Where Are The Best Cheese Festivals?

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.