March gladness:  American Quilter’s Society show & contest coming to Lancaster, Pa., March 16-19

(Lancaster, PA) All the colors, craftsmanship, and personalities that attendees have come to expect will again be on display from the American Quilter’s Society (AQS) at its second annual Lancaster, Pa., international show and contest on March 16 – 19, 2011, at the Lancaster County Convention Center (LCCC) and Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square.

 

One of nation’s top quilting shows, the AQS Quilt Show & Contest – Lancaster has found a natural home here in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country, and its globally-renowned quilting exhibits, informative workshops and lectures, and engaging special events are expected to draw up to 20,000 attendees from 48 states and at least 4 countries this year.

 

The magnificent quality and array of quilts on display is clearly one of the primary reasons for attending the show.  More than 200 quilts in Freedom Hall at the LCCC will be vying for $44,250 in cash awards, with the Best of Show quilt receiving $10,000.  Another 200 quilts in special exhibits will be displayed in the Commonwealth and Heritage ballrooms at the LCCC, including a showcase of quilts from Botswana in southern Africa and a collection highlighting the use of rust-dyed fabrics in contemporary quilts.

 

The event will also feature 230+ vendors showing off the latest quilting-related equipment, material, and designs. Full- and half-day workshops and shorter lectures on topics ranging from “Hand Quilting 101” to “Scrap-Liqué” to “Elegant Slender Curvies” will all be led by national quilting experts, and will take place either in the LCCC, across the street in Southern Market Center (SMC), or two blocks over at the Millersville University – Lancaster (MUL) venue.

 

Special events during the show include:

 

 

Additional AQS-sanctioned events during the show include:

 

 

Show hours and cost

 

Wed., 3/16 – Fri., 3/18, 9am to 6pm

Sat., 3/19, 9am to 5pm

Cost is $11 per day; a multi-day pass will also be available at the show.

 

Parking and shuttle service

 

Parking is available at the Burle Business Park on New Holland Avenue for $5/day (with shuttle service to and from the LCCC for $1/person each way), and is also available for an hourly rate at downtown parking garages in the vicinity of the LCCC.

 

For access to more information on the show, go to www.padutchcountry.com/quilters.

 

 

Headquartered in Paducah, Ky. and with members in all 50 U.S. states and 80 other countries, the American Quilter’s Society is one of the foremost quilting organizations in the U.S., dedicated to promoting and expanding the accomplishments of today’s quilters. For more information, go to www.americanquilter.com.

 

Lancaster County is a wonderful blend of urban style and rural splendor, and the PA Dutch Convention & Visitors Bureau is dedicated to promoting its many rich cultures, from the Amish to the arts. Travelers can take in our vibrant downtown city life – featuring galleries, great dining, specialty shops, and live music – or explore some of the surrounding towns and villages to get a sampling of the heritage, food, craftsmanship, and hands-on activities for which we’re famous. Visit us at www.discoverlancasterpa.com. Lancaster is also part of Pennsylvania’s Dutch Country Roads region, a true vacation destination where country meets city and the past lives side-by-side with the present.