ONTARIO CHEESE FESTIVAL
OCTOBER 25TH, 2025, 10am – 5pm | THE GRAND RIVER RACE WAY
OCTOBER 26TH, 2025, 10am – 5pm | UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH
Join us on October 25th at the Grand River Raceway in the beautiful village of Elora, Ontario, to celebrate the finest of Ontario cheese, dairy, artisan foods, and craft beverages, and on the 26th at the University of Guelph for home cheese-making workshops.
This event sells out.
This event sells out.
More Than Just Cheese
The Annual Ontario Cheese Festival is the ultimate celebration of fine cheese, artisan foods, local wines, craft beers, distilled spirits and more produced here in Ontario. It’s a weekend of fun and discovery as you sample your way through some of the finest taste experiences this province can provide.
In addition to tasting your way through a comprehensive vendor market with close to 100 artisan food producers, we offer patrons a chance to learn about their favourite cheeses matched with craft beverages through a series of tutored tastings hosted by some of the top cheese educators in Ontario. There’s even an opportunity to attend one of two home cheese making workshops hosted by Mary Ann Ferrer, PhD, ACS CCP® Dairy Programs Manager, University of Guelph.
Our site at the Grand River Event Centre, just on the edge of beautiful Elora Ontario is within convenient driving range of the Greater Toronto area and environs.
Cheese Making Workshops
Learn how to make cheese at home through the expert guidance of Mary Ann Ferrer PhD, ACS, CCP, at the University of Guelph Food Science Department (a.k.a. the cheesiest school in Canada. There are two workshops available.
Tutored Tastings
Everybody loves a winner! We will introduce you to some award-winning cheeses from some of the biggest competitions in Canada and worldwide. You be the judge!
Event Tickets
The Ontario Cheese Festival is one of the Foodie bargains of the year. It’s an inexpensive way to enjoy the finest in Ontario cheeses, artisan foods and fine craft beers, wines, ciders and much more. This is an event you don’t want to miss, definitely save the date for a culinary experience like no other. Click below to see what’s included with your ticket.
Vendors From Across Ontario
The Ontario Cheese Festival is more than just cheese, it’s a vibrant marketplace where artisans, makers, and small-scale producers come together to celebrate and promote their craft.
Location
Nestled just beyond the charming village of Elora, Ontario, The GrandWay Event Centre offers the perfect blend of rural ambiance and modern versatility — making it an ideal home for the Ontario Cheese Festival. With multiple flexible event spaces and 53 acres of scenic grounds, including the lively Grand River Raceway, it’s a destination that invites guests to experience the very best of Ontario’s agricultural heartland.
Owned and operated by the Grand River Agricultural Society (GRAS), a not-for-profit corporation under the Agricultural and Horticultural Societies Act of Ontario, The GrandWay embodies a mission of supporting and enriching rural life. Born in 2019 from the passionate vision of GRAS’s board of directors, the centre now stands as a hub for community celebration and meaningful engagement.
As a social enterprise, all proceeds from The GrandWay fuel GRAS’s philanthropic initiatives — making every cheese-filled moment a contribution to the greater good
Ontario Cheese Festival
