Madison’s Beer & Cheese Fest is back for year 16 in 2026 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison on Saturday, January 17th, bringing a ton of brewers and cheesemakers from around Wisconsin and adjoining states to Madison. Meet and mingle with the brewers and cheesemakers while sampling hundreds of varieties at this warm, happy, and fun celebration right in the midst of winter.
80+ beer and beverage vendors slinging samples. More cheese than is doctor recommended. Stein holding competitions and “hammer nailing” competitions (they note that the other word for it is trademarked…seriously) so you can totally impress your friends. Beer will always be the foundation of the event, but if mead or cider is more your style, you’ll have plenty to sample. If THC infused refreshments are your jam, you’ll find a bunch. Spiked seltzer your elixir of choice? Yep, they got those too.
Tickets tend to sell out every year, so if you want to go, score them sooner rather than later. Of course, you must be 21 to attend. You can purchase tickets online here.
You’ll find the Alliant Energy Center on Madison’s south side, right off the Beltline (U.S. 12 & U.S. 18) near Rimrock Road and John Nolen Drive. U.S. 14, 51, and 151 and Highways 30 and 113 are all nearby.
Madison Beer & Cheese Fest Address:
Alliant Energy Center
1919 Alliant Energy Center Way
Madison, WI 53713
(608) 251-5627 Website
The 2nd annual Wisconsin Cheese Festival runs May 16-18, 2025 at Lake Geneva House of Music, which is a very cool live music venue located right along County H (the original U.S. 12) in Lake Geneva! Wisconsin Cheese is amazing, and a festival further celebrating it will be a blast, since we know how much you love cheese!
The festival is a gathering of cheese makers and lovers, farmers, artisans and vendors to celebrate what is obviously Wisconsin’s most famous food. You can also enjoy world-class Americana, alt-country, folk and bluegrass music, whiskey, wine and craft beer. Plus fun contests, educational presentations, fantastic music, and then a delicious variety of creative foods including BBQ, locally-made pies, pig bacon candy, curds and more. During the fest, you can even learn about cheese sculpting and participate in a Stein Hoisting Competition Saturday night! It’s a particularly family-friendly weekend at the Lake Geneva House of Music festival grounds. Get the full list of vendors here!
Midwest Picking Coalition…… 5pm – 7pm, Studio G
Johnny Lyons & The Pride…… 7pm – 9pm, Main Stage
Stryder Bluegrass Band…… 9:30pm-11pm, Main Stage More acts to be announced, get the latest here
Sun. May 18th, 10am until 9pm FREE DAY | GENEVA OUTDOOR MARKET | WINE DAY
Nicole Nystrom Trio…… 10:30am-12:30pm, Studio G
Fox Crossing Stringband…… 12:30pm-2:45pm, Main Stage
Awards Ceremony……. 2:30 pm – 3 pm, Main Stage More acts to be announced, get the latest here
Wisconsin Cheese Festival Ticket Info:
Fri. Advanced GA: $10 | At Gate: $12.50
Sat. Advanced GA: $12.50 | At Gate: $15
Kids 6-12 Fri: $5 | Kids 6-12 Sat. $7.50
Weekend Pass Advanced: $17.50 | At Gate: $22.50
Kids 6-12 Weekend Pass: $10 FREE on Sunday for all! Children 5 & Under are FREE! Get Tickets Here
It’s easy to get to Lake Geneva House of Music, just follow County H north from Lake Geneva. If you’d rather, you can certainly head south from U.S. 12 by the I-43 interchange when you reach County NN south of Elkhorn. Similarly, Highway 67 brings you close. Then just follow H until you see all the action! Prior to 1973, this was the original route of U.S. 12 before they built the freeway (some fun trivia for road geeks like us!)
Wisconsin Cheese Festival Address:
Lake Geneva House of Music
N3241 County Trunk H (formerly U.S. 12)
Lake Geneva, WI 53147
(262) 248-0606 Website
Mmmm… Grilled Cheese. Can it get any better?? Dodgeville is “Grilled Cheese Central” on Saturday, April 26, 2025 as the Wisconsin Grilled Cheese Championship takes place at the Leo Pavilion in Harris Park. Amateurs and professionals compete in 4 “heats” to determine the best grilled cheese sandwiches in Wisconsin and compete for fabulous prizes. Listen to live music, drink some beer and wine, sample outstanding grilled cheese sandwiches. Fun for all ages. Free admission! Get all the details at their website, grilledcheesewisconsin.com.
You can get to Dodgeville via U.S. 18 & 151 and Highway 23. Any trip is worth it for grilled cheese!
Our previous favorites have included the Gouda Girls (below); Tina and Katherine make grilled cheese sandwich combos that win all across the nation. They’re based in Milwaukee and do incredible things with taste buds. Our head State Trunk Tour guy Eric Paulsen got to experience their creations firsthand in this Discover Wisconsinepisode. We don’t have any vote, though, so we’ll see how this goes.
Wisconsin Grilled Cheese Championship Address:
Harris Park
600 Bennett Road
Dodgeville, WI 53533
(608) 935-9200 Website
The annual Between the Bluffs Beer Wine & Cheese Festival is celebrating its return April 27, 2024! Join them for a tasting of over 200 quality beers poured by over 35 breweries. Experience over 45 types of wine, sample and purchase gourmet cheeses, all while enjoying live music. Don’t forget to sign-up for the Coulee Region Cornhole Tournament and play some Hammer-Schlagen.
It all begins Friday evening, April 26th, with Friday Night: Taster’s Eve. You can buy a wristband and ride the shuttles to various participating establishments for specials and tap take-overs by guest breweries attending the fest.
The main festival takes place at La Crosse’s Southside Oktoberfest Grounds on Saturday afternoon, April 23rd, with general admission ($50) from 2-6pm. VIP tickets ($90) allow for a noon entry. Details on what you get with each are below!
But that’s not all…
Sunday, April 28th is the Bacon Bloody Brunch! Jump back on the horse or come out for a “Sunday Funday” at the Oktoberfest Grounds! Enjoy specialty breakfast drinks, yard games, live music, and of course BACON. Specialty drinks include beer bloodies, mimosas and breakfast beer served up by Del’s Bar, Pearl Street Brewery, and Surly Brewing Company. For eats, enjoy giant pancakes served up by Mindoro Lions Club, bacon provided by Bubba’s Meats and Premier Catering, cheesy potatoes, and eggs. Coffee will also be available.
For Sunday’s Bacon Bloody Brunch, tickets are available for $15, which are available online or at the gates. You must be 21 years or older and show ID at the gate.
I-90, U.S. 14/61, U.S. 53, and Highways 16, 33, and 35 all bring you to La Crosse, and they’re all beautiful drives as you head “Between the Bluffs”!
Between the Bluffs Beer Wine and Cheese Festival Address:
Southside Oktoberfest Grounds
2nd & La Crosse Streets
La Crosse, WI 54601
(608) 782-2250 or (800) 658-9424 Website
Between the Bluffs Ticket ($55) Details:
General Admission Tickets include:
Souvenir sampling glass
Sampling of Beer, Wine, and Cheese
Live Music
Tasters Eve events on Friday, April 26th
Free shuttle for Tasters Eve events and on day of Fest from and to Host Hotels
Voucher for La Crosse County Tavern League “Safe Ride Home” upon request
VIP Tickets ($95) Include:
ALL GENERAL ADMISSION PERKS PLUS:
VIP and Brewers Reception Friday, April 26th
Private access from 12:00 – 2:00 PM before the general admission entry at 2:00pm
On-site VIP parking
VIP special gift
2 Free Pearl Street Brewery Drinks and 1 Free Food Coupon Redeemable at Monkey Business Food Truck on Taster’s Eve (April 26th) @ Pearl Street Brewery from 5-10 PM
Beaver Dam is home to one of the premiere Kraft Philadelphia Brand Cream Cheese processing plants in the nation. Fittingly, the city annually plays host to the Midwest Cream Cheese Competition with Kraft products as preferred ingredients in any cream cheese recipe. This is one creamy, delicious competition!
Cream cheese is used in a huge variety of concoctions at this delicious competition!
This is the 14th annual festival and offers plenty of great dishes for sampling – although the judges get first dibs. It will take place Saturday, December 1st at the St. Katherine Drexel Parish Center on the south side of downtown Beaver Dam. Get the rest of the details (and mouth-watering photos) on their website!
Beaver Dam is easily reached via the U.S. 151 freeway or Highway 33. Highway 26 is also close by.
Midwest Cream Cheese Competition Address:
St. Katherine Drexel Parish Center
511 S. Spring Street
Beaver Dam, WI 53916
(920) 887-8879 (Beaver Dam Chamber office) Website
Date:
December 1, 2018
Venue:
St. Katherine Drexel Parish Center
Phone:
920-887-8879
Address:
511 S. Spring Street, Beaver Dam, WI, 53916, United States
Madison hosts the World Championship Cheese Contest again this year at the Monona Terrace and it will be a cheese lover’s paradise! Cheesemakers from all over the world descend on Wisconsin’s capital city for three days to judge over 3,000 cheeses, butters, and yogurts.
Preliminary judging rounds for the World Championship Cheese Contest are open to the public for FREE Tuesday, March 6 and Wednesday, March 7. Try some tasty samples as the judges do their thing and narrow it down to finalists and winners.
Then, Thursday night the 8th you can attend the Cheese Champion event. This ticketed event ($25, in advance) lets you sample more than 50 of the best cheese from around the world. International cheese experts will be on hand to show you the intracicies of of cheese evaluation, and of course you can pair cheeses with other foods and craft beers that will be available. The event climaxes with the crowning of the World Champion Cheesemaker!
Monona Terrace is a crown jewel of a conference center, with the original design going back to Frank Lloyd Wright. Perched overlooking Lake Monona on one side with a beautiful view of the Wisconsin State Capitol just a few blocks away, it’s a fantastic place for an event – especially one filled with specialty cheeses! Monona Terrace actually covers U.S. 151/John Nolen Drive for several blocks; it’s mere moments from the Beltline (U.S. 12/18), Park Avenue (U.S. 14/151), East Washington Avenue (U.S. 151), Highway 113, or Highway 30 from I-39/90/94.
World Championship Cheese Contest/Monona Terrace Address:
1 John Nolen Drive (U.S. 151)
Madison, WI 53703
(608) 286-1001 Website
The World Champion Cheesemaker Award was bestowed on a U.S. cheesemaker for the first time since 1988 during the awards in 2016, to Emmi Roth of Monroe, Wisconsin.
Start:
March 6, 2018 10:00 am
End:
March 8, 2018 9:00 pm
Venue:
Monona Terrace
Phone:
608-286-1001
Address:
1 John Nolen Drive, Madison, WI, 53703, United States
Calendar of Events
Calendar of Events › Cheese
January 17, 2026
Beer & Cheese Fest
Madison’s Beer & Cheese Fest is back for year 16 in 2026 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison on Saturday, January 17th, bringing a ton of brewers and cheesemakers from around Wisconsin and adjoining states to Madison. Meet and mingle with the brewers and cheesemakers while sampling hundreds of varieties at this warm, happy, and fun celebration right in the midst of winter.
80+ beer and beverage vendors slinging samples. More cheese than is doctor recommended. Stein holding competitions and “hammer nailing” competitions (they note that the other word for it is trademarked…seriously) so you can totally impress your friends. Beer will always be the foundation of the event, but if mead or cider is more your style, you’ll have plenty to sample. If THC infused refreshments are your jam, you’ll find a bunch. Spiked seltzer your elixir of choice? Yep, they got those too.
Tickets tend to sell out every year, so if you want to go, score them sooner rather than later. Of course, you must be 21 to attend. You can purchase tickets online here.
You’ll find the Alliant Energy Center on Madison’s south side, right off the Beltline (U.S. 12 & U.S. 18) near Rimrock Road and John Nolen Drive. U.S. 14, 51, and 151 and Highways 30 and 113 are all nearby.
Madison Beer & Cheese Fest Address:
Alliant Energy Center
1919 Alliant Energy Center Way
Madison, WI 53713
(608) 251-5627
Website
Back to StateTrunkTour.com
May 16, 2025 – May 18, 2025
Wisconsin Cheese Festival
The 2nd annual Wisconsin Cheese Festival runs May 16-18, 2025 at Lake Geneva House of Music, which is a very cool live music venue located right along County H (the original U.S. 12) in Lake Geneva! Wisconsin Cheese is amazing, and a festival further celebrating it will be a blast, since we know how much you love cheese!
The festival is a gathering of cheese makers and lovers, farmers, artisans and vendors to celebrate what is obviously Wisconsin’s most famous food. You can also enjoy world-class Americana, alt-country, folk and bluegrass music, whiskey, wine and craft beer. Plus fun contests, educational presentations, fantastic music, and then a delicious variety of creative foods including BBQ, locally-made pies, pig bacon candy, curds and more. During the fest, you can even learn about cheese sculpting and participate in a Stein Hoisting Competition Saturday night! It’s a particularly family-friendly weekend at the Lake Geneva House of Music festival grounds. Get the full list of vendors here!
Wisconsin Cheese Festival Event Schedule:
Fri. May 16th, 4pm until 9pm:
WHISKEY DAY
Midwest Picking Coalition…… 5pm – 7pm, Studio G
Johnny Lyons & The Pride…… 7pm – 9pm, Main Stage
Stryder Bluegrass Band…… 9:30pm-11pm, Main Stage
More acts to be announced, get the latest here
Sat. May 17th, 11am until 9pm:
CRAFT BEER DAY
Aiden Muse…… Noon-2pm, Studio G
Tony John & the Flatland String Band……. 4:30pm-7pm, Studio G
Henhouse Prowlers…… 7pm-9pm, Main Stage
More acts to be announced, get the latest here
Sun. May 18th, 10am until 9pm
FREE DAY | GENEVA OUTDOOR MARKET | WINE DAY
Nicole Nystrom Trio…… 10:30am-12:30pm, Studio G
Fox Crossing Stringband…… 12:30pm-2:45pm, Main Stage
Awards Ceremony……. 2:30 pm – 3 pm, Main Stage
More acts to be announced, get the latest here
Wisconsin Cheese Festival Ticket Info:
Fri. Advanced GA: $10 | At Gate: $12.50
Sat. Advanced GA: $12.50 | At Gate: $15
Kids 6-12 Fri: $5 | Kids 6-12 Sat. $7.50
Weekend Pass Advanced: $17.50 | At Gate: $22.50
Kids 6-12 Weekend Pass: $10
FREE on Sunday for all!
Children 5 & Under are FREE!
Get Tickets Here
It’s easy to get to Lake Geneva House of Music, just follow County H north from Lake Geneva. If you’d rather, you can certainly head south from U.S. 12 by the I-43 interchange when you reach County NN south of Elkhorn. Similarly, Highway 67 brings you close. Then just follow H until you see all the action! Prior to 1973, this was the original route of U.S. 12 before they built the freeway (some fun trivia for road geeks like us!)
Wisconsin Cheese Festival Address:
Lake Geneva House of Music
N3241 County Trunk H (formerly U.S. 12)
Lake Geneva, WI 53147
(262) 248-0606
Website
Back to StateTrunkTour.com
April 26, 2025
Wisconsin Grilled Cheese Championship
You can get to Dodgeville via U.S. 18 & 151 and Highway 23. Any trip is worth it for grilled cheese!
Our previous favorites have included the Gouda Girls (below); Tina and Katherine make grilled cheese sandwich combos that win all across the nation. They’re based in Milwaukee and do incredible things with taste buds. Our head State Trunk Tour guy Eric Paulsen got to experience their creations firsthand in this Discover Wisconsin episode. We don’t have any vote, though, so we’ll see how this goes.
Wisconsin Grilled Cheese Championship Address:
Harris Park
600 Bennett Road
Dodgeville, WI 53533
(608) 935-9200
Website
Back to StateTrunkTour.com
April 27, 2024
Between the Bluffs Beer Wine and Cheese Festival
It all begins Friday evening, April 26th, with Friday Night: Taster’s Eve. You can buy a wristband and ride the shuttles to various participating establishments for specials and tap take-overs by guest breweries attending the fest.
The main festival takes place at La Crosse’s Southside Oktoberfest Grounds on Saturday afternoon, April 23rd, with general admission ($50) from 2-6pm. VIP tickets ($90) allow for a noon entry. Details on what you get with each are below!
But that’s not all…
Sunday, April 28th is the Bacon Bloody Brunch! Jump back on the horse or come out for a “Sunday Funday” at the Oktoberfest Grounds! Enjoy specialty breakfast drinks, yard games, live music, and of course BACON. Specialty drinks include beer bloodies, mimosas and breakfast beer served up by Del’s Bar, Pearl Street Brewery, and Surly Brewing Company. For eats, enjoy giant pancakes served up by Mindoro Lions Club, bacon provided by Bubba’s Meats and Premier Catering, cheesy potatoes, and eggs. Coffee will also be available.
For Sunday’s Bacon Bloody Brunch, tickets are available for $15, which are available online or at the gates. You must be 21 years or older and show ID at the gate.
I-90, U.S. 14/61, U.S. 53, and Highways 16, 33, and 35 all bring you to La Crosse, and they’re all beautiful drives as you head “Between the Bluffs”!
Between the Bluffs Beer Wine and Cheese Festival Address:
Southside Oktoberfest Grounds
2nd & La Crosse Streets
La Crosse, WI 54601
(608) 782-2250 or (800) 658-9424
Website
Between the Bluffs Ticket ($55) Details:
General Admission Tickets include:
VIP Tickets ($95) Include:
VIP and Brewers Reception Friday, April 26th
Back to State Trunk Tour
December 1, 2018
Midwest Cream Cheese Competition
Beaver Dam is home to one of the premiere Kraft Philadelphia Brand Cream Cheese processing plants in the nation. Fittingly, the city annually plays host to the Midwest Cream Cheese Competition with Kraft products as preferred ingredients in any cream cheese recipe. This is one creamy, delicious competition!
This is the 14th annual festival and offers plenty of great dishes for sampling – although the judges get first dibs. It will take place Saturday, December 1st at the St. Katherine Drexel Parish Center on the south side of downtown Beaver Dam. Get the rest of the details (and mouth-watering photos) on their website!
Beaver Dam is easily reached via the U.S. 151 freeway or Highway 33. Highway 26 is also close by.
Midwest Cream Cheese Competition Address:
St. Katherine Drexel Parish Center
511 S. Spring Street
Beaver Dam, WI 53916
(920) 887-8879 (Beaver Dam Chamber office)
Website
March 6, 2018 – March 8, 2018
World Championship Cheese Contest
Preliminary judging rounds for the World Championship Cheese Contest are open to the public for FREE Tuesday, March 6 and Wednesday, March 7. Try some tasty samples as the judges do their thing and narrow it down to finalists and winners.
Then, Thursday night the 8th you can attend the Cheese Champion event. This ticketed event ($25, in advance) lets you sample more than 50 of the best cheese from around the world. International cheese experts will be on hand to show you the intracicies of of cheese evaluation, and of course you can pair cheeses with other foods and craft beers that will be available. The event climaxes with the crowning of the World Champion Cheesemaker!
World Championship Cheese Contest/Monona Terrace Address:
1 John Nolen Drive (U.S. 151)
Madison, WI 53703
(608) 286-1001
Website