Houston or Paducah

Both!

I've been to Paducah 3 times, and do regret not being able to plan my trip months in advance because if you're interested in any of the workshops, you need to sign up early. I can't help you on how early though. If you're only interested in attending the show, tickets are easy to get the day you arrive, but motel rooms aren't available at the last minute. I believe I heard that the motels in Paducah start taking reservations in January, but I'm not sure. I usually stayed an hour away at a motel in Marion and just spent one day at the show.

Musicmaker

For my money, I'd go to Paducah over Houston. I've been to both. I thoroughly enjoyed Houston, but Paducah really rolls out the welcome mat for the quilters. It's a little more "home townie" if that appeals to anyone. Houston is held in the convention center & all the vendors (& I guess classes, although I did not take any) are held in the convention center, so it's just a huge concrete building, with vendor after vendor (not all quilt related) & quilts after quilts after quilts. I guess, for me, Houston doesn't have the personality that Paducah has. Given the choice, I'd go to Paducah in a heartbeat, while I'd have to hesitate about going to Houston again.

In both cases, you need to book your hotel rooms as soon as you can. Most of the Paducah hotels book one year in advance, while some will only start taking reservations 6 months in advance. I started calling for room reservations about 11 months in advance & couldn't find a thing. I added my name to a cancellation list at the Marriott in Paducah & the same day, they received a large cancellation & since I was booking 5 rooms, they called me right away. That was sheer luck. The people in Paducah are so friendly & clearly, the economy depends a lot on the quilters coming to town. Paducah is charming.

I don't remember how far in advance I booked Houston, but it was at least 6 months. I went with a non-quilting friend, so we took in the sites in Houston as well, which was very enjoyable. The museums were very interesting, we took a tour of the underground city & went somewhere outside of Houston along the coast - don't remember where it was, but Houston is a very pretty city.

Pauline Northern California

I do not recommend driving in Houston. Having done it for the last two years, I don't want to do it again. sigh. Houston traffic is not pretty. The freeways are under construction and the signage can be confusing.

Some classes fill up fast, some are available at the show. Some people sign up and pay for classes that they end up selling because of various reasons. I understand that some hotels are already booked solid for next year. But some of those reservations will cancel and there will be openings later.... but when is the question. I love the show, both Market and Festival. Have enjoyed going both of the last couple of years, but not sure when I will be able to return. sigh

Pati, > I know that I missed Houston this year but I'm really hoping to go in the

Howdy!

Houston: The Really Big Quilt Show in Houston is the largest in the world. They do it well, they get everything together in the huge convention center and, while crowded, it's easy enough to find what you want (classes, vendors, food, rooms). Last year s-i-l & I got there Saturday morning, left our luggage at the attached-by-walkway Hilton Americas Hotel, and went right to the show. Desk clerks at that hotel said that many, many people leave on Saturday, having arrived early in the week, and it's really pretty easy to get a room there for Saturday & Sunday. I don't take classes, going down later in the week is ideal for me; next time we're staying until Monday morning. My best friend from high school lives in Houston; if I get lost she rescues me . (also offers me her spare room but it's quite a drive to Brown convention center) It's easy to get around Houston w/ public transport, the shuttle bus service to several hotels, major highways (it's the 4th largest city in the U.S., w/ all those Big City Concerns), 2 large airports. I repeat: Houston's quilt show is very well-organized. Seemed to be fewer disgruntled quilters & vendors at the Houston show than at Paducah convention center. Organized is good.

Of course, we're close enough to drive down to Houston, 3-4 hrs away.A MUST STOP HERE is Old Town Spring, in Spring, Texas, a "quaint" littleplace w/ dozens of shops, most of them in little old houses. All kinds ofshopping there, including wineries. And at least one RCTQer. Paducah: the city is beautiful. Took husband there this year to see more of the city, rather than the quilt show. The quilt show is good, lots of quilts & vendors. But: it's spread out all over that too-small center and you need a road map to find yourself. It's got a very squashed-in feeling. Some of the vendors are in really shabby areas of the hotel/center and they're not too happy about it. Take a flashlight to find your way around the basement if they're still putting vendors there. W/in a couple of blocks of the convention center is the Quilt Museum, impossible to miss it in its pretty setting. While on the small side as museums go , it's full of gorgeous quilts and wonderfully friendly docents. Public parking close by, free parking. Paducah DOES quilts. The entire downtown section of the city is open for quilters. Quiltville USA. Much of the downtown area is rather derelict, lots of empty stores, but the ones that are open are READY for business. Quilts everywhere. Lots of eateries, and, best of all, Kirchoff's Bakery: to everything. Paducah is a city you can walk around.But you'll want a ride out to the edge of town to Hancock's of Paducah;wear your kneepads & shin guards. Stay in s.Illinois, just across the Ohio River that's running alongthe (mostly) northern edge of town (you'll pass the seawall downtown,a site worth seeing). We stayed in Jonesboro, which is in winery country. I knew Gene would love that; we spent a day roaming the nationalforest there, visiting several wineries. Our "home" was lovely: accommodate 6-8 quilters, BUT there's only the one bathroom. Superman is in Metropolis, IL: The Paducah trip has a more relaxed atmosphere. And about thesame weather as I usually face in Houston, 5 months later,warmish & humid. Shirt sleeves, mostly. We'll go back to thatpart of the country, but probably not for the quilt show. I'llsave the quilt show trip for Rosemont, see more of Chicago.http://www.quilts.com/home/shows/ Go to Paducah for the love of quilting, to enjoy a small-town feel in a southern city. Quilt week is all about quilting.

Go to Houston for the excitement & bustle of a Big City Show, with quite a few Texans thrown in (Tx. ain't The South), plenty of places to stay the night/week, and dozens of wonderful places to eat & shop.

R/Sandy---who figures you know that both shows have excellent quilt displays, the best teachers, fabulous vendors

On 11/7/07 8:23 AM, in article iTjYi.6026$ snipped-for-privacy@newsfe15.lga, "Pat in Virginia" wrote:

Having gone to Paducah once, and Houston twice, for my tastes, I prefer Houston. Coming from California,Paducah was a pain in the you know what to get to. I thought the space where the quilts were displayed was weird,(on 2 floors, and one with very low ceilings) and where the vendors were down in some basement area was even weirder. I did love the fact that the American Quilters Museum was walking distance from the convention center, but in terms of convenience, Houston, and reservations (all booked by now for'08) at the Hilton was far superior. I also thought it odd that the show in Paducah finishes on Sat. NOTHING is open on Sunday. We had a hard time getting out on our flight, as the plane was too heavy (probably too much fabric!!), and some of the luggage had to be left behind.

The Hilton in Houston is not booking rooms until 11/12.