Originally Posted by
quiltstringz
My vote would be either Houston (October) or Paducah (April).
I can second the vote for Paducah - especially with the quilt shops (Eleanor Burns & Hancocks of Paducah) within such close proximity, as an added bonus it's a smaller town and therefore not as pricey to eat/lodge.
Another great one that can include TONS of shopping in one of the most beautiful parts of the country is AQS in Lancaster PA in March. Tons and tons of shops with quilting and other fabrics. Amish country so lots of Amish wares to be had (not to mention food!!).
Both of the above are AQS shows - they are big shows, with big prize money. Two of the top 5 shows in the country.
In fact ... the two organizations that hold the biggest/bestest shows across the country are AQS and IQA. Below are links to both of the organizations where you can see a complete list of 2013 shows.
http://www.americanquilter.com/
http://www.quilts.com/home/index.php