide range of colors and scent names. She also carries candles with wooden wicks and a line of tallow based body products.

Carmen and I quickly discovered we share an appreciation for the famously divisive scent Nag Champa, which tends to be either someone’s favorite smell in the world or completely not their thing.

You can find her products online at:
texashandmadesuds.com

One table that was hard to walk past belonged to Suzanne, whose baked treats made an appearance in last week’s What We Found as well.

This time the eye catcher was her Lucky Leprechaun Bark, a bright green chocolate bark covered in gold and green sprinkles that looked almost too festive to eat.

Almost.

Even without picking up a bag this time, it was easily one of the most tempting things on the table. Seasonal treats like this are exactly the kind of thing that make market browsing dangerous. You tell yourself you're just looking and suddenly you're leaving with dessert.

Suzanne mentioned she’ll be setting up at several upcoming markets around the area, so if you missed the bark this time there will likely be another chance to find it…. If you’re lucky! 🍀

A few other things that caught our eye around the markets:

• Handmade wood signs from a local woodworker
• Sterling silver rings set with bright turquoise
• More soda flavored jellies: Dr. Pepper and Root Beer!
• A four pack of cupcakes in wildly tempting flavor combinations
• Handmade rosaries in a variety of bead colors and types.

Markets are always a mix of the expected and the unusual. That is half the fun.

Two markets, a handful of great vendors, and more baked goods than any reasonable person should investigate in a single afternoon.

The Lehnis Railroad Museum market may have been small, but it was packed with interesting vendors. Over at The Hideout, the baked goods tables alone were reason enough to stop in.

Between the Mountain Dew jelly, the dangerously good lemon bars, and a few unexpected finds along the way, it turned into exactly the kind of wandering Saturday that Central Texas markets are perfect for.

Sometimes the best stops are the ones right in your own backyard.

Every Thursday we publish The Dispatch, a weekly guide to markets, estate sales, and antique stops across Central Texas.

If you enjoy treasure hunting weekends, make sure you're on the list.

If you run a market, host an event, or set up as a vendor and would like to be featured in a future issue of What We Found, you can submit upcoming events at:

We love discovering new stops around Central Texas.

Thanks for wandering along this weekend.

Two Brownwood markets turned out to be more than enough to keep things interesting. Between the Mountain Dew jelly, the dangerously good baked goods, and a table full of salsa samples, it was one of those afternoons where you start out “just looking” and end up leaving with a few things you didn’t plan on.

Markets have a way of doing that.

They’re part treasure hunt, part conversation, and part excuse to spend a little extra time wandering around town.

Until next time, happy wandering.

See you in Thursday’s Dispatch.