Tickets now available for the 19th Annual California Artisan Cheese Festival! (March 21-23, Santa Rosa).
Click here to buy your tickets (Use code: 25CT15 and save 15% on Seminars & Marketplace G/A tix (adults and kids)
19TH ANNUAL CALIFORNIA ARTISAN CHEESE FESTIVAL
March 21-23, 2025
Friday Farm and Producer Tours, Saturday Pairing Seminars and Workshops, and Cheese Crawl,
Sunday Artisan Cheese Tasting & Marketplace
SANTA ROSA, Calif.—January 9, 2025—California’s premier cheese festival, the California Artisan Cheese Festival, now making its 19th appearance, is a gala celebration produced by experts and educators from the world of artisan cheese. This three-day festival will offer attendees a wealth of informative and educational events along with opportunities to meet the Golden State’s cheesemaking community and to enjoy the full range of its products. Cheese lovers of all experience levels are welcome and can expect to be delighted.
This year’s festival starts on Friday, March 21 with Farm and Producer Tours at locations in Marin, Mendocino, and Sonoma counties. On Saturday, March 22, winery and brewery tasting rooms throughout Sonoma County will host seminars, a recital, and workshops. Saturday evening will bring the return of the Cheese Crawl at The Barlow in Sebastopol. TheFestival culminates on Sunday, March 23 with the Artisan Cheese Tasting & Marketplace, a grand finale tasting event at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa. Tickets are now on sale and selling quickly.
“We are thrilled at the way the program for the Festival has come together,” says Candace Allen, California Artisan Cheese Guild Vice President and California Artisan Cheese Festival Committee member. “This year we have opportunities to go behind the scenes at renowned local cheesemakers, farms and beverage makers. Exciting new experiences include a cheese and classical vocal recital, a cheesemaking demo, and much more. The Festival will be a true celebration of the best of California cheese and the makers!”
Valerie Miller, Executive Director of the California Artisan Cheese Guild adds, “Last year, over 2,000 cheese lovers from 28 states and four countries, including the US, Mexico, Canada, and Indonesia, attended at least one event. What could be better for a turophile than spending three days in Sonoma County learning all about cheese and taking home that knowledge, and cheese, to share?”
The Festival, which began in March 2007, has grown into three days of cheese tasting, education, and celebration that brings together California’s premier cheesemakers and offers cheese enthusiasts of all experience levels an unparalleled opportunity to learn about, taste and purchase new, limited-production, and rare artisan cheeses. They will also be able to meet Bay Area farmers, chefs, brewers, winemakers, distillers, and artisan food purveyors and to sample their products.
Here's the full schedule for the 19th Annual California Artisan Cheese Festival:
Friday, March 21, 2025
Farm and Producer Tours
These fan-favorite bus tours to farms, creameries, and artisan producers are some of the most popular events of the weekend and sell out early. They provide guests with a rare glimpse into the important role of the farmer and show where cheese gets its start. Guests will learn about how cheese and complementary products are made, meet the farmers, animals, cheesemakers and producers behind their favorite local products and, of course, taste the fruits of their labor.
Start and end times vary at locations in Marin, Mendocino, and Sonoma counties. These tours fill up fast. Don’t wait to make your reservations. Farm Tours are $175 per person.
Tour A - Goats, Vineyards, Orchards and Cheese! Featuring: Redwood Hill Farm with Mt. Eitan Cheese, Balletto Vineyards, Ambix Spirits, and Wm. Cofield Cheesemakers.
Tour B - Historic Legacies and Old World Traditions Featuring: Marin French Cheese Co., Achadinha Cheese Co., Barber Lee Spirits, and Sonoma Portworks.
Tour C - Petaluma to Pt. Reyes Featuring: Nicasio Valley Cheese Company, Pt. Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co., Heidrun Meadery, and Goat Rock Cider Company.
Tour D - Country Roads Featuring Wm. Cofield Cheesemakers, Gold Ridge Organic Farm, Valley Ford Cheese and Creamery, and Black Kite Cellars.
Tour E - Anderson Valley Featuring Pennyroyal Farm, Gowan Cider & Apple Orchard, and Longboard Winery.
Tour F - Marshall Featuring: Tomales Farmstead Creamery, Hog Island Oyster Farm, Straus Home Ranch, and Balletto Vineyards.
Full descriptions of Farm & Producer Tours at
https://artisancheesefestival.com/schedule/tours/
Saturday, March 22, 2025
Seminars: Pairings, Demos, and Workshops
Cheese lovers can learn from some of the industry’s most knowledgeable experts and cheesemakers at a variety of seminars and workshops that cover cheese paired with wine, beer, and chocolate. There will be a cheese and live vocal recital, and a chance to see a cheesemaker at work, learn to taste with a cheesemonger, and workshops on how to compose your own cheeseboard. This year, seminars are offered in the morning from 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM and afternoon from 1:00 PM - 2:15 PM, allowing guests the opportunity to participate in more than one session.
Seminar 1: Curds and Whey Cheesemaking Demonstration with Keith Adams of Wm. Cofield Cheesemakers at Balletto Vineyards, Reserve Room Kitchen (Santa Rosa). $80 per person.
Seminar 2: Miss Cheesemonger Sings A not-to-be-missed cheese pairing and classical music recital by Vero Kherian at Balletto Vineyards Reserve Room (Santa Rosa). $125 per person.
Seminar 3: Cheese & Beer: Better Together with Janet Fletcher at Hopmonk Tavern (Sebastopol). $80 per person.
Seminar 4: Cheese and Chocolate with Laura Werlin at Bacchus Landing, Harvest Room (Healdsburg). $80 per person.
Seminar 5: Cheese & Charcuterie Board Building Workshop with Alyssa Gilbert, owner of Ollie’s American Cheese and Provisions at Bacchus Landing, Harvest Room (Healdsburg). $80 per person.
Seminar 6: Palate Play: A Sensory Cheese Exploration with Luciana Villanueva, cheese director of Gus’s Community Markets at Bacchus Landing, Vintners Room (Healdsburg). $80 per person.
Seminar 7: Aperitivo Time Build a California inspired Aperitivo board with Bebe Black Carminito, author of The Curated Board, at Bacchus Landing, Vintners Room (Healdsburg). $80 per person.
Find full descriptions of seminars and workshops at https://artisancheesefestival.com/schedule/seminars/
Cheese Crawl at The Barlow
New! VIP Early Entry: 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM, $50 per person
General Admission: 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM, $35 per person
Location: The Barlow at 6770 McKinley St, Sebastopol, CA 95472
Embark on a savory journey through The Barlow in Sebastopol for an evening of cheese tasting and discovery. Participants will receive a map directing them to various businesses where cheesemakers will offer samples, accompanied by featured food or beverage tastings. This experience is exclusively for guests 21 and over. All sales are final, and the event takes place rain or shine. https://artisancheesefestival.com/event/cheese-crawl/
Sunday, March 23, 2025
Artisan Cheese Tasting & Marketplace
Bubbles & Bites and Early Entry to Artisan Cheese Tasting & Marketplace: 9:45 AM - 4:00 PM, $125 per person
General Admission: 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM, $69 per person, $30 for children ages 2-12
Location: Sonoma County Fairgrounds and Event Center, 1350 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95404.
Bubbles + Bites start at 9:45am at Saralee & Richard’s Barn. Guests then stroll over to Grace Pavilion for 11:00 AM Early Entry to the Artisan Cheese Tasting and Marketplace.
Taste, sip, and explore! In this banquet for the senses, the Artisan Cheese Tasting & Marketplace will bring together more than 100 artisan cheese and food producers, as well as winemakers, brewers, distillers, cider makers, and chefs who will offer their hand-crafted cheeses, delectable products that complement cheese, boutique wines, craft beers, and handcrafted ciders. Discover the next wave of delectable specialty products. This will be an opportunity to purchase your favorite cheeses and artisan products. Every guest brings home an Artisan Cheese Festival insulated cheese tote bag and a wine glass. Live entertainment included.
All sales are final. The event takes place rain or shine. Parking at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds and Event Center is complimentary at the Pavilion and Brookwood Lots.
Bubbles + Bites and Early Entry
https://artisancheesefestival.com/event/early-entry/
General Admission:
https://artisancheesefestival.com/event/ticket/
For updates, details, and to purchase tickets, visit, https://artisancheesefestival.com/.
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2025 Sponsors (to-date)
Generous sponsors of the California Artisan Cheese Festival include Beehive Cheese, Bellwether Farms, Cowgirl Creamery, Cypress Grove, Laura Chenel, Marin French Cheese Co., Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co., Nicasio Valley Cheese Company, Pennyroyal Farm, Donald & Maureen Green Foundation, Culture: The Word on Cheese Magazine, Real California Milk, Oliver’s, Edible Marin & Wine Country, Edible East Bay, Pure Luxury Transportation, Ag + Open Spaces Sonoma County, Sonoma County Tourism, Qualtech, Cheese Trail, and Formaticum.
About California Artisan Cheese Festival
A 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization, the California Artisan Cheese Festival strives to increase cheese appreciation, educate consumers about artisan cheeses, support the cheesemaking community and its sustainability, and celebrate the creations of California’s many farmers and cheesemakers. The festival began in March 2007 as the first-ever, weekend-long celebration and exploration of handcrafted cheeses, foods, wines, and beers from California. In keeping with its dedication to the community, the Artisan Cheese Festival has donated over $225,000. in grants to nonprofit partners that support local sustainable agriculture, including the California Artisan Cheese Guild. For more information about the California Artisan Cheese Festival, visit http://www.artisancheesefestival.com/ or follow on Facebook and Instagram.
Media Contact:
Deborah Kwan, deborah@dkprfood.com, (415) 948-4370
California Artisan Cheese Festival:
info@artisancheesefestival.com, (707) 238-2402
