Traders Village... Hot or Not?

Our friends, Fernando and Diane, came to Houston for their housing trip (Fernando is also going to work for Exxon). While they were here, we wanted to do something fun. Well, Mark and I had been reading in a Houston tourist magazine that we took from a hotel about a place called Trader's Village, which is a little north of the city. The description read:

"Open every Saturday and Sunday year-round, this 60-acre market hosts and average of 800 merchants and one-million bargain seekers each year. No wonder the Houston Business Journal ranked it as the No. 1 free attraction in the city. Other special attractions include kiddie rides, restaurants, special events, and even a concert series."

Pretty cool, we thought. In my head I was picturing a large Gardner Village. I was all ready to see the cute little shops and eat at a fun little restaurant. We got in the car and headed out. As we walked into the "village", we felt like were were stepping into little Mexico. The "shops" were actually booths in tin sheds. The "restaurants" were hot dog stands, and the "concert series" was a series of mariachi bands (which could actually have been cool). There were kiddie rides, looking about 50 years old and in bad need of a paint job. Needless to say, it was a big disappointment. But we had driven a 1/2 hour to get there, so we decided to look around. We did actually find a fun plant for our apartment and some fun eclectic shops, so the trip was not a total waste. However, I will now be very careful about taking suggestions from the HoustonVisitors Guide!