sewbizgirl

Here is an armchair trip to the Paducah quilt show... I posted two threads of my pictures. Be sure to look at both. Enjoy and be inspired!

Quilts from Paducah!

Quilts from Paducah! Part II

deedum

I was there on Wednesday, I am planning to go in the fall as well. less crowded too. I usually drive in since it is only 4 hours for me.

DBarronRBF

Hello,
my daughter and I are thinking of heading to Paducah for the Spring show and would appreciate any pointers that you have. We're currently looking for hotel rooms as we'll be coming in from Wisconsin. Any and all help you can provide would be Most appreciated!!

Thank you

Jordan

Enjoy your time at the show. I too like to go alone to quilt shows-then I can just wander and browse at my own pace. My husband and I go to a couple of major shows a year (I go to the quilt show and he goes to the casino)-match made in heaven!!!! We sometimes stay overnight and enjoy the time together as our daughter and 3 granddaughters live with us so it is a getaway time for us.

sewbizgirl

Speaking of casinos... DBarron I usually stay at Harrah's in Metropolis, IL, which is just over the bridge from Paducah, about 15 minutes away. The hotels in Paducah fill up about a year before each show, but Harrah's always seems to to have rooms available, as it's so huge. Everyone price gouges for this show. Hotel room prices quadruple. But Harrah's is still a lot cheaper than those in Paducah... about $130 per night, versus $330 in Paducah.

quiltingshorttimer

Melodyr--I'll be at a quilt retreat, but am thinking 2020--would love to make the trip with a carload of quilt buddies! So some questions: how many (minimum) days are really needed to do the show, the National Quilt Museum, Hancock's of Paducah and QIAD? And how far ahead of time are hotel reservations needed for the Spring show? Thanks!

sewbizgirl

quiltingshorttimer, I'm not Melody, but I can share my experience with you. I find I need at least 2 days... one for the show and show vendors (there is a huge separate pavillion of vendors in addition to the ones in the show building), and one for the local shopping. You can spend another half a day if you go to the Quilt Museum. I usually skip it because I am so "quilt saturated" after the show. My plan is usually to drive in as early in the day as I can (leaving Memphis at about 5:30am). Then I go straight to Hancocks and shop as long as I want. Then I go to the downtown area and shop all the little 'pop up' fabric stores, as well as QIAD. While in that area, I eat lunch at Kirchener's Deli and Bakery. Not to be missed!

My second whole day is spent at the show and vendors. I only get the ticket for one day and it's usually enough. I don't take any classes. On my third day I revisit the shops I want to see again, and anything else I haven't gotten to yet. (Not the show). Then I leave for home in the afternoon.

Hotels in Paducah cost quadruple during show week, and you need a reservation a year in advance. The one exception in the area is the big Harrah's hotel I mentioned in my post above. It's just outside of Paducah, over the bridge in Metropolis, Illinois. They quadruple the room prices too, but it was so much cheaper to begin with that it's just like a regular hotel rate during quilt week.

Hope you and your friends get to go! It's so much fun.

quiltingshorttimer

thank you SewBizGirl--this gives me some info to discuss with my quilting peeps when I see them this weekend.

NikkiLu

my daughter moved to Paducah many years ago - a free place to stay for the Quilt show. She was a newspaper reporter and since she was the only reporter with any quilting experience, (thanks to her Home Ec teacher) the newspaper assigned her the job of making the special edition/pullout for the Quilt show activities, interviews, etc. So, she knew her way around town, etc. The first day my husband stayed at her house for the day and hated that - so the next day he went with us - he was our "bag carrier" - LOL He said that the average age of the quilters was 70 and that they were all from Iowa. Yes, most of the ladies had on name tags from their bus tour groups, quilting clubs, etc. but I was amazed that they were all from Iowa. No - he just meant that they were "corn fed" - LOL - we are farmers and he was referring to their heftiness. LOL

melodyr

Yes, a minimum of 2 days (I lost my log in and had to get Patrice to help me out and get back on here...sorry for the delay)

You'll need 1 day for shopping and you can include the antique quilts at the JayCee civic center...there's vendors there too, by the way. I can do everything in one, but I have Hancock's and the Museum any time I want to go and Know the ropes and know where everything is, so it takes me less time. However, for out of towners...2 minimum. You can spend 1 full day doing the show and the Museum (George Sisiliano sets up in the Museum lobby and demonstrates his tiny pieces quilts) Then, there's the Finkle's store (old dept store) with lots of books and more vendors...quilt shops in the area too and Kirchoff's Bakery is a wonderful lunch spot, but if you are pressed for time, lots of food vendors right outside the show and lots of tents and picnic tables...get barbque, hamburgers and dogs, the boy scouts sell strawberry shortcake and several restaurants have mobile units that come and set up, so you don't even have to leave the grounds if you don't want to. The next day, do Hancocks and the pavillion vendors and then go back and make sure you've seen everything you want to.