Inside the tents, local cheesemakers display samples of their tastiest varieties. It's best to bring a padded cooler so you can stock up on cheese and keep them cool throughout the day.
Credit: Aimee Tucker
Held each summer on the grounds of beautiful Shelburne Farms in Shelburne, Vermont, the Vermont Cheesemakers Festivalbrings together the very best of Green Mountain cheesemakers, artisanal producers, bakers, brewers, and so much more! As event sponsor, Yankee Magazine was on hand for this year’s festival (with a team that included yours truly) to help celebrate the region’s many tempting culinary offerings, plus lead a cooking demo using (what else?) Vermont cheese! It was a wonderful and delicious day.
Here’s a look at this year’s VT Cheesemakers Festival in photographs, from starting the day with breakfast at a nearby B&B to ending it with a late-afternoon cocktail overlooking Lake Champlain.
This year’s VT Cheesemakers Festival experience started with leisurely and delicious breakfast at the inviting Heart of the Village Inn in charming “downtown” Shelburne, Vermont. Innkeepers Anatoly and Rose Polyakov could not have been more welcoming. Credit: Aimee Seavey
Blueberry pancakes and warm maple syrup alongside herbed potatoes to kick off a long day of even more eating? Why not?! Credit: Aimee Seavey
No great photos are taken from behind a car window, but this shot gives you the best look at the VT Cheesemakers Festival’s plum location at Shelburne Farms, just steps from beautiful Lake Champlain. Credit: Aimee Seavey
Welcome to another VT Cheese Fest — say cheese! Credit: Aimee Seavey
Festival-goers begin sampling straight away in the festival’s main entrance tent. Credit: Aimee Seavey
Behind the Yankee table, we partnered with the folks at Kenyon Grills to serve up “The Ultimate Vermont Burger.” Credit: Aimee Seavey
When you’re serving complimentary and delicious sliders, you should expect a busy day. This was the shortest line I saw at the Kenyon tent all day! Credit: Aimee Seavey
Inside the multiple tents, local cheesemakers display samples of their tastiest varieties. It’s best to bring an insulated cooler to the VT Cheesemakers Festival, if possible, so you can stock up and keep your purchases cool throughout the day. Credit: Aimee Tucker
I can never resist a familiar favorite like Cabot Creamery! I especially love all 4 flavors in their recent Farmers’ Legacy Collection. Credit: Aimee Seavey
Red Kite candy, a 2014 Food Awards winner for toffee, is a Yankee favorite. This year’s caramel flavor samples included chai and maple. Yum. Credit: Aimee Seavey
I cannot resist the bright and sweet packaging and amazing flavors of Blake Hill Preserves, another 2014 Food Awards winner. It’s also always a treat to chat with Blake Hill’s warm and welcoming Vicky Allard. Credit: Aimee Seavey
Part of Yankee‘s involvement at this year’s event included a demonstration of recipes featured in the May/June 2016 issue. Here, senior food editor Amy Traverso reviews the recipes before the demo alongside author (and cheesemaker) Allison Hooper of Vermont Creamery. Credit: Aimee Tucker
We couldn’t pull of our food demos at the VT Cheesemakers Festival without the help of the wonderful and talented New England Culinary Institute staff! Here they’re helping prepare samples of Herbed Watermelon Salad. Credit: Aimee Seavey
A well-fed audience is a happy audience! Credit: Aimee Seavey
This year’s festival included a food truck from Bluebird Barbecue, based in Burlington, Vermont. Credit: Aimee Seavey
And, of course, sweet samples from Vermont favorite King Arthur Flour. Credit: Aimee Tucker
One of my favorite parts of the Vermont Cheesemakers’ Festival is ending the day with a trek up to the Inn at Shelburne Farms to enjoy the view of Lake Champlain from its welcoming lawn. Credit: Aimee Tucker
Inside, there’s a gorgeous old library and bar — the perfect place to grab a cocktail. Credit: Aimee Seavey
Who wouldn’t want a beverage from this setup?! Credit: Aimee Seavey
Views of Lake Champlain from the Inn at Shelburne Farms. The perfect way to end the day! Credit: Aimee Seavey
Have you ever been to the VT Cheesemakers Festival?
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Aimee Tucker is Yankee’s senior digital editor. A lifelong New Englander and Yankee contributor since 2010, Aimee has written columns devoted to history, foliage, retro food, and architecture, and regularly shares her experiences in New England travel, home, and gardening. Her most memorable Yankee experiences to date include meeting Stephen King, singing along to a James Taylor Fourth of July concert at Tanglewood, and taking to the skies in the Hood blimp for an open-air tour of the Massachusetts coastline.
The wood stock inn is beautiful ,and the other sites . I will like to visit.