Shopping for the holidays can be a stressful business. You make lists, you check them twice, and somehow everyone ends up on the nice side of the ledger, meaning your work feels like it’s never done. San Marcos offers the perfect solution. Turn a frenzied afternoon of shopping into a long weekend of seasonal fun. Bring along your partner, friends, or extended family and feel your holiday blood pressure drop thanks to San Marcos’ beautiful natural setting, fabulous cuisine, live music scene, soothing spas, and inspiring local art. Suddenly, retail therapy has turned into actual therapy with joyful memories in the making that you’ll treasure for a lifetime.

After outlet shopping, head for a craft brewery

San Marcos’ robust outlet scene means you can strike off numerous items from your shopping list while also getting a great deal. San Marcos Premium Outlets and Tanger Outlets offer more than a combined 220 luxury and name-brand stores, making it possible to get a little something for everyone on the list. Pick up stocking stuffers from the Disney Store, jeans from American Eagle Outfitters, athleisure from Lululemon, a new belt from Gucci, a Le Creuset casserole dish, and more. After shopping, head to your hotel for a brief reprieve before venturing out to experience San Marcos’ craft beer scene. Spots like Middleton Brewing, Roughhouse Brewing, and Thirsty Planet Brewing deliver chill vibes and spectacular Hill Country views. Feel that crisp, fall fresh air. This time of year, it can’t be beat.

Shop unique downtown boutiques, then kayak down the river

Downtown San Marcos is a really cool place to shop. An abundance of offbeat, eclectic boutiques makes it a cinch to find unexpected gifts. Discover original toys, handmade soaps, trendy looks, esoterica and oddities, and fine art. With shopping out of the way, spend the afternoon or evening enjoying one of San Marcos’ most popular activities, paddling down the spring-fed San Marcos River, always a pleasant 72 degrees. There’s nothing quite like a good paddle in the fall when the weather is spectacular, and the summer crowds have receded. Choose a guided kayak tour, a nighttime kayak experience on boats with glowing LED lights, a stand-up paddleboard, or a traditional canoe excursion. What better way to ease the holiday stress than with a few hours floating down the famed San Marcos!

Enjoy sumptuous cuisine and live music 

Reward your holiday hard work with mouthwatering cuisine and a craft cocktail at one of San Marcos’ many restaurants. The city offers all sorts of flavors, from barbecue and Tex-Mex to pub grub and global eats. It’s also known for its many outdoor dining options. Enjoy sweater weather and stunning sunsets on the terrace of dozens of local restaurants.

Following a yummy meal, head out for some live local music. The scene is so lively in San Marcos that you can track what’s playing nightly through Live this Week. Catch talented Texas singer-songwriters at spots like Cheatham St. Warehouse, Tantra, The Porch, Industry, and many others. 

Make the weekend in San Marcos a gift to others

Finding the perfect gift doesn’t have to mean wading through AI-generated ads and eavesdropping algorithms. Sometimes the best gifts are real-life experiences shared with other humans, and San Marcos has plenty to offer. Make the weekend itself a unique gift for your friends or loved ones that includes shopping, dining, sipping, and quality time. The area offers experiences you simply can’t find elsewhere, including a Meadows Center Glass Bottom Boat excursion of Spring Lake, year-round kayaking and canoeing on the San Marcos River, touring the LBJ Museum and watching a dramatic glass-blowing demo at Wimberley Glassworks or Silo Glass Studio.

Situated between Austin and San Antonio, beautiful, welcoming San Marcos is a stylish hub, a college town and a thriving Hill Country hamlet. Its abundance of places to stay, from intimate inns to brand-name hotels, makes it the perfect place to get away before the holidays. Make your list, check it twice, and book your trip today!