Getting Cheesy at the Carolina Mountain Cheese Fest

I am not sure about you but I love me some good cheese.We decided to check out the Carolina Mountain Cheese Fest this year which was held at Highland Brewing in Asheville, NC.   The festival is held to benefit the WNC Cheese Trail and to promote the artisan cheese industry in WNC. Over 30 vendors, more than half of them being cheese makers, were on hand this year and most of them provided samples. Yum!


However, probably the best ways to sample some of the cheese is to sign up for one of the "pairing" events. These sell out early so make sure you get your tickets as soon as you can.  We did the "Mountain Cheese & Highland Beer Tasting". Cheese mongers and brewers provided information about the different cheeses and beers and their opinions on what works best together. This is a good way to try something different you are new to the experience.


Outside you can attend one of the many demos going on throughout the afternoon  including mozzarella stretching, making ricotta, goat milk soap making, and more. For the young and young at heart there was a kid corral with baby goats.



The afternoon had many enjoyable shopping opportunities. You could stock up on your favorite cheese from the local producers, grab some lunch from the food trucks, or purchase some Highland Beer. The lines could seem long at times but they move fairly quickly so the wait times were short.



The Carolina Mountain Cheese Fest is an enjoyable event that you should definitely try if you are able.