If you\u2019re a fan of artisan cheese and want to meet some local makers, then mark your calendar for the second annual Carolina Mountain Cheese Fest from noon to 4 p.m. (rain or shine) on Sunday, April 24, at Highland Brewing Company. Ticket proceeds benefit the WNC Cheese Trail, a nonprofit organization formed in 2012 by independent artisan cheese makers. The group promotes the production and sale of local cheese, facilitates consumer education, and encourages tourism to the region.<\/p>\n
More than 20 cheese makers will offer samples and products. Among these are Looking Glass Creamery, Blue Ridge Mountain Creamery, OakMoon Farm, Round Mountain Creamery, and Spinning Spider Creamery. \u201cThe visitors we get from the cheese trail get to really peek into our lives and get a true feel for what it means to be a producer of a very unique product,\u201d says Victor Chiarizia, of Blue Ridge Mountain Creamery.<\/p>\n
This event is an exciting opportunity for attendees as well as the producers. \u201cCheese makers are so busy throughout the year, that it is rare to be able to get together in one place,\u201d says Jennifer Perkins, of Looking Glass Creamery. \u201cCarolina Mountain Cheese Fest affords us that once a year opportunity to gather together. It is also a great way to celebrate and experience the animals, process, and great cheese with lots of locals and visitors, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Demonstrations include mozzarella stretching, goat milking, soap making, and how to build a better cheese plate, among others, and children will have the opportunity to pet baby goats and calves. The \u201cCheese s\u2019Mac Down\u201d is a macaroni and cheese competition. Restaurants will submit their best dishes and attendees can purchase tickets and participate in a blind tasting.<\/p>\n
Also featured at the event are more than a dozen local producers known as Friends of the Trail. \u201cWe make crackers and will be bringing our full line of olive oil crackers and flat breads for sample and sale,\u201d says Roots & Branches co-owner Clark Mitchell.<\/p>\n
The Cheese Crawl is one of several fundraising activities leading up the festival. Cheese pairings will take place at 5 Walnut Wine Bar, Oskar Blues Brewery, and Noble Cider. Dates to be announced. Tickets are $20 for each event.<\/p>\n
Highland Brewing Company is located at 12 Old Charlotte Highway in Asheville. Advance adult tickets are $12 and children under 12 are admitted for free. Advance ticket purchase is encouraged. If tickets are still available on the day of the event, they will be sold at the gate for $15. Tickets for additional beer and wine pairings will be available for $10 online and at the gate if they don\u2019t sell out. For more information and tickets, visit mountaincheesefest.com.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
If you\u2019re a fan of artisan cheese and want to meet some local makers, then mark your calendar for the second annual Carolina Mountain Cheese Fest from noon to 4 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":4327,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[56,61,57],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4433","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archives","category-breweries","category-lifestyle"],"yoast_head":"\n