If you’ve never been to the AQS show in Paducah, figure out a way to get there! I love lots of quilt shows but that show is my all time favorite. Paducah is such a warm and friendly town; they love having the quilters there and make us feel so welcome.
AQS has had such a struggle with the Paducah show the last few years. The Executive Inn was an integral part of the show . . space for vendors, rooms for so many attendees and vendors, bathrooms, restaurants and I don’t even know what all. At the show in 2008, it was apparent to everyone that the hotel was in total disrepair and things just went downhill from there. The AQS folks had no control over the Executive Inn as it was owned by people totally not related to the show and after a few things that happened, apparently not very nice people at that.
Most anyone I know would have said “forget it” and abandoned Paducah and gone somewhere else. It was pretty late before we even knew for sure if the 2009 show was going to be held in Paducah. Things were looking up though by the time the 2009 show happened. New owners had been found. The hotel which had been closed for a good many months was able to re-open for the show, under the management of the future owners even though the sale had not been closed.
Shortly after the 2009 show, the sale fell through, the hotel was again closed and I seriously doubted that a show would happen there in 2010. But, the AQS folks love Paducah and appreciate that quilters love Paducah and the revenue brought in by the quilters is a huge boost to that town and they perservered. After reading about the air conditioned AQS Pavillion that will be erected, I’m thinking it might even be better than what it was when the Executive Inn was part of the show.
Make plans to attend the 2010 AQS show in Paducah, KY! April 21-24, 2010.
And, the best news is:
- Dates for the 2011 and 2012 shows have been posted.
- The state parks in KY make reservations up to three years in advance.
- My reservations are made for 2010, 2011 and 2012.
Now I’m really excited!! 🙂
Pat says
AQS is going to have a show in Lancaster, PA, in March and many of us from this area are going. Lancaster is a neat area, too, with a lot of quilt shops (many of them Amish) and I’m hoping the AQS show will be a great one!!! I’m glad the Paducah show has been “rescued” now, too.
JudyL says
Wish I could attend that one but I already have too much scheduled.
Barb in MI says
Judy, my sister-in-law just bought a house in Paducah, so maybe I’ll get to the show without having to worry about lodging! Yea! We were there last week and loved the city, too!
Barb in MI
JudyL says
Lucky you! Lodging is the biggest issue for the Paducah show and looks like you have that one resolved.
Michele says
Wow, I hadn’t heard that about Lancaster.
I just checked and see that the Quilters’ Heritage show, usually held in early April, is discontinued. 2009 was their last show. Smart move to take over the location and time frame.
Lancaster would be the closest really “big, big” show for the Northeast quilting community. It’s an easy 2 hour drive from Manhattan.
Sometimes I wonder if both AQS and IQF are cannibalizing attendance to their main shows (Paducah/Houston) with all these additional shows (Long Beach, Des Moines, Knoxville and now Lancaster.)
Or do you think it allows more people access and actually increases attendance overall?
JudyL says
AQS had 3 shows last year and I surely didn’t see a decrease in attendance at Paducah this year. There are many of us who can make it to one show because of timing or logistics or funds but some can and will make it to all four. There are some different vendors at some shows and some will be at all the shows. You know how us quilters are .. we’ll walk across hot coals to get to Paducah! Or, in my case, cross two scary bridges . . as long as someone else is driving.
peggy says
I’ve always wanted to be a quilt show groupie. I get to some of the shows on the left coast and dream about the one in Paducah and the one in Houston. How many years in advance does one have to make the reservations? It’s probably too late to make Paducah 2010.
Peggy says
Peggy, I live close to Paducah (65 miles away) and on tonight’s news they said that many local people will be opening their homes to Quilters this year. So don’t give up coming to the show, because housing is still available. The town does a great job of providing free transportation via bus routes. Just go to the AQS web site and they will direct you to possible housing.
JudyL says
We’ve talked to several people through the years who stay in homes and they always have had great reports about the experience.
Sandy says
I attended the show in 2008 and also heard due to the conditions it might not be held there this year. We found the carpet to be dirty, a/c not working, a host of problems. I am so glad they are booked for a few more years.
We were on our way home to Illinois after having been vacationing in the South and decided to stop at Paducah. We were able to find a KOA campground in Benton, IL which is about 60 (?) miles from there. There aren’t too many places to camp in Paducah and we knew the campground there that we stayed at in 2004 fills up about a year in advance. Just a thought for anyone who travels by motorhome and looking for a place to stay.
Karen says
I went to the Paducah show in 2009 – had no trouble getting rooms in Mayfield which is only about a 15-20 drive from Paducah. We didn’t book our rooms until mid-February.
Lake Barclay (a little farther) also has some nice places to stay. I never have any luck finding rooms in Paducah – I’m beginning to think they’re passed down from one generation to the next!
JudyL says
I’ve heard a lot of people say they get rooms kinda at the last minute. We’ve stayed out at the state park for years and it’s so peaceful and beautiful out there. For the next three years (and last year), we have a cabin which works so much better when there are four of us.
Karen says
Forgot to mention – the Houston show is well worth the trip. The venue is bigger and more spacious than Paducah – of course you lose the small town ambience, but it was a nice change.
JudyL says
When we lived in SW Louisiana, I attended the Houston show every year and I love it but after having attended Paducah for a few years, and then going back to Houston, it seems like just another quilt show, only bigger but Paducah seems different. It is the ambience of the small town and everyone welcoming the quilters and staying open late for us and “Quilters’ Specials” at the retaurants. I’ll still go to Houston every chance I get but Paducah is my favorite.
Diana says
I dream of going back to Paducah, managed it a couple of years ago, by offering to teach a weekend lace workshop, someone housed me and my husband it was brilliant, loved every minute of it and would love to go again.
Happy Room Diana [ England UK]
Eileen Keane says
Paducah has always been one of my “someday” things to do. Since we’re only given today, I’m going to make more of an effort to go. Is there a website for the state parks?
I already have plans to go to Houston in 2011-I’m already excited about that!!
Denise says
Judy – admit it – you like Paducah because of those strawberry shortcakes the Boyscouts sell. :-))
Tazzie says
I’m heading over for the Paducah show next year, and I simply cannot wait. My suitcases will be quite empty on the way over, and very full on the way home if last time was anything to go by. Maybe I’ll see you there.
*hugs*
Tazzie
🙂