sandyl

We are going. And have a camp site reserved at Fern Lake! We will be there on Monday and stay a whole week. Think that will be enough time to see everything in the area? I'm so anxious-my first time.

sweetana3

Way more than enough time.

Biggest things to see:
Show and allow one full day or more. I would get a multi day pass since it is hard to see it all in one day and remember anything.

Rotary show couple of hours max. Mostly vendors but some nice ones. Get your wristband and you can go back as often as you like.

Museum an hour or two depending on how each quilt captures your interest.

Hancocks of Paducah depends on your shopping limits.

Downtown and Kentucky street vendors ditto.

Eleanor Burns has a free tent show, building shop and a tent fabric sale. Last year $5 per yard and thousands of yards. Show is always worth it and usually 3X per day.

Hancocks prices in the warehouse drop each day or so until the lowest price (and lowest selection) on the last day. Earliest shopping for best selection of both regular merchandise and warehouse sale items. Note they have plenty of sales staff on hand. I have never waited long in line. Bring your list. Fabric in regular store organized by manufacturer. Get a free catalog at the front door for later viewing. Some of the newest things in the catalog are not on the sales floor.

Kentucky Oaks Mall usually has some vendors. Chickfila is a nice eating place as well as others inside the mall.

Numerous churches have scheduled meals and we have been well pleased by these meals. There is a Pauducah flyer that has the info listed as well as a local quilt newspaper. Well worth trying to find a copy. The Saturday night dinner at the Methodist Church is fantastic. I think we have eaten there over 10 years in a row. Our bus group already has their reservation.

Surrounding towns often schedule shows and quilt events at the same time. We found one in that newspaper mentioned above.

sandyl

Thanks for that info, Sweetana3. We are good atdriving around and seeing the area. But I appreciate your firs-hand info and will definately print this and take it with us. I tried to sign up for the Beginners class on EQ7, but it was full already. Gosh, that surprised me. Hoping for a cancellation now. Oh, and I did get the multiple day pass.

tryitall

We are planning on going and we talked to some of our friends and they said that we could part our camper trailer at their place. No problems with a place to stay!

sewrkristy

There will be a bus that will take you from down town to Loneoak. They have fabric there too. I did not make it last year and my quilting group said it was the best. Ask around at the show because info travels through cell phones.
Hope to see you there
Kristy

melodyr

I'm just down the road and will go (as I always do)For those coming into town, the trolley service is free, and will take you all over Paducah. You can park out at Hancock's and the trolley will pick you up there. For those who didn't make it last year, the big vendor area in the 'giant marshmallow' is fantastic. They've torn down the old Executive Inn (thank goodness!)So the Convention Center and the vendor tent will be all that is down on the river. They are clearing the rubble of the Inn out now and that means lots more parking.

squilter

I used to be a member on another quilt board and a lot of us were going to the quilt show in Paducah and we made yellow yo-yo's and wore so we would recognize each other. It was a lot of fun trying to find other members.

I usually go every year also. Live about 2 hours away.

sewrkristy

That sounds like so much fun. Its a club where you find the members like a treasure hunt.

melodyr

Lots of places to sit in the Convention Center and the vendors tent. The Quilt Museum has their own wheelchair if needed and there are some seating areas in the galleries too. I'd throw the wheelchair in though...parking might be further than you expect, but they're hoping to open up some new lots this year. The Museum is a couple of blocks from the Convention, they have a nice parking lot and there is a huge one across the street, but when I was hobbling around from my recently broken ankles, getting to and from my car was the biggest challenge.

melodyr

I just thought about what one enterprising quilter did last year...I think she was from near Rockford, IL

She chartered a plane for day trips to the show. Seemed like there were about 60 seats per flight. They left early in the morning, flew to Paducah and had all day for the show (no hotel bills or travel days) Hubbys came along if they wanted to and were shuttled to the casino right across the river. Everyone had one full day at the show and then flew home that evening. It started out to be just one flight, but folks were clamoring for seats, so they chartered one flight each day to come to the show.

Everyone had a ball and it was quite reasonable since there was no lodging or travel expense other than the flight.