If you've never been before, the Spring show is probably the best bet. As far as lodging, if you are adventurous, you can even rent a houseboat on KY Lake (30 minutes away)There are cabins (actually, small furnished houses)and a lodge with a restaurant and motel rooms as well at the KY Dam State Park. If you need to stay in Paducah there are a number of Air-B&B rooms available right in town and the hosts are quite wonderful. Call the Paducah Visitors Bureau and they should be able to help.
https://www.paducah.travel/ None of us know what to expect with the Fall Show, but the way I understand it, they will be completely different quilts and can't be entered in the Spring Show. The judges will jury the quilts and the group of finalists will be the ones that the public will judge from. I'm lucky and local, so will attend both. Last year, I met up with a couple of wonderful first-time QB members and we had a fantastic day. I showed them the town and we had a blast...would love to do that again.