The American Quilters Society will hold its 18th annual quilt show and contest April 24 to 27, at the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Ky.

Shows times are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

The show will feature more than 450 contest quilts, including entries from Japan, Korea, England, Australia, Belgium, Saudi Arabia and Canada and most states, including Missouri.

Local hotels area filled for the four-day extravaganza, and visitors have fanned out to a few Southern Illinois and Southeast Missouri motels.

"We added some motels in Paducah and have room for most of the visitors," said Pat Gottschalk, of the Paducah Convention & Visitors Bureau.

More than 35,000 people are expected to attend the show, which includes quilts from the MAQS Founders Collections, including last year's best of show winner and numerous other award winners.

Quilting society members may acquire a multi-day admission bracelet for $10; non-members admission is $8 daily.

Visitors from abroad

More than 100 activities are on the schedule.

"We're excited about the show," said Gottschalk. "Visitors will be here from a number of foreign countries, including Holland, France, Russia, Japan and Germany."

A number of quilt enthusiasts usually stay in Cape Girardeau and travel back and forth to Paducah.

There is also a big event in the Southeast Missouri area over the April 27 and 28 weekend -- the annual weekend Mississippi River Valley Scenic Driving Tour, which sends visitors to areas throughout Southeast Missouri, from Perryville south to Oak Ridge, Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Commerce and Benton, and to Marble Hill, Sedgewickville and Marquand.

The Paducah quilt show is one of the largest in the United States, with more than 400 quilts on display for competition and more than $100,000 -- the largest quilt purse in the world.

The week's activities include a total of six quilt contests, with more than a dozen categories.