The Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza returns to the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center this mid-September for its 33rd year, marking over three decades as a major regional showcase for fiber artists and quilt enthusiasts.
The extravaganza, organized by Mancuso Show Management, will be held at the Expo Center, located at 100 Station Avenue in Oaks, from Sept. 17-20 and will feature over 1,000 works of textile art. Additionally, the festival offers vendors, hands-on workshops, lectures, a fashion show and product demos.
A special exhibition by seven-time Tony Award-winning actor and playwright Harvey Fierstein highlights this year’s event is a. Best known for writing “La Cage aux Folles”, and “Kinky Boots”, and starring as Edna in “Hairspray”, Fierstein has been making quilts for more than 30 years. During the COVID-19 pandemic, his passion for quilting flourished, inspiring a remarkable collection of quilt art that the extravaganza is thrilled to premiere.
The national judged exhibition will have on display more than 30 special exhibitions from regional guilds such as the Philadelphia Modern Quilt Guild, PieceMakers Quilters and the Sankofa Artisans in addition to traveling quilt collections.
Mancuso Show Management, once again, sponsors the juried exhibition, “Celebration of Women: A Quilter’s Perspective” with a portion of the entry fees benefiting A Woman’s Place.
In addition to a Merchant Mall, the event offers free midday lectures, product demonstrations, and workshops taught by national instructors. Back by popular demand are Fashion Friday, an attendee driven fashion show, and Sticker Saturday, where collecting stickers can earn you a prize. New this year, the Brandywine Rug Hooking Guild will offer live demonstrations throughout the weekend. Quilters and textile artists can also preregister for workshops taught by a nationally recognized faculty.
This year’s event is sponsored by Major Sponsors: BERNINA/Hayes Sewing Machine Company, BERNINA Longarm/Domesticity, Brother/Byrne Sewing, Baby Lock/Hayes Sewing Machine Company, Janome/Pocono Sew & Vac and Husqvarna Viking & Pfaff/Sew ‘n Place.
The event is open to the public, with tickets available for purchase on-site. General admission is $18 and includes readmission for all four days, while Sunday-only general admission is $16. Children under 16 accompanied by an adult are admitted free. Group discounts for 20 or more people can be arranged by contacting event organizers at 215-862-5828.
The extravaganza is open Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Click here for additional details and workshop registration.