As the home to some beautiful lakes.

Western Kentucky is known for water recreation, with Paducah being UNESCO's creative city for crafts and folk art.

It's also known for artistry and storytelling, which was recently on wide display.

Our Laura Rogers takes us to Quilt Week.

Wow.

There are some really amazing quilts.

So many styles and techniques.

Tens of thousands of people gathering in Paducah for eight U.S. quilt week.

We're celebrating our 40th anniversary this week.

Bonnie Browning is the outgoing executive director.

This is my last show.

She's written 13 books on quilting and has seen a lot of change over the years from quilts only stitched by hand to the introduction of machine quilting.

I do have some long arm quilting for a living and I've done it for the last 25 years.

Angela McCorkle traveled with friends from Central Texas to be here.

What's not to enjoy?

Everything.

The pitching, the quilting, the history.

There are nearly 300 quilts in the exhibit, in addition to 400 contest quilts, each one telling a story.

I think quilts are as individual as the people who create them.

I think you leave a little bit of yourself in each of the quilts you make.

Michelle Renee Hyatt is the incoming executive director of AUC.

She's been quilting almost her whole life.

I grew up with a grandmother who quilted as soon as I could touch the foot pedal, I was quilting.

She would go on to become an instructor and designer before her new role at the helm of the American Quilters Society.

They value the quilter and are very interested in the quilt industry that is evident here at Quilt Week, home to award winning quilts, workshops and lectures and special exhibits from all over the world, including Ukraine.

Those are quilts that were made during the blackout periods where there was no electricity or heat.

Some of the quilts woven with straw, you'll see nothing like it.

I've not seen anything like it.

And closer to home, quilts made by students at Clark Elementary School in Paducah.

The art teacher challenged her students in each of her class to create a block that represented them, represent this being an election year, a quilt for every U.S. president.

And that's a collection from Sue Wright.

She's out of New England.

Paducah is also home to the National quilt Museum, another popular destination for those in town for Quilt Week.

I traveled to Paducah to see my quilt, actually, which is in the exhibit here at the museum.

That quilt was a finalist in the museum's contest.

New quilts for my old favorite Roaring Twenties.

Instantly, in my mind, went to the Chrysler Building.

It's so art Deco.

Jocelyn Hanon is originally from Minnesota, but now lives in the Netherlands.

Was really inspired by the quilts I saw.

It's amazing to see the different colors, different ideas.

So many people from all over the world are represented there.

All of these guests and visitors.

A big advantage for Western Kentucky.

This show brings in millions of dollars in economic impact for Browning.

It all comes full circle.

I actually entered a quilt in the 1986 show here in Paducah and won third place.

And upon retirement, she hopes to again enter a contest quilt and enjoy the fruits of her labor, as so many others do.

It's just fun.

It's the thing that makes me whole.

For Kentucky Edition.

I'm Laura Rogers.

Thank you, Laura.

Official attendance numbers aren't available yet, but they were expecting more than 30,000 people.

The American Quilters Society also hosts yearly shows in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Branson, Missouri, Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Lancaster, Pennsylvania.