What: Cheese the Day, a free community event pairing Vermont cheeses with Marketplace businesses

When: Friday, September 18 from 5 – 8 pm

Where: Church Street Marketplace

BURLINGTON, VT — Get ready to say cheese! Church Street Marketplace will celebrate Vermont’s rich cheesemaking tradition on Friday, September 18, with an evening of free tastings, live music, and local flavor as part of Vermont Cheese Week.

From 5–8 pm, visitors are invited to stroll the four blocks of the Marketplace and discover the craftsmanship and creativity behind some of Vermont’s most celebrated cheesemakers. Participating Marketplace businesses will pair 16 different Vermont cheeses with their shops, creating a unique tasting trail that encourages guests to explore the Marketplace while sampling flavors from across the state.

Among the pairings featured throughout the evening:

• Boston Post Dairy’s Gisele at MK Clothing
• Plymouth Artisan Cheese’s Hunter Cheddar at Phoenix Books Burlington
• Shelburne Farms’ Two-Year Cheddar at Frog Hollow Gallery
• Vermont Creamery’s Cremont at Kiss the Cook
• Von Trapp Farmstead’s Mt. Alice at Outdoor Gear Exchange
• Barn First Creamery’s Cowles at Pascolo
• Champlain Valley Creamery’s Organic Champlain Triple at The Prik
• Tucker Hill Cheese Co.’s Crossroads Mini at Golden Hour
• And more!!

Guests can sample cheeses while shopping, dining, and exploring downtown. The evening will also feature a wine garden at Pascolo, (83 Church St) and live music from Trio Gusto, creating the perfect setting to gather with friends, family, neighbors, and fellow food lovers. 

And that’s not all! Participants will have the chance to enter a drawing for a grand prize, a 2-night farm-stay for two at a Cabot dairy farm, Liberty Hill in Rochester, VT. The stay will include breakfast and dinner, the chance to wake up to help milk the cows and sit on the porch and watch farm life.  

“Vermont cheese is something that brings people together, and Church Street is the perfect place to celebrate that,” said Samantha McGinnis, Director of the Church Street Marketplace. “We’re excited to invite the community downtown to enjoy some of Vermont’s incredible cheesemakers, discover new favorites, support our local businesses, and spend one of summer’s last evenings together on the Marketplace.”

Whether you’re a lifelong cheddar enthusiast, a blue cheese devotee, or simply looking for a fun Friday night downtown, there will be something delicious waiting around every corner.

The event is free and open to all.

Media Sponsor: Seven Days

Vermont Cheese Week

The Church Street Marketplace celebration is part of Vermont Cheese Week, a statewide, weeklong celebration taking place September 13–20, 2026. Presented by the Vermont Cheese Council, Vermont Cheese Week celebrates Vermont’s cheesemakers and the land, animals, and communities that make Vermont cheese possible through tastings, pairings, educational experiences, and events throughout the state.

For more information about Vermont Cheese Week, visit Vermont Cheese Week.

For additional event details and a complete list of businesses, visit Cheese the Day.