By Dave Warner
LITTLE FALLS, NY – As the leaves begin to turn in the Mohawk Valley, the City of Little Falls is gearing up for a milestone celebration: the 10th annual Little Falls Cheese Festival on Saturday, October 4, 2025.
What started as a modest gathering has blossomed into a beloved regional event, drawing cheese enthusiasts from across New York State and beyond.
This year, organizers are pulling out all the stops with special anniversary features, including a lively musical edition called The Big Cheese Second Line Parade Featuring Kevin Hughes and his Extra-Sharp Band, expanded food options, and an after-festival annex at a local brewery, all while keeping the event free and open to the public.
Teri Chace, head of the Cheese Festival Committee, reflected on the event’s remarkable evolution in a recent interview. “Well, it’s the 10th anniversary, which is quite honestly amazing considering its humble beginnings,” Chace said. “You know, I think it’s really exciting how much it’s grown. It’s kind of taken on a life of its own. People are so enthused about it.”
Once a global cheese capital in the 19th century, Little Falls now serves as a modern hub for New York’s artisan cheesemakers. The festival, held along historic Main Street north of the Erie Canal, showcases over 120 varieties of cheese, alongside locally crafted foods and beverages.
According to the festival’s website, nearly 65 New York-based vendors will participate, with about half being cheesemakers offering direct-from-the-maker products. This direct connection is a core appeal, allowing attendees to chat with producers, ask questions, and support small farms without middlemen.
Chace shared heartwarming stories that illustrate the festival’s community impact. She recounted meeting a group of women who use the event as their annual college reunion. “I met this gaggle of young women who had lots of purchases, lots of bags. They had spent a lot of money, and they were very excited and happy and obviously good friends,” Chace explained. “And I asked where they were from, and it turned out they’d all gone to college together in Oneonta years ago. And once a year they return here to rendezvous. They rent a big Airbnb and they come downtown together. Some of them live out in Rochester. Some of them live in the Hudson Valley. This is their college reunion.”
Such anecdotes highlight how the festival has become more than just a cheese market—it’s a social anchor. Visitors from as far as Vermont have praised its accessibility compared to other cheese events. “We have people who’ve heard about us from a cheese shop because we mail our promotional postcards to cheese shops, and they’re like, oh, my God, I had no idea,” Chace noted. “We have people who come from Vermont who go to the Vermont Cheese Festival and have said, oh my gosh, you don’t charge $20 to get in. It’s free, you know? It’s a different kind of cheese festival.”
For the 10th anniversary, the festival is introducing several enhancements to elevate the experience. Music, always a highlight, will feature a fresh twist. A musician-led booking process, supported by a grant from Central New York Arts, ensures high-quality performances. In addition to traditional jazz, bluegrass, and folk—deemed “cheese compatible” by Chace—the day will kick off with a New Orleans-style second-line band.
“In New Orleans they have this thing called second-line band. You know, the trombone, those cymbals, the tuba, the washboard. Maybe there’s a banjo. I don’t really know – maybe a trumpet,” Chace described. “They march through the French Quarter, and it’s very festive. They’re going to have a second-line band starting at 10 a.m. at the top of the festival at William and East Main. They’re going to march the length of the festival and back.”
The parade will set a joyful tone, with some musicians dispersing to perform in smaller groups throughout the day. Chace mentioned the inclusion of the booker’s talented young daughter, a violinist, adding a personal touch. “He’s also including his precocious little daughter, who’s a really good musician,” she said. “I think you (Dave Warner) shot a video of her once playing her violin.”
Food accessibility has been a focus this year, addressing past feedback about long lines. With around 65 booths lining Main Street from East to West, including doubles for larger vendors, the festival is expanding its culinary footprint. Traditional food trucks in the M&T Bank parking lot will be joined by new placements: two in the vacant CVS lot (Tug Hill Artisan Coffee Roasters for beverages and pastries, and Crepe and Waffle for sweet treats) and one near the caboose on West Main, likely McGill’s offering Utica-style riggies and greens. Local restaurants will also participate, selling items like pizza slices on the sidewalks.
“We want food because we want people to stay all day. We don’t want them to come and go in an hour. We want them to make a day of it,” Chace emphasized. “And you know, shop for a while and then take a food break and have some choices. None of the food trucks sell pizza or anything to compete with our own restaurants. There’s Greek food, there’s barbecue, stuff like that.”
A major anniversary addition is the “Rhythm and Rinds” annex at Rock Valley Brewing Company, organized by Mike George. This extension will feature a beer and wine tent with local brews and wines from vendors like Thousand Islands Wine, plus additional bands and food trucks. To tie it into the cheese theme, the New York State Cheese Council will offer pre-packaged cheese boxes for easy pairing, and a table will sell festival souvenirs like t-shirts, mugs, and magnets.
“So, the name of Mike’s annex to the Cheese Festival event is Rhythm and Rinds,” Chace said. “And a couple of things are going to make it cheesy. One is we’re going to have a little table down there selling a limited number of our souvenirs.”
The annex extends the fun beyond the main event’s 5 p.m. close, encouraging attendees to linger. “The festival ends at five and people come down after, but they can come down during the day as well,” Chace added. “You sit in one of those Adirondack chairs, and you listen to the music and look at the river. A great way to spend your afternoon or to end your day after 5:00.”
Bookending the day are the Cheesy 5K run at 8 a.m., offering participants a fun t-shirt and a light-hearted start, and the brewery events. New vendors and old favorites will dot the street, including the cult-favorite Pickle Man at the caboose end. Author Karina Moss will share a booth, signing her popular “cheesy mystery” books set in a cheese shop world. “She’s written a series of mystery books which… are very popular, and they are cheesy mysteries,” Chace said. “I think they’re set in a cheese shop. Or the cheesemonger murdered someone with a cheese knife.”
Logistics have been refined for the expected crowds. Two shuttle lots will provide free, quick rides into town, with signs directing visitors from major routes. Chace warned against downtown parking: “We heavily market the use of the shuttle busses. Do not try to drive downtown or try to park on a side street because you can’t… If you park in the shopping center lot, the grocery store lot, they will come out and beat you with the zucchini.” One shuttle route will even add a stop near the brewery for easy access to the annex.
The Cheese Council will sell affordable cooler bags for perishable purchases, complementing pricier branded options at the souvenir booth. Advertising has expanded to reach Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, the North Country, Hudson Valley, and even New York City via radio spots on WAMC.
Chace’s enthusiasm is palpable, underscoring the festival’s resilience. “We’re not afraid if the weather is rainy because a couple years ago, we had a rainy festival and people just came with umbrellas and they were determined nothing was going to stop them,” she said. “Like the Postal Service, not rain, sleet or snow is going to stop me from buying my cheese direct.”
With sponsors like Feldmeier, Bassett Healthcare Network, Stewart’s Shops, and others backing the event, the 10th anniversary promises to be “aged to perfection.” As Chace put it, “I think it’s going to be amazing… I’m totally expecting we’re going to get a lot of people from far and wide, and I think they’re going to have a blast.”
The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Main Street. For more details, visit www.littlefallscheesefestival.com.
