Head to the beautiful grounds of Highland Brewing Co. to celebrate southern cheese and help support the WNC Cheese Trail. Explore the process from the field and farm to the dinner plate. Learn about the past, present and future of this ancient craft.
There will also be a wide variety of family-fun activities, vendors from across the industry, demos, discussions and more.
Competitions:
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| courtesy of Mountain Cheese Fest |
Time: 2 - 3 PM, Main Stage
Ever wondered what exactly goes into being a monger of the finest cheeses? Looking for a goudass time and ramped up for some friendly competition? Check out our Be My Monger event and see how well our mongers do.
sMACdown Showdown
Time: 1 - 3 PM, Event Tent
Gather for a showdown among a group of feisty chefs who all think they make the very best Mac and Cheese. There will be a panel of judges to taste and vote on their favorite. You too can cast your vote for the People's Choice. Purchase a sMac Down Tasting ticket (limited to 100) and you get to sample these delectable offerings and then vote on which one YOU think is the best. The winners will be announced on stage at 3:30 PM.
- Chef participants in the sMacdown Showdown include:
- Chef Chris Hall of Corner Kitchen
- Catering Chef Eden Roorda of Native Social Pub
- Chef Greg Campbell of The Barleycorn
- Chef Chris Sizemore of The Local
- Joint Chef Joe Marple of The Southern
- Chef Chris Kronberg of Foggy Mountain Brew Pub
(Workshops are FREE but have limited seating. Reserve your space now)
Raising Healthy Goats
TIME 12:30 PM
Local expert Liza Plaster of Ripshin Goat Dairy in Lenoir, NC to help you learn about raising healthy dairy goats. Liza will discuss her her background and experience before opening the floor for Q & A.
Cheese-Making for the Hobbyist
TIME: 1:15 PM
Join Rich Nathan of Second Act Artisan Cheese as he gives you an overview of the process of making delicious handmade artisan cheeses in the comfort of your own kitchen.
Charcuterie 101
TIME: 2:00 PM
Intro to Charcuterie: In this workshop, Meredith Leigh explores the world of cured meats. She'll give an overview of the processes, cover history, science, and show creative ways to pair charcuterie and cheeses.
Ethical Eating
Time: 3:00 PM
This workshop makes connections between environment, economy, culture, and science to discuss HOW we should think about what we eat, and WHY it matters. Meredith Leigh explores questions and facts that will leave you with a new way of thinking about food that not only touch day-to-day dietary considerations, but also global perspective.
Events and Demos:
(Events are held in the Meadow. All events listed below are included in the entrance fee to the Fest)
The Gathering of Cheesemakers
Time: Ongoing throughout event
Find this gathering of cheesemakers in the Meadow Area. where many of the regions best cheesemakers and other local artisan food producers will be setup to sample and sell their wide variety of cheeses, meats, bread, mustards, jams, gelato, goat milk and more.
Ongoing Family Fun
Goat Milking Demo
Kid Corral
Calf Corral
Butter Making
Cheese Trail Dessert Walk
Time: Ongoing throughout event
Everyone loves a cake walk and here's one with a twist - come and check it out and you just may be the lucky one to win a dessert.
History of Cheese Display
Time: Ongoing, WNC Cheese Trail Tent
Cheese is steeped in history, folklore, and tradition. Check out this representation of a traditional copper pot over a flame setup and learn about how cheese was made before the days of electricity and refrigeration.
Mozzarella Stretch
12 noon and 3 PM, Event Tent
Building a Better Cheese Board
12:30 PM, Center Stage
Goat milk soap making
1:15, Center Stage, 1:15
Making Ricotta
Center Stage, 3:30 PM
Highland Brewing Company is located at
12 Old
Charlotte Highway in Asheville NC
