LOGAN – Once again, it’s time to celebrate Cache Valley’s agricultural and dairy heritage by showcasing locally made products that are consumed across the nation and even the world.
The Third Annual Cache Valley Cheese and Dairy Festival will be held Friday, Sept. 29 and Saturday, Sept. 30 at the Cache County Event Center in Logan.
The two-day event is intended to celebrate the achievements of the dedicated and hard-working dairymen and women of Cache Valley, according to event organizer Ron Bjorkman.
“They are who we truly honor with this festival,” he said.
Bjorkman promised that this year’s festival will be even bigger and better than its two predecessors, with more vendors and events.
Following up on the success of previous cheese and dairy festivals, this third annual event is being jointly organized by Cache County and the Cache Valley Visitors Bureau, with the assistance of local dairy producers and manufacturers; Utah State University and its Extension Service; the Aggie Chocolate Factory; Lee’s Marketplace; Gourmet Foods International; Dairy Farmers of America; and many others.
County residents will be invited to enjoy free samples of cheese and daily production, live music, an antique farm equipment display, food trucks and activities to amuse kids.
Workshop will also provide instruction about how to fine-tune taste buds and noses for gourmet cheese tasting and smelling; how to build a basic charcuterie board; and how to taste the subtle essences of dark chocolate for around the world.
Festival attendees will learn to make mozzarella cheese at home.
An authentic cheese monger will also be on hand to crack open a 75-pound wheel of parmesan reggiano cheese.
It takes 131 gallons of milk aged over 730 days to create the parmesan perfection, which is valued at about $1,700.
Attendees will also be invited to try to blow an alpenhorn by the Salzburger Echo. An alpenhorn is a giant wooden horn that was once used by German and Swiss herdsman to communicate but is now used to make music.
The eight- to twelve-foot horns were featured in Ricola cough drop commercials.
Other free activities will include finding the hidden cows; joining local authors and building your own story; decorating bookmarks; identifying antique tools and equipment; and milking Cookie, the robotic milk cow.
Cache County residents are also invited to whip up their best cheesecake or mac and cheese for a chance to win hundreds of dollars in prizes in the annual Best Cheesecake in the County and the Master of Mac and Cheese contests. Contest entrants must use provided ingredients of cream cheese or cheddar cheese according to their type of entry.
Those ingredients are available for pickup at the County Event Center now through Sept. 28.
Both types of entries are due Thursday evening. Contest details can be found on the website at cachecheesefest.com.
The festival will climax on Saturday evening with a Dutch Oven Dinner and a performance by master yodeler Kerry Christensen at 7 p.m.
The menu for that dinner will feature Gossner cheese and cracker appetizers; slow-cooked Dutch Oven beef roast; Dutch Oven lemon chicken; cheesy potatoes; vegetables; and Dutch Oven chocolate cherry cobbler with vanilla ice cream for dessert.
Tickets for the Dutch Oven Dinner are $20 and the tickets must be purchased in advance online at cachecheesefest.com.
The Cache Valley Cheese and Dairy Festival will be held from noon to 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 29 and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 30 at the Cache County Event Center at the Fairgrounds, 490 South 500 West in Logan.
For more information about the festival and cooking contests; a complete schedule of events; or to buy tickets for the Dutch Oven Dinner, visit cachecheesefest.com or call the Event Center at 435-755-1761.