Sunday, September 20, 2026 – SOLD OUT!

Our 13th Annual Vermont Cheesemakers Festival is sold out, and our waitlist is closed. There will not be tickets available at the door.

BAY ROAD CLOSURE: attendees, please note Bay Road is closed for construction, rerouting all Festival traffic through the Harbor Road detour. Traffic will be heavy. Please allow plenty of extra time getting to and from the Festival, and follow Festival signs.

Schedule of Events:

Industry Early Admission: 10:00 – 11:30am

Industry ticket holders: your Industry ticket covers all day at the Festival, not just the early admission preview period – but we highly recommend taking advantage of this 10:00am preview period for an intimate opportunity to connect with our vendors before the general public. (Plus: don’t miss farm and creamery tours for industry on Thu/Sat!)

General Admission: 11:30am – 4:00pm

Doors open for all General Admission ticket holders at 11:30am.

Cheesemaker Panels: The History of Cheesemaking in Vermont – 12:30pm

Featuring speakers Allison Hooper (Vermont Creamery), Paul Kindstedt (author: Cheese and Culture and American Farmstead Cheese), and Rick Woods (Tucker Hill Cheese)

Cheesemaker Panels: Women in Cheesemaking – 2:30pm

Featuring speakers Molly Semler (von Trapp Farmstead), Leslie Tyminski (Woodlawn Creamery), and Rebecca Velazquez (Barn First Creamery)

Breeding Barn at Shelburne Farms, Shelburne, VT

This year’s Cheesemakers Festival is the capstone event of our 2026 Vermont Cheese Week (September 13-20), with special happenings and lodging, retail, and dining specials across the state!

Tickets are Sold Out

Retailers, Grocers, Distributors, and other Industry Buyers: Already have your industry early admission tickets? Don’t miss signing up for Thursday/Saturday industry tours at farms and creameries:

Industry Tours

The Vermont Cheesemakers Festival is organized and presented by the Vermont Cheese Council.

Purchase of these products directly support Vermont dairy farmers.

Vendors & Volunteers Contact:
Stacy Blackadar, stacy@vtcheese.com

Cheesemakers & VCC Member Contact:
Claire Natola, claire@vtcheese.com

Know Before You Go: Festival Policies & Preparation

Entrance & Parking

All Festival traffic will enter and exit through the south gate of Shelburne Farms (987 S Gate Rd, Shelburne, VT 05482). Note it’s S. Gate Rd, NOT N. Gate Rd, regardless of your GPS.

This may be different than the gate you’re used to! Please plan for festival traffic, leave the for exiting and entering, and respect the speed limit of 25mph.

Cash On-Hand - NO ATM AVAILABLE

While many of our vendors accept credit cards, Wi-Fi and cell reception are never a guarantee in Vermont, and we encourage attendees to have a cash on-hand for purchases. (How much? Only you know your true cheese limitations.) Please note there will NOT be an ATM available on-site this year.

Coolers

If you’re a true curd nerd who’s already excited about your haul, you may wish to bring your own a refrigerated bag or a cooler. Vermont Cheesemakers Festival does not provide bags or refrigeration accessories for your cheese purchases.

Alcohol Sampling & ID

All attendees wishing to sample alcohol must show valid ID at the Festival Entrance. Although sampling will take place, the Vermont Cheesemakers Festival is bottle sales only, not to be opened on premises. No alcohol from outside will be permitted.

No Smoking

Shelburne Farms is a smoke-free campus.

Service Dogs Only

While visiting dogs are not permitted on the property, trained service dogs are welcome.

Picnicking & Tailgaiting

Tailgating is not permitted, but attendees are allowed to bring a blanket to picnic with their festival purchases or from one of our participating food trucks. Outside food and drink is not allowed.