The 2025 Airing of the Quilts Festival in Gee’s Bend generated more than $700,000 in visitor spending and drew attendees from more than 25 states and several countries to the annual event in rural Wilcox County.
Those are key findings from a survey of 182 festivalgoers conducted by Gray Research Solutions and commissioned by the Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association (ALBBAA), Souls Grown Deep and the Freedom Quilting Bee Legacy. The survey was designed to develop a profile of festival attendees at the fourth annual Airing of the Quilts Festival and gauge the event’s economic impact on Alabama’s Black Belt.
The festival, which was named to Garden & Gun magazine’s 2025 Bucket List, drew approximately 2,500 people in 2025, the largest crowd in the event’s history.
“The Gee’s Bend quilt-makers have garnered international acclaim for their unique artistry, and that’s why the Airing of the Quilts has grown year after year,” said ALBBAA director Pam Swanner. “We also understand that we need to know where festivalgoers are coming from, where they’re staying and for how long, and how much money they’re spending in the Black Belt…