Photo credit: Marisa L. Chioini-TLG Inc.

I am astonished that the annual Festival of Cheese, taking place from 7-9:30 p.m. Aug. 3 at the Monona Terrace, will have more than 1,700 cheeses for attendees to try. That’s in addition to the crackers, charcuterie, preserves, honeys and yes, craft beer.

The festival follows the 30th annual American Cheese Society Conference, which starts July 31. Approximately 900 attendees from all over the United States and countries such as France and Australia are expected to descend upon Madison.

“We are excited to bring our event back to Wisconsin, a state with a rich cheesemaking history and home to many exciting young cheesemakers,” Nora Weiser, ACS executive director, said.  “We know we’ll have a great turnout from local cheese lovers, and we look forward to welcoming them at our public events, (including) Saturday night’s Festival of Cheese.”

The cheeses at the festival will be from the 2013 ACS Competition, with the winners highlighted. I looked through photos of last year’s Festival of Cheese in Raleigh, N.C., and they showed an ungodly amount of cheese. I may have to bring a glass of wine with me as I work through the endless displays. I love gruyere and aged cheddar, so I’m looking forward to trying all the varieties.

Tickets cost $55. Assuming I don’t get sick of cheese that evening, I’ll be sure to purchase a grab bag of cheese on my way out.

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ACS is seeking volunteers (age 18 or older) to support the conference. All volunteers receive an official volunteer T-shirt and a complimentary ticket to the Festival of Cheese.