LITTLE FALLS, NY – The eighth annual Little Falls Cheese Festival is just around the corner – Saturday, October 7th, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. To help you prepare for the event, here are some tips from cheese festival pros:
- Check out the website, littlefallscheesefestival.com, before you go. Not only will that give you an opportunity to scout out vendors and make a wish list, but you’ll also be able to see the times and locations of music acts and free performances of “Where’s the Cheese?” by the Little Falls Theater.
- Wear comfortable walking shoes. The Little Falls Cheese Festival stretches across five blocks of Main Street, and you’ll want to cruise the entire length of the festival to make sure you don’t miss anything.
- Bring a cooler bag to keep your purchases fresh – it can get warm in October.
- Plan to leave your dog at home. The festival organizers love dogs, but the event is on pavement and likely to be crowded, making for a stressful outing for our four-legged friends. Service dogs only, please.
- Take advantage of the free shuttle service to and from downtown Little Falls. No cruising around looking for parking, no stress, no worries – and we’ve added busses this year, so less waiting. Signs will steer visitors to free parking at either Veteran’s Field (274 Burwell Street) or Industrial Park (25 Industrial Park), with shuttle buses running continuously from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Pick up the free Festival Program Booklet when you arrive. Not only will this have a helpful map in the centerfold, but the booklet contains information about Little Falls’ involvement in cheese history.
- Speaking of cheese history, be sure to check out the Herkimer Home booth at the M&T Bank pocket park (501 E. Main Street). New for this year’s festival, the Herkimer Home booth will feature dairy tools, colonial clothing, depictions of dairy production during that time, and (weather permitting) periodic demonstrations using 18th-century reproductions of butter churns, cheese presses, and other tools. The booth will also feature children’s activities, such as mason jar butter-making.
- Arrive at 10 a.m. when the festival opens. It’s the best way to ensure your favorite vendors haven’t run out of anything, and you’ll likely beat the crowds.
- Don’t forget to take a mid-day break! Not only will all of the local restaurants, pubs, and cafes be open, but our popular “food truck food court” in the M&T Bank parking lot offers a full variety of refreshments and includes live music and plenty of shaded seating.
- Above all else, have fun!
The Little Falls Cheese Festival is New York State’s premier gathering of cheesemakers, with an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 people in attendance last year. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram or by visiting littlefallscheesefestival.com.
Spend a few minutes and listen to the podcast with Terri Chace, who speaks all things cheese.
