Texas Trade Days, formerly The Gypsy Rose Market, made history in the Greater Houston/Galveston area’s pop-up market scene as one of the most reputable, fasted growing and the only licensed vendor market and event!

Establishment

In March 2017, Kristen M. Parker created The Gypsy Rose Market from just an idea. As an Artisan for her mother’s online boutique, struggling to find decent local markets and advertising agencies to sell directly to the community, she decided that it was time to do what it seemed others could not.

Kristen combined her extensive retail and professional sales experience, art and curation knowledge, small business and legal knowledge, combined with her online and technology skills, to create the next generation of pop-up markets.

In April 2017, The Gypsy Rose Market was registered to operate in Galveston County, TX with The Gypsy Rose Market assumed name, obtained a convention and trade show organizer Texas Sales and Use Tax Permit. Later in 2017, The Gypsy Rose Market was registered to operate under its assumed name in Harris County, TX and became insured.

A year later, The Gypsy Rose Market became Texas Trade Days to be even more inclusive to vendors and the community.

Challenging The Status-Quo

In the first few months in business, we gained over 50 market members, obtained 2 marketplace venues and reached over a thousand social media followers.

By the first market held in May 2017, our website was fully functional with its own following and became the central hub for both merchants and customers to connect.

We the barriers between bored merchants and lost customers through increased and targeted communication, and active sales techniques – online and offline.

Merchant Sales Boom

Between May and December 2017, we helped merchants generate thousands of dollars in sales collectively during our market days.

Defying Odds

In August 2017, our communities and all of us were devastated by the historical catastrophic flooding from Hurricane Harvey. By September 9th, we all pulled together enough to support each other for our market reopening. We were committed to helping our small business merchants recover by maintaining business and lowering merchant rates, and giving our community an outlet to help heal as recovery efforts were underway.

Just 4 months after Hurricane Harvey, approx. 90% of our community’s merchants were back in business defying the typical small business odds of recovering from catastrophic events.

Increased Revenue

We has increased revenue of small business venues and local municipalities. We have generated thousands of dollars of additional revenue for these venues as a result of hosting our markets since May 2017.

The Market That Gives Back

Wet have also given back to major and local charities that directly support our communities. We have collected and donated hundreds dollars of monetary and item support through the use of our change donation collection jars, becoming an item drop-off point for community donations and by donating a portion of our profits to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, children’s charity.

In The News and an Increasing Online Presence

In less than a year, we have rapidly increased our online presence throughout the internet and social media, gaining thousands of regular followers.

Our events have been organically picked up by major local radio stations, major local businesses, the Houston Association of REALTORS, the Houston Chronicle, the Galveston County Daily News and more.

On Saturday, November 25, 2017 during the American Express National Small Business Saturday initiative, we were visited by the Galveston County Daily News for an article about how we support small businesses and became an American Express Neighborhood Champion for 2017. Read the article here.

We feature some of the community’s best local small businesses for Small Business Saturday and throughout the year ranging from online and mobile clothing boutiques, jewelry boutiques, bath and body shops, popup makeup counters, artisan shops, artists and more!

(Photo Credit: Galveston County Daily News)

Making History

Since our first market in May 2017, we have been able to help our community in so many ways. Our business structure, philosophy and philanthropy has proven to be what our community desired. We have only begun to take steps towards our mission, but if we’re all ready making history, who knows what the future holds!

Growing Up

We have continued to break personal records in the beginning of 2018. By April and upon its 1st anniversary, we expanded to 5 different venues, including 2 fairgrounds with over 60 vendor registered events!

Since this growth continued steadily, the need to be more inclusive to a variety of vendors had grown as well! Customers continued to support and enjoy our variety of merchants available to them. To be able to better serve our customers and our vendors, The Gypsy Rose Market became Texas Trade Days!

2018 to 2020: The Growing Years

Texas Trade Days grew to become a mid-sized fairground event with Galveston County Trade Days, Pasadena Trade Days, Brenham Trade Days, Waller County Trade Days, East Montgomery County Trade Days and Santa Fe Trade Days in which we served hundreds of small businesses and thousands of community shoppers each month until we were forced to pause business in September 2021.

2021 - 2024: The Great Pause

Texas Trade Days was temporarily paused due to the strain of the pandemic on our small business community. Over the next 3 years, Kristen reorganized the LLC and focused on the infusion of traditional real estate practices with this special commercial niche to develop the company to be as flexible as possible to meet our community’s needs.

Currently, Texas Trade Days is the only company able to assist small business through every step of their growth while also strengthening the local economy of the communities we serve from start-up to storefront.

2024: Grand Reopening

July 27, 2024, Texas Trade Days returned to the Jimmy Walker Community Center in Kemah, Texas to host Kemah Trade Days for our Grand Reopening with local vendors, plant sales, and more!

2025: Refreshed Return to the Circuit

January 1, 2025 rings in a refreshed look and a fast-track to where we left off in 2019 with the formation of the Texas Trade Days Farmer’s Market specifically for Texas agriculture vendors, and promotion of the Go Texan program vendors for both our general market and the farmer’s market.