With endless galleries, funky shops and impressive restaurants, the dusty West Texas town of Marfa is always worth the road trip. Just in time for the Marfa Lights Festival over Labor Day weekend, we’re calling out the latest and greatest in this hipster hot spot.

SIP

Padre’s, run by a fun-loving team including an Episcopalian priest from Houston, is the new live music joint this dusty town was desperate for. Grab a Lone Star and head to the patio between sets, or recover with a Bloody Mary during Sunday morning gospel sets.

EAT

One weekend will give you plenty of time to try all the hot spots in town. You’ll love brunching at Cochineal (map), run by restaurateurs out of New York who use ingredients from the on-site garden, or the stylish Austin Street Cafe. Prefer a picnic? Select gourmet groceries at The Get Go. Or, if you’re lucky, the Mediterranean style Food Shark, an Airstream trailer offering yummy Marfalafels, will be open when you’re in town.

SHOP

Sip a Tecate at the fabulous new JM Dry Goods (map) while shopping vintage Mexican dresses, distressed Levis, well-worn cowboy boots and an eclectic mix of accessories and housewares, all on the cheap.

Even if you can’t snag a room at The Thunderbird Hotel, the retro motel where celebs stay when they’re in town, you’ll want a souvenir from their fab gift shop. Or, stop by to rent a vintage bike for the weekly Sunday evening bike ride that meets at the site of Marfa’s farmers’ market.

Don’t leave without making a stop at Prada Marfa in Valentine, Texas (map), 30 miles away. (You’ve seen the sign in Serena’s apartment in Gossip Girl.) The art installation will leave you drooling – there are dozens of runway-worthy Prada shoes and bags inside, but the doors have never been open. Just part of the quirky appeal that defines the always-magical Marfa.