The Setup Begins in Lancaster

It is Monday, March 22, and the vendors started moving in this morning...and the contest quilts are being hung this afternoon., Tomorrow is another vendor move-in day and the special quilt exhibits will be hung in the morning. Everything will be ready to go by 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday when we will announce the winners in the quilt contest and have the ribbon cutting to open the show.

Vendors unloading...

Klaudeen Hansen and Angela Schade hanging quilts

The A-team from SewBatik setting up their booth

Parking at the Quilt Show: If you are driving to the show, we suggest that you park at the Liberty Place parking lot at 313 W. Liberty St., or at Burle Business Park at 1000 New Holland Avenue. Parking there is $5 per day and there is a free shuttle that will drop you off right in front of the Marriott at Penn Square/Lancaster County Convention Center. These shuttles will run from 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. so you can get to class in plenty of time, and can attend the evening events and catch a ride back to your car.

If you park at Liberty Place, stop at the Liberty Place Conference Center to see special quilt exhibits and vendors there before you jump on the shuttle.

I've been here since Saturday so I have had a chance to walk around downtown. The Quilt and Textile Museum is just down the street where you can see quilts from the Esprit Collection. There is a Visitor's Center diagonally across the street from the Marriott; and the Central Market (open Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday) is right behind the Visitor's Center. Lots of fun shops and restaurants that are just a short walk from the Convention Center.

The show opens at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday; we'll have a ribbon cutting with AQS President Meredith Schroeder, Mayor Richard Gray, Christopher Barrett from the PA Dutch Convention & Visitor's Bureau, and other local dignitaries  to open the show.

There are several places to eat at the convention center, including the Penn Square Grille in the Marriott, and there will be food set up in the lobby of the hotel; in the Vine Street lobby (take the escalator downstairs) where there will be a hot buffet, including some favorite foods; and of course, there will be a line with taco salad (this has proven to be a favorite at our other AQS shows); plus there will a variety of food near the Commonwealth Ballroom on Level 2 and the Heritage Ballroom on Level 3 (these locations will be close if you are taking workshops in the classrooms on these levels).

Come enjoy the very first AQS Quilt Show in Lancaster. Show hours are Wednesday - Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $11.00; a multi-day admission is available.