For those who truly love cheese, one of the best ways to
enjoy it is in the various cheese festivals. In the United States alone, there
are dozens if not hundreds of festivals centered on cheese, sometimes in the
form a wine and cheese or beer and cheese festival and sometimes as simply a
cheese festival. It simply isn’t realistic to attend all of them so consider
prioritizing your time to attend the following best cheese festivals.
American Cheese Society’s Festival of Cheese
This annual conference is fun for cheesemakers as well as
cheese aficionados. There are a range of seminars on tasting and pairing as
well as the chance the make cheese with experts. The festival also involves a
competition featuring over 100 categories and more than 1,500 cheeses. The
location of the annual ACS conference and competition changes every year. In
July 2017, it will be in Denver.
Vermont Cheesemakers Festival
Vermont has every right to host a well-known cheese festival
since it is the top American state in cheese making per capita. The annual
festival takes place at Shelburne Farms along Lake Champlain’s shores each
July. During the festival, you can taste regional wine and food, watch a
cooking demonstration, attend a seminar, or just enjoy all of the cheese around
you. In addition to cheese, you will find wine, beer, cider, and spirits along
with plenty of workshops.
The Great Northeast Cheese And Dairy Fest
This festival has only happened twice so far, but there are
plans to make it an annual tradition. The last event took place at Flushing
Town Hall in Queens, New York. Cheese lovers could sample over 75 different
artisanal cheeses made by cheesemakers from around the northeast. The
cheesemakers in attendance spread throughout the area, including those in
Vermont, New York, and in between. There was also plenty of food with a focus
on dairy-centric dishes, wine, beer, and cider, all of which was perfectly paired.
Great Wisconsin Cheese Festival
Vermont and Wisconsin are probably the two states in the
U.S. best known for making cheese and the Great Wisconsin Cheese Festival is
Wisconsin’s time to shine. In 2017, it will be in early June at Doyle Park in
Little Chute, Wisconsin. The event is family friendly and includes cheese
carving demonstrations, cheese curd eating contests, tastings, a parade, music,
cheesecake contests, and rides.
The Great Canadian Cheese Festival
Get ready for a short road trip if you want to attend the Great Canadian Cheese Festival. It takes place in June every year in Prince Edward County, Ontario. During the festival, you can go on cheese tours, attend cheese tasting seminars, or attend the celebrity chef gala.