Unique Cheese Events Around The World To Add To Your Bucket List

When you're traveling abroad or exploring a new place within your country, sampling regional dishes and locally sourced ingredients is an essential part of the overall cultural experience. What better way to show your appreciation as a foodie than bask in the joyful setting of a massive food-centered event? While many towns and cities across the world celebrate specific types of food and beverages, such as lemon, chocolate, beer, wine, or coffee, others have opted to place cheese in the spotlight.

That is not surprising, since that widely beloved dairy product comes in many shapes, textures, flavors, and sizes and has played a vital role in various cuisines across the world. As such, many locations hold cheese-centric extravaganzas in an effort to promote regional dairy manufacturers and vendors, bring consumers and sellers together, generate revenue for local businesses, improve tourism, and raise money to support charities, community projects, and not-for-profit organizations.

Because high-quality, meticulously produced cheeses from every corner of the globe should be duly recognized and rewarded, the World Cheese Awards, organized by the Guild of Fine Food, takes place in a different location each year, such as Viseu, Portugal, and Bern, Switzerland. This is where an international panel of judges examines over 4,000 cheeses from more than 40 nations, but attendance isn't exclusively restricted to cheesemakers, buyers, retailers, and food experts. The general public and the press alike can buy goodies from the market, take a cheese tour, and enjoy cooking demonstrations, exhibits, and live entertainment.

Here's how the awarding process goes, spanning the following categories: 1 Star, 2 Stars, 3 Stars, Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Super Gold. The cheeses are divided into five main groups: goat's, ewe's, cow's, buffalo, and mixed milk, and then they're evaluated based on taste, consistency, texture, and color. About 100 cheeses are then selected for the semi-finals as Super Gold medalists, and the one that receives the highest score between 1 and 7 eventually becomes the year's winner.

Previous Super Gold winners include Wegmans Truffle Shuffle Goat Cheese, layered in truffle paste; De Graafstroom Signature Gouda Extra Aged, very rich and tangy; Cropwell Bishop Whole Blue Stilton, whose large size make it suitable for banquets and other big gatherings; and the caramelized, additive-free Cheese Stand Tokyo Brown Cheese, whose milk is exclusively sourced from the ranches of Tokyo's Tama District.

Revel, one of the most renowned organizers of food and wine festivities in Australia, is behind Mould: A Cheese Festival and Pinot Palooza, two highly coveted events that are sometimes held conjointly and sell out quickly.

Mould, for one, has been promoting between 50 and 100 world-class varieties of Australian artisan cheese annually since 2017, as well as some of the finest honey, crackers, pastes, and salami — all charcuterie board staples. This exciting and laidback festival typically takes place over three days in several major cities simultaneously, such as Brisbane, Melbourne (a world-famous coffee hub), Perth, Adelaide, and Sydney. It's a chance for Australian producers and vendors to showcase beloved classic products but also standout creations like Harvey Cheese's buffalo blue cheese and buffalo brie. Expect more than a million cheese samples, a complimentary cooler bag for your purchases, bars with a wide liquor selection, cheese-themed merchandise, and free entrance for guests under 18.

California is no stranger to quality cheesemaking, being home to thousands of dairy farms. Indeed, the Golden State produces fresh cheeses like ricotta, cottage cheese, and burrata; soft and soft-ripened cheeses like teleme, Brie, and Red Hawk; semi-hard and hard cheeses like Monterey Jack, cheddar, and Northern Gold; very hard cheeses like Dry Jack and aged Gouda; and various spiced and flavored creations.

The California Artisan Cheese Festival honors these products and more. Launched in 2007, this annual three-day extravaganza is held in Petaluma, Sebastopol, Santa Rosa, and other locations within the state. Yes, it features handcrafted cheeses produced in the state and beyond but also premium vinegar, jam, chocolate, wine, sparkling mead, cider, beer, honey, olive oil — basically, anything that pairs well with cheese. The artisan cheese tasting and marketplace area, for instance, will allow guests to sample the goods of more than 100 producers of cheese, wine, and beer — plus, they can bring their purchases home in a complimentary tote bag.

You can also expect scheduled educational and interactive farm and producer tours spanning cheesemakers, vineyards, wineries, creameries, ranches, orchards, and farms. There's also a cheese crawl, i.e., an evening of cheese, food, and beverage tasting, with the possibility of an early VIP entry. Finally, don't forget to attend some of the seminars and pairing discussions: These expert-led workshops focus on cheesemaking; pairings with chocolate, beer, and wine; cheese and charcuterie boards; and elegant food styling.

Located in the northwest region of Piedmont, a popular Italian destination with scenic fall foliage views, Bra is a charming town featuring quaint cobblestone streets, elegant Baroque churches, and a reputation for promoting Slow Food principles. The latter are actively promoted by an official movement that endorses biologically and culturally diverse foods, locally sourced ingredients, a direct connection between producers and consumers, organic farming, and the preservation of longstanding gastronomic traditions.

Based on this philosophy, every two years, for four days, the town hosts the Bra Cheese Festival, each time under a different theme: The 2025 theme, for example, was cheese made exclusively from raw milk.

First launched in 1997, those festivities are usually held on the third week of September and draw more than 270,000 visitors, who flock to sample exceptional artisanal goods and engage with cheesemakers, herders, street food experts, and craft brewers from the region and other parts of the world.

Not to be confused with the Great Canadian Cheese Festival, which returned in 2025 after an eight-year break, the fairly young Ontario Cheese Festival is a biennial celebration that focuses primarily on Ontario-produced cheese and other artisanal and gourmet products. As Patricia McDermott, the president and CEO, states, "I've watched a growing appetite for more: more handcrafted cheeses, soulful bakery delights, bold Ontario wines, rich chocolates, and the kind of foods that make your taste buds dance. That craving led me to curate this festival — to gather the finest vendors and producers from across the province for a celebration of real food and the stories behind it."

The schedule is quite packed with cheese pairing seminars; tutored tastings; a presentation of Ontario's top artisanal and farmstead cheeses; an interactive session about the science behind cheese, wine, and beer tasting; a cheesemaking course for ages 10 to 17; live music acts; and an adorable petting zoo with a milking simulator.

As for the featured dairy vendors, they include Bushgarden, whose cheese products are made from its own farm's warm raw milk; Cows Creamery, a cheddar expert; Fromagerie Blackburn, whose titular signature cheddar is cave-aged and has won many accolades; and Gunn's Hill Artisan Cheese, whose Tipsy cheese is pre-soaked in Palatine Hills Cabernet Merlot.

Whether mild or unbearably spicy, chili peppers generally pair well with cheeses like feta, halloumi, cheddar, mozzarella, goat cheese, Camembert, and Brie. It's not surprising, then, for those two widely popular foods to be celebrated together in the only massive event of its kind in the U.K.: the Cheese and Chilli Festival (official British spelling).

Inaugurated in 2014, this cheesy and hot extravaganza combines various activities and shows across four different locations. Between 5,000 and 10,000 attendees flock to visit about 120 trade stands, sample the finest cheese and chili products, admire and buy handicrafts, watch demonstrations and cooking presentations, and participate in a wide array of adult and children's activities. Expect wrestling matches, challenges and eating competitions, professional guest speakers, live music acts, mini golfing sessions, bubble parties, a tasting tent, and even magic shows.

Children 15 years and under get in for free, and your furry friends are welcome to enjoy the festivities, too.

Dubbed the "Cheese State" and "America's Dairyland," Wisconsin is home to 6,572 dairy farms and 126 cheese plants, according to Cuba City's website. It's no wonder, then, that this Midwestern state is solely responsible for the production of 26% of the nation's cheese, from mozzarella to cheddar, Muenster, and brick.

For this reason, organizers, participants, and consumers alike go all in at the highly anticipated Great Wisconsin Cheese Festival. Launched in 1988, this annual, family-friendly gathering is typically held on the first weekend of June at Doyle Park, in Little Chute, a charming village with a rich Dutch heritage — and "Dutch" conjures up images of widely popular cheeses like Gouda and Edam, right?

Besides delicious tastings, this convivial, three-day celebration features a cheese curd eating contest, cheese carving, gourmet Mac and Cheese samples, various food stalls, carnival rides, live music gigs, a parade, a walk or a run, and several kids' games. Plus, on a humanitarian note, the festival has donated more than $1,831,181 to local projects, organizations, and schools over the years.

If you'd like to explore Gouda, the stunning medieval city that's located in the western part of the Netherlands, then how about planning your trip anytime between April and August? For this is the period when the weekly Cheese Market takes place every Thursday morning (except on national holidays). The exact dates may differ each year, but you should always expect a nostalgic and heartwarming ambiance, complete with horse-drawn carriages and traditional costumes. That's because that event can be traced back to 1395, the year the cheese trade started flourishing in the region.

This city has given its name to a highly popular, semi-hard or hard cheese that is exported and imitated all over the world. Indeed, thanks to its versatility, creamy texture, and mildly sweet taste, Gouda makes an excellent addition to pastas, sandwiches, flatbreads, and charcuterie boards. So, why not honor it in its birthplace? 

In the Adriatic Sea, lies a picturesque Croatian island that is world-famous for its beaches, vibrant nightlife, traditional lacework, fresh seafood, succulent asparagus and olives, and numerous cultural events: Pag. This tourist destination is also home to the beloved Paski sir, or Pag cheese, which is produced from sheep's milk — about 3.7 gallons of milk are actually needed for one block of cheese. It's no wonder, then, that Paski sir took home the Super Gold medal at the 2016 World Cheese Awards and has found itself at the heart of the annual Kolan Cheese Festival.

Held on the last Friday of August in the city of Kolan, situated in the center of the island, this event showcases 64 farm producers and two dairy plants but also some of the finest prosciutto, honey, and oil vendors from every corner of the country.

Held every two years for three days at the Porte de Versailles, in Paris, Le Salon du Fromage et des Produits Laitiers, or the Cheese and Dairy Products Show, showcases hundreds of local and international vendors and manufacturers of premium cheeses and other dairy products.

Clocking some 8,500 visitors, this prestigious event offers direct interactions with dairy experts, restaurateurs, and distributors; different snack bars and restaurant stalls; a fun grilled cheese challenge; tasting workshops; conferences; and a cheese "coup de coeur" (or "instant crush") competition that rewards exceptional products.

In 2024, out of 183 featured cheeses, only nine were selected as "coup de coeur," such as Fromagerie Jousseaume's Taupinette, a dill-flavored goat cheese; Quattro Portoni's Bufarolo Stagionato, made from Italian water buffalo milk and a great accompaniment to dried fruits; and Fromagerie Moléson's fruity Gruyère Vieux-Fribourg, which pairs well with honey.

Dubbed the Cheese Capital of the World, Plymouth, another historic dairy hub in Wisconsin, produces 14% of the cheese consumed across the country, and it even holds an exciting cheese drop on New Year's Eve. As such, the city's main dairy producers, Sartori Cheese, Sargento Foods, Masters Gallery Food, and Great Lakes Cheese, have teamed up to sponsor the Cheese Capital Festival, which is held annually on the last weekend of June.

Here's what to expect at this family-friendly, community event: cheese and car parades, live music acts, face painting sessions, a cheese-eating competition, a Mac and Cheese contest, a foam cheese wedge race at the Mullet River, prizes that include $1,000, bounce houses, a petting zoo, free milk and dairy promotional merchandise, and a farm-themed playground. That's quite a packed schedule, enough to please all ages and tastes.