by The Great Canadian Cheese Show, a ‘Certified Good Food Fighter‘

The largest exhibition of Canadian artisan cheese ever will take place at the second annual Great Canadian Cheese Festival. More than 125 different cheeses will be on display, the handiwork of more than 30 producers from Vancouver Island to Prince Edward Island.

Cheese lovers will be able to sample and buy to their heart’s content.

Artisan food producers, craft wineries and breweries and other exhibitors and vendors will occupy another 50 booths—making the Festival’s Artisan Cheese & Fine Food Fair, as Ed Sullivan loved to say, “a really big shew!”

In addition to cheese and more cheese, artisan foods and beverages, the Cheese Fair on Saturday and Sunday, June 2 and 3, features:

New in 2012: Seminars in the All you Need Is Cheese® Annex presented by Dairy Farmers of Canada as a bonus feature of the Artisan Cheese & Fine Food Fair. Learn about the best in Canadian cheese at special presentations conducted by leading cheese educator Deborah Levy.

New for 2012: The Festival’s own Cheese Dairy Farm featuring cows, goats, sheep and water buffalo, artisan cheesemaker Stephanie Diamant, leading farmer John Nyman, 4-H club members, and Moonika, a life-size mechanical cow that you can try to milk yourself, thanks to the Farm To Table program of Dairy Farmers of Canada.

New for 2012: Family Day at the Cheese Fair on Sunday, June 3, with children admitted free when accompanied by an adult.

New for 2012: The Festival’s Food Court featuring Cheesewerks, the Official Grilled Cheese of The Great Canadian Cheese Festival, as well as Primitive Cuisine, Buddha Dog and milkshakes made on the spot by the 4-H Club of Prince Edward County.

Cheese Fair adult admission includes:

  • Access to all sponsors, exhibitors and vendors—with close to 200 products to sample
  • 10 tasting tickets for cheese, artisan foods, wine and beer, valued at $10
  • Souvenir Festival glass for sampling wine and beer
  • Souvenir Festival insulated bag for your purchases
  • Admittance on first-come, first-served basis to cheese seminars presented by Dairy Farmers of Canada
  • Festival Dairy Farm
  • Food court
  • FREE parking.

The advance ticket price is $35. At the event, the price will be $40. There is no fee charged on online ticket purchases so click here to order today. Youth and child tickets for the Cheese Fair are available, without the glass and cooler bag. All other Festival events are age of majority only.

An outstanding program of six Tutored Tastings runs concurrently with the Fair on Saturday and Sunday. Separate tickets required.

The Cooks & Curds Gala, the culinary and social highlight of the Festival, takes place Saturday evening with eight chefs from across Canada creating tasting dishes showcasing artisan cheeses. Separate tickets required.

The venue is historic Crystal Palace at Picton Fairgrounds in the heart of Prince Edward County, the fastest growing food-and-drink destination in Ontario. One hour from Kingston, two hours from Toronto, three hours from Ottawa and New York State, and less than four hours from Montreal.  Click here for a map and directions.

The Great Canadian Cheese Festival is produced by Cheese Lover Productions with the generous support of Celebrate Ontario. Dairy Farmers of Canada is Diamond Sponsor, Ontario’s Artisan Food and Beverage Region (FAB) is Gold Sponsor. A portion of Festival proceeds benefits a Cheese Scholarship Fund to encourage young Canadians to pursue careers in cheese.

Advance tickets are sold online at www.CheeseFestival.ca. In order to assure a high-quality experience for consumers and producers, ticket sales will be limited, so don’t delay. Save money, avoid disappointment.