If you love cheese, there is no better place to be on the second full weekend of September than Monroe, Wisconsin. Green County is home to more than a dozen cheese-making creameries who make more than 50 varieties of our state’s favorite food. Monroe is known as the Swiss Cheese Capital of the US. This is Wisconsin’s cheesemaking epicenter and every two years, they throw a party to celebrate. The whole town gets involved as Cheese Days takes over the square in the center of town and spreads out on the streets of Monroe to celebrate Wisconsin cheese.
Maybe the best story about Cheese Days is that it started more than 100 years ago in 1914 because some local men found out Forreston, Illinois was celebrating Sauerkraut Days. Surely if some small town to the south could have a festival for the stinky accompaniment, than Monroe could celebrate all things cheese and Cheese Days was born.
Taking place on September 14-16, 2018, Green County Cheese Days is the most epic cheese festival you could ever imagine. It's the epicenter of cheese for those few days as makers from all across the state converge to celebrate one of the things that has made Wisconsin famous.
This area of the state was settled by Swiss immigrants in the 19th century and they brought their cheesemaking traditions with them from home. Cheese Days does not forget those roots and celebrates the Swiss-Germanic settlers of this area for helping to create the stuff that has made Wisconsin famous.
One of the highlights of the weekend is the parade on Sunday that serves as the winding down of the festival. See the Limburger Queen as well as other festival royalty. You can reserve a bleacher set for the parade for just $3, leaving you free to wander the festival until just before the parade gets underway.
As much as the festival is about music, beer and food, it does a great job celebrating the old world practices that developed the area into what it is today. You'll see cheesemaking demonstrations and displays all over Cheese Days.
The festival takes place on the streets of Monroe and though more than 100,000 folks will visit over the course of the three day festival, it maintains it's small-town, welcoming charm.
Wear comfortable shoes (and a stretchy waistband) and prepare to eat your way through the most Wisconsin festival to ever exist. Cheese Days is the perfect way to spend a Wisconsin Day and you will regret not going every day for the next two years!
