| In Monroe, WI - Anyone
on a quest seeking the best food fest in the Midwest should
plan ahead and be sure to mark "Green County Cheese Days"
on their calendar for September 19 - 21, 2008.
Back in 1914, a group of businessmen in Monroe, Wisconsin
decided that if some little town in Illinois could have a
festival commemorating sauerkraut, then a celebration based
on cheese would be an even better idea. They drove a roadster
through the city to publicize the event, with a hand-lettered
sign attached to the vehicle proclaiming "FIRST CHEESE
DAYS COMMITTEE 1914 - WE STARTED SOMETHING!" And did
they ever.
Join the festivities this year as Monroe and Green County
serve as your hosts for Green County Cheese Days, held downtown
on Monroe's Historic Courthouse Square, exactly where the
first festival was celebrated nearly 100 years ago.
In addition to tried and true favorites like the cheese tent,
live music and dancing all weekend long, and a healthy dose
of Swiss heritage, this year's festival schedule also includes
some brand new activities.
Festival-goers will enjoy "Family Farm Adventure"
sponsored by Green County Farm Bureau. Kids and families will
blast open the barn doors to an exciting "ag-venture"
where they can meet dairy calves, discover what a cow eats
and drinks, learn how cheese is made, "milk" a cow,
and test their knowledge of ag facts with fun games and prizes.
Also new this year are artisan demonstrations at the Arts
and Crafts Fair near the Monroe Middle School, a display on
the history of Cheese Days at Monroe Arts Center, and a Cheese
Days Limerick Contest.
Since activities at the festival extend a bit beyond Monroe's
downtown square area, Cheese Days is offering free rides on
an authentic Swiss Postauto Bus Trolley. The trolley will
make continuous loops with stops at Minhas Craft Brewery,
the Cheese Days Arts and Crafts Fair, Turner Hall, and the
downtown parking ramp. From the parking ramp, riders can transfer
to the Park & Ride Shuttle Bus with free parking at Shopko
and Wal-Mart.
The Cheese Days Hospitality Tent, sponsored by The Swiss Colony,
will again offer festival attendees a place to enjoy their
lunch or dinner, plus an activity stage featuring a variety
of educational and entertaining sessions. On the schedule
are beer and cheese tasting and pairing, a cheese appetizer
recipe contest, wine and cheese tasting and pairing, gingerbread
house decorating, author talks and book signings, and a birthday
party for Chris Mouse, mascot for The Swiss Colony who turns
50 this year. It's his birthday, but you'll get the presents!
Cheese Days is a great place to enjoy a taste of Green County.
Highlights on the menu include: cream puffs dusted in powdered
sugar, crispy wafer-thin Bratzeli cookies - a traditional
Swiss treat, cheese sandwiches, hand-battered deep-fried cheese
curds, steak sandwiches still sizzling from the grill, and
locally made sweet and fizzy Blumer's rootbeer.
Despite the festival name and all the wonderful tasting opportunities,
Cheese Days isn't just about food.
Other returning crowd-pleasers include the cow milking contest,
polka lessons, old time cheesemaking demonstration, arts and
crafts fair, vintage car and tractor show, carnival, retail
tent with commemorative Cheese Days merchandise, "Berghoff
and Blues" with live blues and cool brews at the nearby
Minhas Craft Brewery, and the "Heart of Cheese Days"
exhibit sponsored by Monroe Swiss Singers at Turner Hall.
For many visitors, the festival highlight is The Swiss Colony
Cheese Days Parade. Held on Sunday, September 21 beginning
at 12:30 p.m., this giant extravaganza features bands, drum
corps, horses, clowns, and a variety of entertainment. The
parade is led off by decorated Brown Swiss cattle, followed
by many floats paying tribute to Swiss heritage, cheesemaking,
and the dairy farming legacy of Green County.
For more information on Cheese Days and a complete schedule
of events visit the website www.cheesedays.com, or call toll
free to request a brochure at 800.307.7208.
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