Airing of the Quilts offers ‘truly special’ experience in Alabama’s Black Belt

BOYKIN, Ala. (Sept. 28, 2026) — A one-of-a-kind experience found nowhere else awaits visitors to Gee’s Bend this weekend at the annual Airing of the Quilts Festival.

Dozens of Gee’s Bend quilters are expected to sell their work, much of it stitched from the same kind of everyday cloth their ancestors used, and the yards, porches, and clotheslines of the rural community inside a bend of the Alabama River will be filled with quilts that made the hamlet internationally famous.

On Saturday, Oct. 3, visitors can watch demonstrations, join hands-on workshops, take guided tours of the community, browse exhibitions, eat from local food vendors, and hear live music from many local choirs and performers such as the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church Choir.

“Meeting people from around the world and sharing my quilts in person makes the Airing of the Quilts Festival truly special,” said Gee’s Bend quilter Doris Mosely.

Gee’s Bend quilts hang in museums around the world, and they are produced by artists who learned their unique artistry from family members who developed clever improvisational skills to create quilts combining functionality with craftsmanship. The Airing of the Quilts Festival serves as the one special day of the year when visitors can see hundreds of quilts outdoors and buy them directly from the women who made them.

Third-generation quilter Mary Margaret Pettway said sunlight hitting a finished quilt creates a magical experience. “When it hits that sun, it does something different to those quilts,” she said.

Gee’s Bend quilters draw tourists to Alabama’s Black Belt throughout the year, but the festival provides a one-day celebration of the area’s artistry, history and cultural heritage. Proceeds from the event support the quilters, the local cultural economy and the preservation of quilting culture. In past years, the festival has welcomed thousands of visitors from over 36 states and six countries. Organizers expect another record year of attendance this year.

Global clothing brand Ralph Lauren recently announced a collaboration with two Gee’s Bend quilters, Claudia Pettway Charley and Loretta Pettway Bennett, for the “Ralph Lauren x Gee’s Bend” collection, marking the fifth installment of the company’s Artist in Residence program.

The 2026 festival, presented by Freedom Quilting Bee Legacy and Sew Gee’s Bend Heritage Builders and Wells Fargo, Alabama Power Foundation, Modern Quilt Guild, Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association, Alabama State Association of Cooperatives, Alabama State Council on the Arts, Wilcox Area Chamber of Commerce, Black Belt Community Foundation, Federation of Southern Cooperatives and This is Alabama, runs from 9 a.m. through 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3.

More from this section

Woman’s ‘harmless’ head lump was cancer eating through her skull

Woman dies after insect bite becomes weeping wounds

Recognizing and shifting ADHD procrastination

A hop-on, hop-off bus service will be available for $25 per person, and tickets can be purchased online.

Festivalgoers can explore Gee’s Bend at their own pace with unlimited rides throughout the day along the Gee’s Bend Heritage Trail. Stops include local makers’ sites, the historic Boykin Mercantile, and other culturally significant locations, with knowledgeable guides sharing the community's history and heritage along the way. The tour is family-friendly, with children under 12 riding free when accompanied by a paid adult.

The Gee’s Bend Ferry runs from Camden across the Alabama River for $1 per pedestrian on festival day, with children under 12 riding free and a limited number of vehicle spaces at $3.

Extra crossings are added for the festival. Festival venues are ADA-compliant, with ramps, accessible restrooms, and parking, though most of the day happens outdoors. The festival is held rain or shine.

“Every quilt has a unique family story behind it,” said Pam Swanner, executive director of The Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association (ALBBAA), whose organization supports the Airing of the Quilts Festival and awarded the festival the esteemed “2026 Black Belt Signature Event” designation. I find that being able to see these works of art outside of a glass case, to touch them, and to talk directly with the artisans who created them makes the encounter truly immersive. Those personal connections are what people remember, and they offer a meaningful way to discover all that the Black Belt has to offer.

“If you’ve never attended the Airing of the Quilts, this is the year to go. And if you’re returning, you already know what makes it so memorable — and why it’s truly a day well spent.”

To apply for media credentials for this year’s Airing of the Quilts Festival, please click here.

The Black Belt includes the following 23 counties: Barbour, Bullock, Butler, Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Crenshaw, Dallas, Greene, Hale, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Monroe, Montgomery, Perry, Pickens, Pike, Russell, Sumter, Tuscaloosa and Wilcox.