Never participated in one, but they do sound like a lot of fun. They have one in Texas, think it's goin on currently, can check out the details here quiltacrosstexas.com The way I understand it, you have to physically visit a predetermined number of quilting shops, in a given area (in this case, the entire state of Texas), and if you manage to visit them all, then you are eligible to win prizes. I seriously considered trying it, thought it might be fun, but at the current cost of gas, and the size of Texas, I calculated that I could just buy the prize cheaper in the long run. Think they also have similar online shop hops as well.