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Show Directory
Major US Quilt Shows
The definitive directory of major US quilt shows — Houston, Paducah, QuiltCon, Sisters Outdoor, AQS regionals, and Mancuso shows. Dates, locations, history, and what to expect.
Quilt shows in the United States
The United States hosts more major quilt shows than any other country in the world. Approximately a dozen large national or regional shows run annually, alongside hundreds of state guild shows and local exhibits. The biggest is the Houston International Quilt Festival — held every November since 1974, drawing 50,000+ attendees and featuring 1,500+ juried quilts and 1,000+ vendor booths. Other essential US shows include QuiltCon (the Modern Quilt Guild's February convention), AQS QuiltWeek Paducah (the longest-running major US show, since 1985), and the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show — often called the Sisters Quilt Festival — (the world's largest outdoor quilt event, held one Saturday every July in Sisters, Oregon).
This page tracks every major US quilt show with confirmed 2026 dates. Each show has its own distinct flavor — Paducah is traditional and competitive; QuiltCon is modern and design-forward; Houston is enormous and international; Sisters is bucolic and free. Browse the directory below, or jump to the 2026 calendar for the year-at-a-glance view. Planning further out? The 2027 quilt show calendar lists every show that has announced next year's dates.
Major national quilt shows
Shows of national significance — large attendance, juried competition, major vendor floors, and quilters traveling from across the country to attend.
International Quilt Festival
November 12 – Nov 15
2026
Houston, TX · 50,000+ attendance
The largest quilt show in the world — 1,000+ vendor booths, thousands of quilts, 50,000+ attendees.
QuiltCon
February 25 – Feb 28
2027
Raleigh, NC · 4,000+ attendance
The premier modern quilting convention — bold solids, negative space, and the cutting edge of contemporary patchwork.
Sisters Quilt Show
July 10
2027
Sisters, OR · 12,000+ attendance
The largest outdoor quilt show in the world — 1,300+ quilts displayed across the buildings of downtown Sisters, Oregon, for one Saturday in July.
AQS QuiltWeek Paducah
Paducah, KY · 30,000+ attendance
The longest-running major quilt show in America — Paducah is the spiritual home of the AQS and a bucket-list trip for serious quilters.
Regional quilt shows
Significant regional shows — the AQS QuiltWeek series and Mancuso Show Management events. Smaller than the national shows but still substantial multi-day events with workshops and vendors.
Pennsylvania Nat’l Quilt Extravaganza
Oaks, PA · Sep 17
Mancuso's Pennsylvania show — the major fall event for Northeast quilters.
AQS QuiltWeek Columbus
Columbus, OH · Sep 23
AQS Ohio show — fall quilting in the heart of Amish country.
AQS QuiltWeek Daytona Beach
Daytona Beach, FL
AQS's winter show — escape the cold and quilt by the beach.
AQS QuiltWeek Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids, MI
AQS Midwest summer show — Michigan's largest quilting event.
AQS QuiltWeek New England
Hartford, CT
AQS's New England spring show — drawing quilters from the entire Northeast.
Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival
Hampton, VA
Mancuso's February show in coastal Virginia — early-year quilting for the Mid-Atlantic.
2026 quilt show calendar at a glance
Planning a quilt-show trip
Major quilt shows are worth planning travel around — and many quilters take an annual pilgrimage to one or two. A few practical notes from those who've been to a lot of them:
Book hotels early
Major shows book out hotels in the entire show city months in advance. For Paducah, book by January for the April show. For Houston, book by August for the November show. The closer to the convention center, the earlier they go.
Buy class tickets the day they release
Workshops with marquee instructors sell out in the first hour of registration. Watch the show's announcement, set a calendar reminder for the registration opening time, and click fast.
Pack a rolling cart
You'll buy fabric, books, and tools at every major show. A small rolling cart or large rolling suitcase makes the vendor floor manageable and saves your back.
Wear comfortable shoes
Major show floors are concrete. You'll walk five miles a day across vendor halls and exhibit space. Sneakers or supportive walking shoes; not the cute boots.
Take photos of every quilt
You won't remember which ones you loved without photos. Most shows allow personal photography of all juried quilts.
Block time for the quilts, not just shopping
It's easy to spend the whole show in vendor booths and miss the actual exhibit. Schedule at least half a day to walk the juried show carefully — that's why we came.
Frequently asked questions about quilt shows
What is the biggest quilt show in the United States?+
The Houston International Quilt Festival, held every November at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas, is the largest quilt show in the world. It draws over 50,000 attendees from 35+ countries, features 1,500+ juried quilts, and hosts over 1,000 vendor booths. It has run annually since 1974.
When is QuiltCon 2027?+
QuiltCon 2027 runs February 25–28, 2027 in Raleigh, North Carolina. QuiltCon is the annual convention of the Modern Quilt Guild and the largest gathering of modern quilters in the world, drawing over 4,000 attendees and featuring a juried quilt show of 400+ modern quilts.
When is AQS QuiltWeek Paducah 2026?+
AQS QuiltWeek Paducah runs April 22–25, 2026 in Paducah, Kentucky. It is the longest continuously-running major quilt show in the United States (since 1985), drawing 30,000+ visitors from all 50 states and 30+ countries. The show is hosted by the American Quilter's Society in its hometown.
When is the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show?+
The next Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show is July 10, 2027, in downtown Sisters, Oregon. It is the largest outdoor quilt show in the world — 1,300+ quilts hung from the storefronts of every building downtown for one Saturday in July. Admission is free.
When is the Houston International Quilt Festival 2026?+
Houston International Quilt Festival 2026 runs November 12–15, 2026, at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. It is the world's largest quilt show, with 1,500+ juried quilts, 1,000+ vendor booths, and over 500 classes.
How many major quilt shows happen each year in the US?+
Approximately a dozen major national or large regional shows happen each year in the US, plus dozens of state and local guild shows. The biggest annual shows are: QuiltCon (February), AQS Daytona (February), AQS New England (April), AQS Paducah (April), Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show (July), AQS Grand Rapids (August), Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza (September), AQS Columbus (September), and Houston International Quilt Festival (November).
What is the difference between a quilt show and a quilt festival?+
The terms are usually interchangeable in modern usage. Historically a "quilt show" referred to a smaller display of judged quilts (often a guild's annual event), and a "quilt festival" referred to a larger multi-day event with workshops and vendors. Today both terms are used for any organized public quilt exhibition, regardless of size.
Do quilt shows have workshops?+
Most major quilt shows offer workshops alongside the juried exhibit and vendor floor. Workshops are usually paid separately from show admission, run from a half-day to multi-day formats, and are taught by visiting nationally-known instructors. Workshops at major shows (Paducah, Houston, QuiltCon) often sell out months in advance — book early.
How do I find a quilt show near me?+
Browse the show directory above by state, or check the 2026 calendar for upcoming shows nationally. Your local quilt guild usually runs an annual or biennial show; the AQS QuiltWeek regional schedule covers Daytona, Hartford, Paducah, Grand Rapids, and Columbus; Mancuso Show Management runs Mid-Atlantic and Pennsylvania National. Smaller shows are listed in guild newsletters and on local quilt-shop websites.
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Run a quilt show? Dates change every year and organizers are the only reliable source, so add or update your show. Listings can be corrected or removed at any time, no account needed.