VT Cheese Fest, a USA Today’s Best Food Festival winner, is this weekend in Greensboro, VT
Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Cheese Council has announced the return of the Vermont Cheesemakers Festival in a new location featuring some 40 cheesemakers as well as nearly that many specialty food and beverage producers. On Sunday, August 13 from 11:30 to 4:00, the Festival will be open to the public at the new location, The Highland Center for the Arts in Greensboro, VT.
“We are thrilled to announce the return of the Vermont Cheesemakers Festival which allows us to celebrate the art of cheesemaking in Vermont,” explains Marty Mundy, Executive Director of the Vermont Cheese Council. “Attendees can meet cheesemakers and taste the cheeses of Vermont, enjoy the creations of artisan food producers, savor the local wine, mead and cider production, and experience the skills of craft brewers and master distillers.” Mundy explained that the shift in location from its historic location at Shelburne Farm’s Coach Barn in Shelburne, Vermont to Greensboro relates to renovation being done this summer at the Coach Barn. "The transition provides an opportunity to show off another corner of Vermont and also bring attention to area cheese producers such as Sweet Rowen Farmstead, Sage Farm Goat Dairy, and Mt. Mansfield Creamery - as well as some of the larger producers from this area such as Jasper Hill Farm and Vermont Creamery."
The announcement of the Festival’s return came just as USA Today announced that Vermont Cheesemakers Festival has once again made their list of top food festivals. The Festival has been named to the list numerous years in the past and Festival organizers are optimistic that they’ll earn the title again this year!
“It’s been exciting to watch the number of VT cheesemakers grow over the years and to participate in the Council's work to help them succeed and flourish. Their creativity and skills have turned ‘Vermont cheese’ from being just a few brands on the shelf to a whole category,” explains Clay Whitney, Specialty Markets Manager for Cabot Creamery and Vermont Cheese Council board member. Consumers and cheese mongers get to choose from a spectrum of award-winning cheeses from a variety of milk sources, flavors, textures, and histories.” Cabot was one of the founding members of the Vermont Cheese Council and consistent sponsor of the Vermont Cheesemakers’ Festival.
Tickets for the Festival itself are $69.50 per person for general admission. Tickets are available online at vtcheesefest.com. Historically, the Festival sells out well in advance of the event date, so early ticket reservations are encouraged. Education and pairing sessions popular at past festivals will return this year and will be announced in the coming months.
The Vermont Cheese Council is a member-driven 501(c)6 organization founded over 20 years ago by Vermont cheesemaking businesses that wanted to foster the Vermont cheese community, pursue collective learning efforts, and collaborate through their combined marketing power to represent the Vermont Cheese Brand in the marketplace. Today, our core members include 40+ cheese-producing organizations from across Vermont along with an Associate Membership made up of businesses like distributors, retail shops, restaurants, and grocery stores that help promote and sell their cheeses and state agencies/resources that help them run their businesses. Our members have a hand in guiding our strategic direction, which helps our team ensure that we are doing the work we should be doing to help and provide value to this community. After 10+ years the Vermont Cheesemakers Festival continues to be our primary fundraiser, but the council has recently launched initiatives like The Hunt and the cheese trail to diversify our efforts and continue to support our members and their exceptional products.
Greensboro, VT (August 2023) The Vermont Cheese Council
