Highpoint Market was an absolute BLAST. I’d go both in the Spring and Fall if I could!
I was invited by a client of mine to join her for the long weekend and was introduced to so many phenomenal vendors and designers.
Here are my top tips for your next trip to High Point:
Tip 01. There is absolutely no reason that you should pay for food or drinks while at Highpoint! So many vendors have food and drinks you could literally not stop all day if you didn’t want to. Universal Furniture offers a full breakfast and lunch every day during market and it was sooo good!!
Tip 02. Plan your dinners and cocktail hours. Network (or look on the app 😉 ) to find out where the cocktail parties are. The rooftop bar at Caracole Showroom threw an amazing party. All free! Restaurants are few and far between. You have to travel by shuttle or Uber to get to them. Get reservations as soon as you can! You can always change them, but at least you have a spot to rally your friends to.
Hannah Bowyer, Lisa Furtado and Veronica Frost
Tip 03. Try Lyft instead of Uber. Not sure if it was just post-covid or what, but it was hard to find a driver and Uber spiked their prices.
Tip 04. Get a hotel on one of the shuttle routes. We stayed at the Airport Marriot and it was great for shuttle accessibility and airport accessibility. However, it is so far away that it would take us 40 minutes one way.
Tip 05. Go to Verellen!!! This is non-negotiable. You can walk there, or you can call the on-the-go shuttle and they will pick you up. Verellen in and of itself is just amazingly flawless. They also have a food truck and bar – again, all free. We should have just gone there every day.
Tip 06. Don’t be a dummy. Wear comfy shoes and dress for the entire day as you won’t be going back to the hotel until bedtime. I brought my tried and true shoes I wear to Disney and my feet were still BEAT!!
Tip 07. This tip is brought to you by my pet peeve: Back tracking; It is entirely inefficient. So, if you have a lot of must-see’s for your visit, make a general plan based on where everything is located. Absolutely be flexible, however there is no reason to walk 3 blocks one direction only to have to walk back the other way for the next showroom.
Tip 08. If you want to avoid the crowds, hit the outliers in the surrounding blocks the first day or two and THEN go to IHFC.
Tip 09. This one I can’t take credit for. The gals I was with would take a picture of the vendor’s name as they walked into the showroom. This allowed for quick and easy cataloging without extra notes.
Tip 10. Network! Make friends and learn from each other. We had such an encouraging group of ladies, it was really special.
Our last night at High Point we got to have dinner with Jean Stoffer and her daughter Grace Start. So thankful for the moments shared at that table!
Jean Stoffer, Grace Start, Lisa Furtado, Veronica Frost
