Beloved by cheese lovers and purveyors across the state and region, the Oregon Cheese Festival is making its return to the Jackson County Expo this weekend. 

“I think all of the good things people have come to expect will be at the cheese festival; we have an incredible lineup of vendors and it gets better and better every year,” said Katie Bray, executive director of the Oregon Cheese Guild, the organization putting on the festival. “It’s like a cheese-stravaganza.”

Vendors will be offering samples and selling a wide range of cheeses and cheese-adjacent goods such as alcohol, hot sauce, crackers, chocolate and more. The event is scheduled for noon to 5 p.m. Saturday for visitors ages 21 and older and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday for all ages. 

This year’s festival vendor list includes around 100 purveyors, including Briar Rose Creamery, Mama Terra Micro Creamery, Rogue Creamery, Beehive Cheese, Zwan Art LLC, Amy’s Beehives, Black Market Toffee, Rose City Pepperheads, The English Lavender Farm, Whimsy Chocolates, Crater Lake Spirits, Naumes Suncrest Winery and Woolridge Creek Winery.

“It’s a lot more Oregon-centric this year, and that speaks to the audience this year,” Bray said. “They love to support their local food producers; with so many of these people, it’s their only chance each year to buy direct from people growing and making these delicious things.”

“We try every year to improve what folks are going to get to see and taste when it comes to the festival,” she added. 

While the festival is cheese-based, Bray and others put effort into finding adjacent vendors that create products to pair perfectly with it. 

“It’s all about balance and presenting the best mix of things for people to taste when they come, and we always sell out winery spots, spirits spots and another crowded category is hot sauce,” she said.

The Oregon Cheese Festival unofficially began in 2005 at the Rogue Creamery parking lot in Central Point and was originally conceived by David Gremmels, president of the creamery. 

Growing over the years, the festival began being managed by the Oregon Cheese Guild in 2018 and has expanded into a two-day experience with thousands visiting and taking part. 

“The guild itself was established in 2006; our organization will be celebrating our 20-year anniversary next year, which is really exciting,” Bray said. 

The festival moved to the Jackson County Expo in 2024 for the first time. 

To learn more about the Oregon Cheese Festival, visit oregoncheesefestival.com.