Learn more about the Downeast Cider + Cheese Festival taking place in Downtown Ellsworth starting Friday, November 8th, and ending Sunday, November 10, 2024. Our annual celebration of Maine cider and cheese includes free and ticketed events. Learn more about them all below:
EXPLORE CIDER MAKING AT FOGTOWN BREWING COMPANY
Saturday, November 2nd from 2:00 to 4:00 PM
25 Pine Street, Ellsworth, ME 04605
Join Heart of Ellsworth and Fogtown Brewing Co. for a cider-making demonstration as we select, mill & press apples gathered from local orchards and foraged from the Maine Coast. We'll taste fresh heritage cider apples, and discuss how their complex characteristics contribute to the cider-making process. You’ll learn some of the history of the classic varietals, with their intriguing bitterness, tannins, and mysterious aromatics! We’ll talk about the various yeast and other microbes involved in fermentation, practical tips for finding and selecting apples, pressing, fermenting, aging, and bottling. Finally, we'll transfer this golden elixir into select oak barrels to ferment and age for next year's bottling.
As the pressing demo winds down, head to the Fogtown bar, where Fogtown will open some bottles from their cellar so you can purchase their new releases by the glass! And enjoy their cider-apple wood-fired pizza special.
For $60 you can take home 500ml of our freshly-pressed cider in a swivel-top bottle to drink fresh or ferment at home! Plus, attendees gt two general admission tickets to the Cider & Cheese Bazaar on Saturday, November 9th.
Milk, Acid, and Time: The Basic Cheesemaker's Recipe In-Person
We are excited to host a special (free) family workshop with Crystal Burke. You will have the chance to observe cheese being made right in front of you. There will also be some snacks to go along with the cheese and we will get into some cheesy stories too! We can't wait. Register below to join!*
Crystal Burke has a small dairy goat herd called Hay's End Farm (Surry). She currently makes goat milk soaps and cheeses and so much more. She will be coming to teach a very simple cheese recipe that you can make with almost any milk and explain how the same simple steps can create almost any cheese with just a little modification. Come join with all your questions and curiosity as the bulk of any good cheese recipe is time. We will make a quick farm style soft cheese and discuss ways to both flavor this recipe and what changes would be needed to make almost any cheese a family wants to make.
Accessibility:
The speaker has multiple disabilities herself and among her family that make them susceptible to severe illness. You will need to weat a mask if you want to attend. If you believe that you are sick or have been exposed to an illness, we kindly ask you to cancel your registration. We will have some respirators available.
This event is specifically for families with kids.However, when you register please keep in mind that there will be hot plates in the room. Our recommendation is to attend with kids ages 5 and up.
The speaker will be wearing a respirator which will prevent the option of lipreading. While she has some knowledge of ASL, she is not translation capable.
APPLE TALK + RECEPTION WITH TODD LITTLE SIEBOLD
Friday, November 8, 2024, 5:00 PM TO 6:00 PM
16 State Street Ellsworth, ME 04605
Learn from local apple legend, Todd Little Siebold, in the opening event of the 2024 Downeast Cider + Cheese Festival. Click here for more details.
DOWNEAST CIDER + CHEESE FESTIVAL BAZAAR
TICKET SALES HAVE CLOSED!
Saturday, November 9th, 2024, Time on ticket
429 Bucksport Road Ellsworth, ME, 04605
Discover the finest local ciders and cheeses at our vibrant market bazaar outside downtown Ellsworth. This market will offer a delightful experience for people of all ages. Sample and purchase local craft cheese, ciders, and other specialty food products. Grab lunch from a local food truck. Try your luck at getting some high-valued prizes at the raffle auction. Support local businesses and savor some of our region's best flavors!
VIP TICKETS
VIPs gain early entry to the Downeast Cider + Cheese Festival bazaar. Be the first to meet the purveyors, sample, and shop! Doors open for VIP ticket holders at 11:30 AM for a full hour of exclusive early access. VIPs also receive a commemorative tasting glass & tote bag. VIP tickets cost $30.
GENERAL ADMISSION
GA tickets cost just $10 to shop from Maine’s best cideries and cheesemakers. The bazaar is open to GA ticket holders from 12:30 to 4:30 PM.
FERMENTED APPLES WORKSHOP WITH JESSE STEIGER
Sunday, November 10, 2024, 3:00 PM TO 4:00 PM
50 Church Street, Ellsworth, ME, 04605
Learn all about fermented apples with Jesse Steiger at The Conscious Cafe at the Steamy Buddha during the 2024 Downeast Cider + Cheese Festival. Click here for more details.
Cider & Cheese Raffle Drawing & After Party
Sunday, November 10, 2024, 4:00 PM
25 Pine Street, Ellsworth
Join Heart of Ellsworth for the Cider & Cheese Raffle Drawing & After Party at 4 pm at Fogtown Brewing Company! The annual Downeast Cider & Cheese Festival is Heart of Ellsworth’s biggest event of the year. Join committee members as we celebrate all the amazing accomplishments from this event while enjoying delicious cider made right here at our very own downtown brewery. Stick around to hear if you’re one of the lucky winners from the raffle ticket auction and take home some incredible prizes. It’s the perfect way to wrap up the festivities—good cider, great company, and a celebration of our vibrant community. Don’t miss it!