Quilt Festival returns to Shady Valley

Quilts come in all sorts of colors — but expect a few more red, white and blue ones at the third annual Shady Valley Festival of Quilts. This year's theme is "America 250," festival co-chair Tammy Love said. The festival will take place at Shady Rock School on Friday, April 17 and Saturday, April 18. Both days it'll run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Due to the theme, the event organizers sought out activities with a historical bent, Love said. For example, either day attendees can bring a quilt with family significance and have it entered into the Quilt Index, which Love said is "a digital repository of thousands of images, stories and information about quilts and their makers." Love said appraisers will tell you what year the quilt is made. Once it's photographed and entered into the Index, you'll receive a label for the quilt saying it's been documented. Appointments for this activity aren't necessary, but recommended. Contact Love at 407-575-7703 to make an appointment. Additionally, there will be historical tours of Shady Rock School hosted every 30 minutes; a "Shady Valley Heirloom Room" with local quilts and photographs of quilting; and a collection of Native American artifacts found in Shady Valley. Quilts of Valor award ceremonies will be held again this year, with sixteen veterans receiving quilts. That's double the number at the previous two festivals combined. Love said Quilts of Valor is "a national organization that awards quilts of valor to either current service members or veterans that have been affected by war." The Shady Valley Festival of Quilts board is the organization's representatives in Johnson County, so gives quilts outside of the festival, too. Love said there will be an awards ceremony both days, each at 11 a.m. They'll be an "All-American Café" in case you get hungry and vendors selling quilting-related goods. They'll also be some opportunities to buy completed quilts, including a raffle. Over $3,000 will be given out between a number of quilt competitions, although it's too late to enter, Love said. Rounding out the America 250 theme is two new competition categories this year: Flag Challenge and Heirloom, which will be voted on by attendees and awarded with prize packs instead of money. As in previous years, proceeds from the festival will go toward maintaining Shady Rock School, Love said. The building stopped being an elementary school and became a community center in 2020. Love said the property's walking path and parking lot were recently repaired using money from previous fundraisers. One-day tickets for the Shady Valley Festival of Quilts cost $10 but are free for children under 12 and veterans. A two-day pass can be bought for $15. Shady Rock School is located at 423 State Road 133 in Shady Valley, Tennessee.