MADISON, Wis. – Tickets to the popular Annual Wisconsin Original Cheese Festival go on sale today, offering attendees the chance to taste hundreds of the state’s finest artisan, farmstead and specialty cheeses.
Slated for Nov. 5 – 7 at the Monona Terrace in downtown Madison, tickets are available online for a wide array of events, including creamery and dairy farm tours, private cheesemaker dinners, tasting and educational seminars, Meet the Cheesemaker Gala, and a new Sunday Artisan Marketplace.
Hosted by Wisconsin Cheese Originals, the festival is becoming a premier destination for cheese enthusiasts and specialty food buyers from across the country. “Wisconsin cheesemakers are viewed as the leader of the artisan cheese movement, and this festival is a celebration of their work,” said Jeanne Carpenter, festival founder and executive director of Wisconsin Cheese Originals.
Festival events include:
- Friday Tours & Dine Around: Take a day tour of a creamery or a dairy plant, and that evening, experience a culinary sensation at one of eight participating Madison Originals restaurants. Each chef will partner with a Wisconsin artisan cheesemaker and host a one-of-a-kind three-course dinner. Attendees will join the featured cheesemaker at a private table for 12. Tickets range from $55 – $75 per person.
- Saturday Seminars: Choose from a stunning line-up of eight seminars. Enjoy wine, beer, sake, chocolate & cheese pairings. Learn the art of building the perfect cheese plate. Discover a new era of blue cheeses and meet the next generation of Wisconsin cheesemakers. You’ll be a cheese geek by the end of the day. Tickets range from $25 – $40 per seminar.
- Saturday Night Meet the Cheesemaker Gala: Shake hands and talk shop with 35 Wisconsin rock star cheesemakers. Sample 150 original cheeses, network with foodies and enjoy your favorite wine or microbrew. Tickets: $28.
- Sunday Artisan Marketplace: Showcasing 50 of the state’s finest artisan cheesemakers, gourmet and specialty food companies, wineries, and artists in a farmer’s market setting. Attendees may sample and purchase product. Tickets: $12, includes an insulated cooler bag for cheese purchases.
- All events require advance tickets and are expected to sell out. Purchase tickets early to ensure entry.
Wisconsin Cheese Originals thanks this year’s festival sponsors: Klondike Cheese, World Import Distributors, BelGioioso Cheese, Emmi-Roth Kase USA, Fromagination, Edible Madison, Dairy Business Innovation Center, Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, Sartori Foods, Uplands Cheese, Organic Valley, Hook’s Cheese, Planning Options, and Widmer’s Cheese Cellars.
Wisconsin Cheese Originals shares information about Wisconsin artisan cheeses through a variety of events, including educational seminars, tours, cheesemaker receptions, and an annual cheese festival, all in the spirit of celebrating Wisconsin cheesemakers.
Source: Wisconsin Cheese Originals
