We are back for another Best of the Valley Quilt Show! Mark your calendars for April 12-13, 2024, and plan to join us in Lindsay for two days of quilt-loving bliss.
The 27th Best of the Valley Quilt Show will again be a 2-day show, April 12-13, 2024. The show remains at McDermont X, in Lindsay, CA. Show hours will be 10-4 each day. There is a quilt show shuttle available, if you park any distance from the show doors. Please make a note of the number – (559) 789-7850 – and bring it with you to the show. Our drivers love our quiltie ladies, and are eager to get you to and from the venue.
We heard glowing reports about our 2023 show from contestants, vendors and showgoers. I hope you were one of them. We call ourselves Best of the Valley because we strive to give you the best regional quilt show experience in Central California. Quilters flock from near and far to our show. That is why you might see entries from as far away as Colorado or West Virginia. Some of our local friends have left California, but they come back year after year for our event. We encourage you to make BOTV part of your yearly quilt schedule as well.
As always, we are a juried and judged show. This year we welcome back judges Andi Perejda of Arroyo Grande, CA and Cindy Seitz-Krug of Overgaard, AZ. Our judges are always impressed with the quality of workmanship, and enjoy the experience of evaluating each quilt during judging and performing the difficult task of trying to select a Best of Show. At Best of the Valley, that is never an easy job!
We are in the process of determining which special exhibit(s) we will host this year. We always have special categories for youth quilters, and for quilters ages 80 and older.
Our BOTV Challenge theme is “Besties.” You can select whatever “bestie” comes to mind, whether it is your best friend, best pet, favorite quilt pattern…whatever your favorite (fill in the blank), celebrate it by making and entering a quilt. Narratives are always very important, both for competition quilts and for the challenge. They enhance the experience of the show, as they reveal a glimpse of the maker’s thoughts as well as their quilted expression of them.
Entry forms for the challenge and for competition quilts are available for download on the entries page of the website. There is no online entry option. Feel free to print as many forms as needed, and share them with your friends. However, please wait to send in your entry until after January 1, 2024. We are eager to see what you have been creating, but not until the New Year.
We are always looking for vendors, but now, more than ever. Many of our longtime vendors have gone out of business, and we don’t always hear of new vendors seeking a venue. Please contact us directly or through our website, and we will put you in contact with our Vendor Chair.
Our Featured Artist is Rebecca Haley, of Porterville. A retired art teacher, her growth as a quilter has been extraordinary. She has entered BOTV for years, and you have probably enjoyed seeing her efforts to push quilting in new and different directions. Her use of color is particularly dramatic.
We will again have categories for quilters 80 and older, as well as quilters under 18. There is no entry fee, unless they wish to have their quilts judged. There is a limit of up to two entries in either age category, depending upon space available.
The dolls will be back, in the middle of the building, where they offer smiles to everyone with their quirky individual little personalities. If you haven’t taken the time to commune with the dolls, you have been missing out!!
What else? Amazing quilts will be on display, along with amazing dolls and a (hopefully) large vendor mall. There is on site food and a free shuttle to take you to and from the venue. The number to call for the shuttle, when you arrive in Lindsay, is (559) 789-7850. Just let the driver know where you are parked, and he will be there to give you a ride to the show’s entrance. He will also take you back to your car afterwards, or help you drop off purchases so you can resume shopping.
All in all, we are working hard behind the scenes to continue bringing you quilt show excellence. We look forward to seeing your entries in February, and to seeing YOU in April!
Suzanne Kistler President, Best of the Valley Quilt Show P.S. Be sure to follow our Best of the Valley Quilt Show page on Facebook, for updates and show details. While you are there, remember to “like” and “share” our posts with your friends.