Attend the Country’s Largest Cheese Festival in Pittsburgh

All cheese lovers rejoice! The country’s largest cheese festival is coming to Pittsburgh, July 28. You’ll find thousands of cheeses for sampling, dozens of vendors willing to discuss their wares and many high-end cheeses and specialty foods available for purchase at a steep discount.

The Festival of Cheese began in 1983, hosted by the American Cheese Society, a non-profit that represents artisan, farmstead and specialty cheesemakers and cheese retailers. Now, 25 years later, about 1,800 members of the public are expected to flock to Pittsburgh for the fest. Before the festival begins, a private, annual cheese contest is held for cheese producers, during which hundreds of cheeses go head to head to be crowned the most delicious.

“We have [more than] 2,000 cheeses that are out for sampling and tasting … and those that are winners are indicated as such. Around the room, we have a lot of purveyors of specialty foods that go with cheese, so crackers, charcuterie, sometimes beer or wine samples, jams, chocolates, anything that goes with cheese …” described Nora Weiser, executive director, American Cheese Society. “It’s a fun festival atmosphere. It is the mother of all cheese festivals. I’ve never seen so much cheese. At the same time, we have a sale of the cheese, so people can grab cheese on their way out and get a very steep discount on some of these specialty cheeses and also find products that might not be available in their region. The proceeds from that go to the American Cheese Education Foundation, which supports scholarships, resources and education for cheesemakers.”

You’ll be able to try cheeses from all around North America, Canada, Mexico and Central and South America, as well as specialty items from the Pittsburgh region. Many vendors bring the latest and greatest in cheese-making trends, including new varieties and unique flavor combinations, showing off the best of this facet of the culinary world.

Does your love for cheese extend beyond the norm? You can even volunteer for the event, both the festival and the competition, and, in return, you’ll receive free entry. Weiser explains many volunteers have been at it for years, traveling to the event’s different locations annually.

Tickets are available online, and start at $65 per person.