Paducah
 

My 2 friends from Raleigh and I (from PA) have all retired within the past year and are planning a retirement celebration for ourselves by going to the AQS Quilt Show in Paducah, KY in April. We are driving, so there will be lots of bonding time. This is out first time at the show. Looking for comments and tips from people who have already been there. Thanks for sharing.

I envy you all ... have lots of fun!

Have fun! What a nice trip! There are Welcome Quilters signs all over town. So welcoming. Of course you need to check out Hancocks and the museum. There are quilty things all over downtown too. If you get a chance there's a good bbq place out on Clarks River Rd called Harned's. It's like the old drive-ins where you eat in your car. I wish I was going! It's been a couple years for me. I've been trying some of the other AQS shows around the country for a change of pace. And expect a lot of people! But it's quilters so it's so much fun!

You will have so much fun! I've never been there but hear so many good things about it. A friend and I are making a road trip to Denver the end of next month. We will shop hop all the way there and spend 4-5 days going to different shops. Let us know what you do, where you stay and how much fun you had!

I went for the first time as a new quilter last year. Live in St. Louis, so it's an easy drive for me. I had a blast all by myself. The show quilts are just outstanding, and it is so much fun to watch all the demo's. I'm going again this year and taking a friend with me. I can't wait for her to see it all - and do not skip the museum. It is awesome.

Comfortable shoes, a back pack, and no big purses................calla

If you don't already have accommodations reserved - better get started. Places fill up fast for miles around. You will have a wonderful time - it is such a great show and Paducah is a great place to visit. Went with my sisters a few years ago - what a great trip.

Search this board for other threads about the show.

you will likely have to find lodging miles from Paducah. Too late now.
sandy

Have you gotten a place to stay yet? If not, you might not find anywhere within 50 miles. Speaking from experience.

Don't be afraid to go down allies and check out pop-up vendors selling in temporary stores. I went for the first time last year and plan on going this year. I found some of the best deals (and very good fabric) in some of those places. Be sure the check out Eleanor Burns store for daily deals; last year she had sales by color (ex. Any fabric with pink was on sale for x amount for one day).

I love sewing/quilting and naturally enjoyed Hancock's Fabric and the Quilt Museum. Please be sure to see the Flood Wall Murals and take time to read the plaques w each one. I enjoyed the murals every bit as much as the sewing related places!

Ditto on the "pop up" stores and doors in the alley's to the backs of stores. Smart people buy up tons of fabrics and rent a small store during Quilt Week and sell the fabrics! My DD lives in Paducah so we have a free place to stay and a chauffer with a very small car. My DH goes with us (DD is a quilter too) and he is our fabric "holder" - LOL. He once said that he thought the average age of the quilters was 72. You cannot go anywhere in the city during Quilt Week without seeing a million women wearing name tags and the hundreds of busses that they came in. I really don't know how the busses even can get home with all of the fabric, etc. that these women cram in them.

Yes, Eleanor Burns has $1 off a yard of a certain color every day - she has 3 or 4 locations rented during the show - one location last year had tons of fabric scraps at about $10 a pound. I got LOTS of batik scraps that day.

It is just so much fun. Be sure to eat some strawberry shortcake outside of the Quilt Show under big tents that the Boy Scouts sell - a very good cause.

Last year we parked at the farmer's market. It is directly across from the quilt museum. Just a few blocks in one direction to the quilt show. A few blocks in the other direction to downtown area. Then there are the free shuttle busses that run to Hancock's and a variety of other places. You can find brochures art the show for the shuttle routes.

Some say to stay on the Ohio side of the river.

You might mean Missouri, but everything there was booked up, except the casino, if you've got almost $500 to drop on a hotel room!

I'm local...so ask anything you want. Try the Kentucky Dam Marina and rent a houseboat. (you can stay at the dock and don't have to move) there are several quilt groups who have figured out that little jewel. Houseboats can sleep 6 to 20 depending on the size. There are also lots of cottages at KY Dam that are great. (35 minutes from Paducah and you're on the scenic lake)

One of two things--------take plenty of money or NONE at all. lol

Actually, Illinois is on the north side of the OHIO RIVER. Don't think there's much lodging handy, howerver. Missouri is a good ways west and Illinois is directly across the river.

Just have fun and bring good walking shoes !!!

Charleston, Mo is about an hour from Paducah and there's hotels there. The drive is very rural and you cross the Ohio and Mississippi rivers where they merge at Cairo, IL. Murray, KY is about an hour and it is 4 lane hwy all the way to Paducah. Lots of hotels since it is a college town. Cadiz, KY is an hour down I-24 and there are lots of hotels at exit 65. Try Eddyville, KY at exit 40 on I-24 several hotels at that exit as well.

Be sure and visit the Quilt in a Day store. It's great!!

Comfort over fashion on the shoes!

I'm going with a group of my quilting friends, the last two years we've stayed at the fish camp at Kentucky dam. Great price but a little bit of a drive into town. But worth it. If you are staying a couple of days you may find the later in the day you go into the "marshmallow" and the venders in the convention center you'll be able to get through faster and with less crowds. But really it great even when it's crowded. The Locals are great and will steer you in the right direction for anywhere you want to go!

The "Marshmallow" is up - son-in-law just emailed me an article in the Paducah Sun with a picture of it being power washed after its long winter's sleep - The Marshmallow is a huge air-conditioned tent that houses the quilt show and some of the vendors. After you go in through various air-lock doors, you don't even notice the white marshmallow looking walls. Kind of neat. Can't wait. They say that next year they will have a permanent building built on the site - maybe a hotel and convention center???