Centered at the Green County courthouse in Monroe, Wisconsin, this is the oldest festival in the Midwest, going back to 1914. This isn’t just a place to sample cheeses: there are parades, cheese-making classes, wine & beer tastings, music on more than one stage, farm tours, a carnival, “kid’s street,” and of course places to buy all things cheese, including my “eat it any time of the day” sweet treat, the cheese danish.

See the website for more scheduling and information on bands and the park & ride courtesy shuttles. This event is over a century old so expect it every September and bookmark the website. They even have a wedge of cheese mascot, named Wedgie of course, with his own theme song. If you weren’t excited about cheese before, prepare yourself to be amazed.