You have to go to Eleanor's show. She has a huge tent and does a show several times a day. She will have a big store there with all her notions and patterns. She also has tents of fabrics at good prices. You can drive there or take the shuttle.
She also has the shop downtown.
There is a place downtown that sells AQS books for $5.00. They tell you that you have to buy 6, but you don't. There are vendors in the front of this building. The books are in the back.
The last few years, Ricky Tims has done a Friday night show at their big auditorium downtown. It is about $15 and the place is full. He is funny and entertaining. We love it. The bookstore is right across the street from the auditorium. Wish that I could think of the name of it. The shuttles run downtown, too.
You have to do Hancock's of Paducah, which is not the same as the Hancocks chain.
You will not believe the amount to fabric that they have. If you walk in the door and turn right, you can go to the ware room, where they have tables, tables, and tables of fabric, mostly cut in in one yd. pieces on sale. If you find something special, you can usually keep looking and find more of it. Sometimes on Sat. ,they lower the price to sell more. If you are there on Sat., go back. You will want to shop their regular fabric, too. They have all the name brands.
Our favorite part of going is shopping with the vendors. Our motto is, "If you demonstrate it well, we will buy." :)
You will want to go to the quilt museum. It is nice. Drive along their flood wall and see the murals. They are pretty.
At the convention center, there are volunteers dressed in red blazers. You can check your purchases, sewing machines, etc. with them for $1.00. They will even let you come back and add to your bag. This is so nice. They also do a free bus tour of Paducah. You sign up for this at the place where they check your bags. It is a nice way to take a break, if you are there for several days, like we always are. They have a tour guide on the bus.
At the convention center, There are quilts and vendors in a number of places. More quilts and vendors than you have probably ever seen in one place. Oh, the post office sets up there and you can ship fabric home in flat rate boxes. They will tape it up for you and have it ready to go. You just pay, address, and leave it for them to carry back to mail. You can put lots of fabric in flat rate boxes. Try rolling it, you may can get more in the box. :) Wear comfy shoes and sit when you get tired. Take snacks. I have a canvas bag with long straps that I put small purchases in. Bring a camera!
The Rotary Club has a building with antique quilt displays and more vendors! They charge a small fee and the money goes to their scholarship program.
You might want to go online and sign up for a class or two. Also go ahead and join AQS. You will get a better price on multiple day attendance and you will get their magazine for a year, too. You have to be an AQS member to take classes.
We usually make one trip to the mall to see what? More vendors.
I am sure that I can think of more, but this is it for now. You will love Paducah. Stay several days, if possible.