The Airing of the Quilts Festival celebrates Gee’s Bend
Words by Paige Townley
In Gee’s Bend, Alabama, quilts are more than mere fabric and thread. Stitched with love, resourcefulness, and resilience, they are living, breathing pieces of history. For generations, the women of this small, rural Black Belt community have transformed old work clothes, fertilizer sacks, and flour bags into bold, geometric masterpieces—many of which today hang in museums across the world. Born from a necessity to keep warm in unheated homes, the tradition has evolved into one of the most celebrated artistic contributions to American history.
This October, these quilts take to the wind.
The Airing of the Quilts Festival—scheduled for Saturday, October 4—is the day Gee’s Bend opens its heart—and its story—to the world. Clotheslines stretch under the warm autumn sun, heavy with color, rippling in the breeze. But this beloved event is so much more than an annual festival. It’s a gathering, a celebration of a legacy stitched together by the hands of mothers, daughters, and grandmothers before them. Generations of quilters welcome visitors into their yards, their stories, and their craft. It’s a day when art isn’t looked at on the walls of a museum but rather in the grass and in the hands of the women who made it. After all, each quilt tells a story—about hard seasons and good ones, about survival, love and joy. In chatting with each quilter, visitors can learn about how a certain color was cut from a church dress, how a bold block pattern came from a memory, or how a scrap of denim still carries the spirit of the person who wore it.
In Gee’s Bend, Alabama, quilts are more than mere fabric and thread.
Beyond the beauty of the quilts, the community throws the door wide open to share so much more. Local artisans offer handmade goods, and vendors serve up plates that taste like Sunday dinner at your grandmother’s. Workshops and demonstrations invite guests to get hands-on—piecing fabric, learning stitches, and discovering how these patterns aren’t simply designs, but visual stories passed down through generations. Guided tours wind along the Heritage Trail and through the historic community, giving a deeper glimpse into Gee’s Bend’s roots. Visitors can see where the art form was born and meet the women who continue to push it forward.
Mark your calendar and make plans now to take part in this one-of-a-kind experience. Learn more at airingofthequilts.org.
