Where cheese history begins

MONROE — Saturday, Sept. 8, will mark Monroe’s 17th annual Cheese Festival. Its a day for meeting neighbors and old friends. It’s a day to savor the delicacies from local pizzerias, deli’s and restaurants.
And it’s an event that festival chairman Joe Mancuso characterized as a local, friendly and fun-filled day to celebrate community.
The festival, in the heart of downtown Monroe, begins at 10 a.m. and ends at 5 p.m. Rain or shine.
The events include rides, bounce houses, martial arts demonstrations, performances by dancers from local dancing schools, non-profit and civic groups.
There are several new vendors expected this year, especially craft vendors, said Mancuso.

Performance

Individual performers will be entertaining the crowds all day, including DJ’S Joe Cool who will be down at Mill Pond Parkway and George Carney who will be at the blinking light at Stage Road.
On the entertainment stage at Stage Road, the following entertainers will perform:

11 a.m. to noon: Hudson Valley Youth Symphony
Noon to 1 p.m,: Steve Wells, guitar and vocal
1-2 p.m.: Paul Dinotto, singer
2-3 p.m.: Kevin Finner, singer
3-4 p.m.: - Greg Van Gelder, guitar and vocal
The popular Monroe Idol contest will begin at 4 p.m. The top three winners will win cash awards.

History

The Cheese Festival originated after a block party was held in commemoration of the Village of Monroe’s Centennial in 1989.
One of Monroe’s claim to fame is the Monroe Cheese Company, a building which still stands next to the Monroe Theater on Millpond Parkway.
Several kinds of cheese were made at the Monroe factory, including Swiss, Cheddar, Fromage de Brie, Neufchatgel and d’Isigny and later years, Liederkranz and Velveeta, which were eventually sold to Kraft in 1927.
Festival volunteers will be serving cheese samples to the crowd by the village hall.

By Claudia Wysocki