For 35 years, the storefront at 28601 Old Town Front St. held the Old Town Antique Faire, one of Old Town's two antique dealer malls. Today, Thursday, Oct. 29, the same address is set to soft-open as Tecovas, the Austin-based Western wear brand. Inside you'll find handcrafted cowboy boots, leather bags and a Hat Bar.
The switch is the last step in a chain of lease moves that began in the summer of 2025. Old Town lost one antique mall and kept another, and a new vintage shop opened on Main Street because of a move that started on 4th Street. The boot store arrives on Front Street after all of that.
Thirty-Five Years at 28601, Then a Redesign
In July 2025, Patch reported that both of Old Town's dealer malls were set to close on Aug. 31. Those were the Old Town Antique Faire at 28601 Old Town Front St. and Fourth Street Antiques at 41975 4th St. Between them, the two malls held about 60 independent dealers.
According to Patch, the Antique Faire's dealers had worked toward a lease extension, but the property went another way before the paperwork was finished. The mall closed in summer 2025. By December, Patch had reported that a Western retailer was headed for the space and expected to open in summer 2026. Summer came and went. The store's opening date arrived this week, a few months behind that first estimate.
The company says it fully redesigned the interior with industrial textures, warm leather tones and Western details meant to suit Old Town's historic character. If you remember wandering the Faire's booths, the floor plan will feel different.
Fourth Street Antiques Kept Its Dealers
The second mall had a different summer. Its building was being marketed for lease at $252,938 a year. Fourth Street Antiques' manager told Patch that figure was out of reach for the independent dealers who rented space inside. Then, within about two weeks, the outlook changed.
On July 25, 2025, Patch reported that Fourth Street Antiques would stay open. Old Tyme Photos & Boulevard Emporium Boutique was taking over the lease as of Sept. 1, and the more than 30 existing dealers would keep their storefronts. Manager Linda Conceicao told Patch, "It's a great group of people who curate fantastic antiques for shoppers." Mayor Brenden Kalfus welcomed the news on social media, and Patch quoted his post: "I love small businesses and I love the history of Old Town."
A year later, the 4th Street mall is still operating. A listing update in mid-October 2026 mentioned new vendors and new merchandise coming in. Of Old Town's two dealer malls, Fourth Street Antiques is the one still open.
How a Move on 4th Street Opened a Storefront on Main
The 4th Street lease change also opened space on Main Street. Here is the order of events from the reporting:
- Summer 2025. Both dealer malls announce plans to close Aug. 31.
- Late July 2025. Old Tyme Photos & Boulevard Emporium Boutique agrees to take over the Fourth Street Antiques lease starting Sept. 1.
- Afterward. The Boulevard Emporium moves out of its old spot at 42050 Main St., Suite A, and into Fourth Street Antiques.
- June 8, 2026. The Brass Unicorn LLC is filed in California, with the Main Street suite listed as its principal place of business.
- Early August 2026. Brass Unicorn Vintage opens. Patch's Sept. 2 profile said it had been open almost a month.
- Oct. 29, 2026. Tecovas soft-opens at 28601 Old Town Front St., the former Antique Faire.
Brass Unicorn Vintage sits across from The Merc and In Bloom Bookery, a romance bookstore. It mixes vintage clothing, records, books, paper goods, jewelry, art and collectibles. Owner Kathy Vinole described her approach in Patch's profile of the shop:
"These are items from the past, looking for a future."
The shop also hosts events. In early September it teamed up with Hey Grrrl Collective for its first Collage Chaos night, where guests made mixed-media posters inspired by classic B-movies.
Put together, Old Town's secondhand trade now runs along 4th Street and Main Street, and the Front Street corner where the Faire stood has turned Western.
What the Front Street Store Offers Once You Own the Boots
The new tenant fits the old address better than its brand name might suggest. Patch points out that Old Town is known for its frontier heritage. For anyone in the valley who wears boots to the barn, the useful part of the store is the free service counter.
Tecovas' store page lists these services as complimentary:
- Boot cleaning and shining
- Boot stretching
- Leather branding and debossing
- Hat services at the Hat Bar, where cowboy hats can be shaped, branded and personalized
Some hat add-ons cost extra. The store also serves free drinks while you shop, including sparkling water and local beer. Posted hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, and they may vary on holidays. On weeknights, that means the store stays open two hours past the 6 p.m. Sunday close, which leaves time for a stop after work.
Opening Weekend Shares Old Town With a Full Calendar
The grand-opening party runs Friday, Nov. 6, through Sunday, Nov. 8. It includes live music by Rheanna Downey, free refreshments, boot branding, hat tattooing and freebies for the first 50 guests in the store each day. That weekend overlaps with several regular Old Town events. Here is how they line up:
| Day | What | Where | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri., Nov. 6 | Tecovas grand-opening party | 28601 Old Town Front St. | 10 a.m.–2 p.m. |
| Fri., Nov. 6 | Step Afrika! | Old Town Temecula Community Theater, 42051 Main St. | 7:30–9:30 p.m. |
| Sat., Nov. 7 | Old Town Temecula Certified Farmers Market | 28464 Front St. | 8 a.m.–12:30 p.m. |
| Sat., Nov. 7 | Tecovas grand-opening party | 28601 Old Town Front St. | 10 a.m.–2 p.m. |
| Sun., Nov. 8 | Tecovas grand-opening party | 28601 Old Town Front St. | 11 a.m.–2 p.m. |
| Sun., Nov. 8 | Stevie Ray Visted: A Tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughn | Old Town Temecula Community Theater, 42051 Main St. | 3–5 p.m. |
Saturday has the biggest overlap. The farmers market runs year-round on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Front Street, so on Nov. 7 it shares Front Street with the party's 10 a.m. start. If you want one of the first-50 gift bags, arrive early in the morning. The City of Temecula's calendar lists Step Afrika! on Friday night, and a Stevie Ray Vaughan tribute plays Sunday afternoon at the Community Theater.
If a free boot stretch on Front Street sounds like a fine errand on your way to the barn, we share the same corner of the valley. Our work centers on horse properties, acreage and the everyday routines that come with them across Temecula, Menifee and La Cresta. If you'd like to talk through what a property in the valley needs to support that kind of life, Erin Archibek Mills is glad to help. Let's Connect.
