Enjoy wall-to-wall quilts in Kalona

A maze of color, pattern and texture dips from the ceiling of the Kalona Community Center every spring during the Annual Kalona Quilt Show. Visitors walk among more than 300 handmade quilts hanging from a system of rope and wooden supports. Some people come for creative inspiration, others for a beautiful textile to purchase. This year's quilt show takes place Thursday, April 26, 5 to 8 p.m., Friday, April 27, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday, April 28, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission covers all three days and costs $5 for people age 13 and over.

“There are always some exquisite quilts. Every year the colors and patterns change,” says Brenda Herington, owner of the Kalona Antique Company and co-sponsor of the event. She's also part owner of Woodin Wheel Antiques with Katie Karnes, who co-sponsors the event with Herington.

Approximately two-thirds of the quilts are new and one-third are antique. Most are one-needle quilts, meaning a single individual made the entire piece. All of the quilts are handmade and all are for sale.

“The new quilts come mainly from Iowa. Many antique quilts are from local collectors,” Herington says.

Amish and Mennonite women supply many of the pieces. Karnes evaluates each quilt before accepting it into the show through a reservation process that begins in January. Quilters can exhibit up to five items.

“We have people coming in from all over the country for the show,” Herington says. She's expecting between 1,000 to 2,000 people this year.

In conjunction with the quilt show, the nearby Kalona Methodist Church will be offering a homemade turkey dinner over the lunch hour. In addition, visit the Kalona Craft Show and Sale, held April 27 to 28 at the Chamber of Commerce building, featuring more than 25 different vendors.

Driving directions:

The Quilt Show & Sale will be held at the Kalona Community Center, 511 C Ave., in Kalona. From the Cedar Rapids or Iowa City area, go south on Highway 1 and turn east onto Highway 22. At the Casey's in Kalona, turn south onto Sixth Street. The entrance is at the corner of Sixth St. and D Ave.