What a history Road to California has!! We’ve uncovered more Fun Facts Part II that have made Road to California the premier Quilters Conference and Showcase that it is today—25 years after it all began.
Continue reading about the fascinating history of Road to California. Here is a rundown of the second half of these fun facts:
Fun Fact #13: In 2004, quilts from local guilds were displayed in the Atrium along the walls of the Ontario Convention Center.
Fun Fact #14: Eleanor Burns has been honored twice at Road to California. In 2008 for her 30th Anniversary as a member of the quilting world and in 2018, for her 40th Anniversary.
Fun Fact #15: Due to the growth and popularity of Road, the Ontario Convention Center added a tent to the outside of the main hall in 2008 to house vendor booths. It was a challenge to keep the tent up that year due to high winds and rain.
Fun Fact #16: Longarm machine classes were first introduced in 2010.
Fun Fact #17: Quilts were first hung from the ceiling of the Atrium in 2011. Carolyn Reese picked a theme, “So. Cal Ice Storm,” and local guilds were encouraged to participate.
Fun Fact #18: The following year, local quilt guilds began being invited to provide the quilts on the ceiling of the Atrium. The first quilt guild to participate was the South Bay Quilt Guild.
Fun Fact #19: Road’s first marriage proposal occurred in 2013 when Carolyn Reese’s grandson, Matt, proposed to Jennifer Bennett.
Fun Fact #20: Road teamed with Operation Homefront and Island Batik to honor Veterans at Road 2014.
Fun Fact #21: A marching band from Ontario’s Colony High School helped Road celebrate its 20th Anniversary in 2015.
Fun Fact #22: Also, in 2015, the Tentmakers of Cairo made their first appearance at the Show.
Fun Fact #23: Carolyn Reese retired in 2016 and her grandson, Matt Reese, took over the role as Road to California’s show owner, maintaining the tradition of a family owned and operated quilt show.
Fun Fact #24: Road to California became the leader in utilizing technology for their quilt show. In 2018, a new, state-of-art website was introduced along with a fully automated registration process – the first of its kind in the quilting world.
Fun Fact #25: Today, Road to California gives away $92,000 in cash prizes for its quilt contest.
It has been fun to look back and see how Road to California has grown in the past 25 years with our 25 fun facts. We look forward to many more years of innovation and creativity and hope you will continue to join us on our journey.
