SANTA ROSA, Calif. — Don’t wait to get your tickets for California’s premier cheese event, the 19th Annual California Artisan Cheese Festival, March 21-23, 2025. This year, 5% of net proceeds will be donated to World Central Kitchen to support Southern California wildfire relief. The Festival is presented by the California Artisan Cheese Guild.
Cheese lovers won’t want to miss the grand finale Artisan Cheese Tasting and Marketplace. In addition, spots are still available for Saturday’s pairing seminars and workshops taking place in tasting rooms throughout Sonoma County.
This year, the Artisan Cheese Tasting and Marketplace will feature 21 cheesemakers and more than 80 vendors. Turophiles who want a head start before the doors open at noon can still get tickets for Bubbles + Bites and Early Entry. Guests of Bubbles + Bites will enjoy a glass of bubbly and cheesy breakfast bites with host Clark Wolf, who will share his insights on some of the new and exciting vendors and products being offered at the Marketplace for the rest of the day.
“We’re so happy to welcome everyone to this year’s Festival,” says Candace Allen, president of the California Artisan Cheese Guild. “Our farm tours are almost all sold out along with the Cheese Crawl, but we still have some spots left for the Saturday seminars and the Sunday Marketplace. We’re urging folks not to wait to buy their tickets.” She adds, “We will have over 100 cheeses to taste and purchase at the marketplace and accompaniments like charcuterie, chocolate, honey, nuts, preserves, and sauces. And there will be live music, a beer and wine garden, and an authors’ corner. It’s going to be a joyful celebration of community and cheese!”
For event updates and details, and to purchase tickets to the California Artisan Cheese Festival visit, http://www.artisancheesefestival.com/
Sunday, March 23: Artisan Cheese Tasting & Marketplace
Bubbles & Bites and Early Entry to Artisan Cheese Tasting & Marketplace:
9:45 AM – 4:00 PM, $125 per person
General Admission: 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM, $69 per person, $30 for children ages 2-12
Location: Sonoma County Fairgrounds and Event Center, 1350 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95404.
The Artisan Cheese Tasting and Marketplace will feature 21 cheesemakers and over 80 producers of the best specialty food, beverages and products that California has to offer. Tickets include admission, live music, and the Artisan Cheese Festival insulated cheese tote bag (complete with ice pack to keep your cheese cold).
Note: New participants to this year’s Marketplace listed in below in bold:
Cheesemakers and Creameries showcasing their products at the Marketplace: Achadinha Cheese Company, Beecher’s Handmade Cheese, Beehive Cheese, Bellwether Farms, Cal Poly Creamery, Cowgirl Creamery, Cypress Grove, Fiscalini Farmstead Cheese Company, Fresno State Creamery, Laura Chenel, Marin French Cheese Co., Mt. Eitan Cheese, Nicasio Valley Cheese Co., Pacific Coast Coalition, Pennyroyal Farm, Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co., Ramini Mozzarella, LLC, Shaft’s Cheese & Co., Spenker Family Farm, Tomales Farmstead Creamery, Valley Ford Cheese & Creamery, and Wm. Cofield Cheesemakers.
Breweries, wineries, cider makers, and distilleries pouring their products: Alley 6 Craft, Ambix Spirits, Barber Lee Spirits, Black Kite Cellars, GC Lurton Vineyards – Acaibo, Goat Rock Cider, Goldeneye Winery, Gowan’s Heirloom Cider, Grand Cru Custom Crush, Griffo Distillery, Heidrun Meadery, HiveWorks Mead Co., Kokomo Wines, Las Vivas, Longboard Vineyards, Monroy Wines, Montagne Russe, Peroni, Woodenhead Wines.
Non-alcoholic beverage makers: Bitter Girl Bitters, Fabula Tea, Tea and Trumpet.
Meats and charcuterie: Black Pig Meat Co., Fabrique Delices, Maison Porcella.
Savory accompaniments, including crackers, hot sauces, pickles and condiments: Apple Treats, Clif Family Winery & Farm, Cult Crackers, Divina, Golden State Pickle Works / Collective Cultures, McEvoy Ranch, Napa Nuts, Nuts + Nuts.
Sweets ranging from chocolate, cookies, muffins and scones, confections and dessert sauces: Amapola, Batter Bakery, Big Jalm, Charlotte Truffles, CocoTutti, David Upchurch Chocolatier, Farmer’s Only Daughter, Kindred Caramel, Koophaus Apiaries, Michael’s Chocolates, Sonoma Sauces and Sonoma Cake Creations, The Wild Pear Co., Volo Chocolate.
Merchants: Bernal Cutlery, Gold Ridge Organic Farms, Janmaries Custom Designs, Oliver’s Market, Slavic Beauty, West Coast Vibez – Resin Design.
Education and Community: California Artisan Cheese Guild, California Milk Advisory Board, Cheese Trail, Copperfield’s Books, Farm Fresh To You, Sonoma County Tourism.
The complete list of Marketplace Participants
Sponsors
Generous sponsors of the California Artisan Cheese Festival include Beehive Cheese, Bellwether Farms, Cowgirl Creamery, Cypress Grove, Laura Chenel, Marin French Cheese Co., Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co., Qualtech America Inc., Nicasio Valley Cheese Company, Pennyroyal Farm, Valley Ford Creamery, Culture: The Word on Cheese Magazine Donald & Maureen Green Foundation, Sonoma County Tourism, Pure Luxury Transportation, Dairy Delivery, Real California Milk, Oliver’s, Peroni, Woodenhead, Goldeneye.
Additional thanks to in-kind sponsors Chefs Warehouse, Edible East Bay, Edible Marin & Wine Country, Good Food Foundation, Formaticum, Ag + Open Spaces Sonoma County, The Cheese Professor, Cheese Trail.
About California Artisan Cheese Festival
A 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization, the California Artisan Cheese Festival strives to increase cheese appreciation, educate consumers about artisan cheeses, support the cheesemaking community and its sustainability, and celebrate the creations of California’s many farmers and cheesemakers. The festival began in March 2007 as the first-ever, weekend-long celebration and exploration of handcrafted cheeses, foods, wines, and beers from California. In keeping with its dedication to the community, the Artisan Cheese Festival has donated over $225,000 in grants to nonprofit partners that support local sustainable agriculture, including the California Artisan Cheese Guild. For more information about the California Artisan Cheese Festival, visit http://www.artisancheesefestival.com/ or follow on Facebook and Instagram.
