WOW! We had a blast! The key to attracting large crowds to any event is to offer free activities for the kids. Parents want their children to burn energy and have fun and the Festival is the spot to do this! We parked close to the Six Town Meeting House where the Kids' Zone was located. Closing down the street nearby was a brilliant move as we were free to roam across the streets checking out vendors without worry of avoiding traffic. Upon approaching the Kids' Zone, we were greeted by Cheesie Louisie, the mascot Mouse of the event and her assistant who gave my daughter two tickets, one for a free book and one for a free ice cream cone. Before we could enter the building to claim our freebies, we had to stop to pet the alpacas, goats and check out the Birds of Prey. Then we got a free balloon courtesy of MacIlvennie and Brown Insurance and a free balloon animal. Then the three large bounce houses and slides out back of the building caught her eye and we were off for her to get her bounce on. The pony was on break after the bounce houses so we figured we would get the free pony ride on the way back to the car and so in the building we ventured to cash in the tickets for ice cream and literature.
Superheros were handing out vanilla cones to the children, a nice refreshment on what turned out to be a warm summer day! Then we went to get the book. Now when I heard free book, I envisioned maybe like a free thin 8 page coloring book or something along those lines. I was BLOWN away by the selection of books they had to pick from. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, The Berenstain Bears, Little Critters books and so much more! I didn't have a chance to browse the older childrens' selection because once my daughter selected her SpongeBob "I Can Read" book we were off to check out the Sci Tech Center's exhibit.
On our way out we voted for the Cutest Pet photo (I'm rooting for Bear but my daughter voted for Max). We decided to check out the good eats Gram's Diner was advertising, browsing the vendors that lined the streets that we walked up. Gram's was busy, as usual, but we were able to sit right down at a booth near the back. We were checking out all the updates the new owners have made to the restaurant (it looks amazing!) when our waitress stopped by and took our drinks order. We didn't even need to look at the regular menu, we knew we all wanted to try something from the day's specials menu. I went with the Bacon Cheeseburger Macaroni and Cheese, while my sister and brother in law chose the Cheddar Bacon Ale Burger on a Pretzel Roll with French Fries. Even my daughter was in the mood for cheese as she selected Grilled Cheese from the kids' menu. As always with Gram's the service was superb and the food was set in front of us in no time at all! My daughter took one look at my plate and announced that she was going to share with me (I did make her eat at least half her grilled cheese but she did also manage to gobble down half of my meal as well!). It was a heaping serving of their homemade mac n cheese with chunks of hamburger and hickory smoked bacon mixed in. Um, yum! I highly recommend you put that on the specials rotation! My sister and brother in law took one look at their burgers and then back at each other and said, "How are we going to eat this?" Indeed as the fresh pretzel roll was packed right full of burger, bacon and cheddar sauce. They decided to cut it up in wedges and eat it like that. As always, amazing service, food and atmosphere.
We crossed the road after my daughter dunked a local TV personality Rob Krone in the dunking booth and there was music, wine, and vendors galore. Dresses, repurposed wine bottles made into cheese platters, jewelry (3 for $5?! Amazing!!), wooden signs and so, so, so much more. We remarked a few times amazement over how many vendors come out for the event. There was no way anyone could walk away hungry as there was food everywhere! Cheesecake on a stick, Indian tacos, Deep Fried Cheese Curd, Smoothies, Fried Dough, Jams, etc. We stopped at a maple specialty booth for maple flavored cotton candy and a local honey specialty booth for flavored honey sticks while a woman nearby painted a HUGE painting of a lion. It is really neat to see so many products that are made locally and in surrounding areas. Felt very homestead-ish to me, which is right up my alley!
We headed back for the promised pony ride, which of course there was a line of eager children waiting. I struck up a conversation with a woman standing behind me in line. She was visiting from Illinois and there with her granddaughter. She was so impressed with the event and said how wonderful it was. They typically attended the French Festival but with so many activities for children, they couldn't say no (see, it's all about the kids!). I couldn't help but agree with her. Definitely worth the trip out! So a few trips around on the pony and a glittery tattoo of a wolf (my daughter is obsessed with wolves) at the Face Painting booth and we were ready for home.
In retrospect, the only way I could even suggest improving this fabulous event was to perhaps somehow ban smoking in the Kids' Zone. We stood in line waiting at the face painting booth while several people stood nearby smoking. I think people have a right to smoke if they want to, but I think all children have a right to breathe air free from second hand smoke as well. There is little more annoying as a non-smoker than having to smell/ breathe in the secondhand smoke from smokers. So perhaps a smoking zone next year? If it is pet free to protect the public, I think it should be smoke free as well to protect those who choose not to smoke from secondhand smoke. Local businesses who didn't take advantage of the huge crowds that were drawn to the area should get involved next year and set up a booth to display their services/ products.
The Adams Revitalization Committee has gone above and beyond to not only showcase this community in a great way, but bringing revenue to the area at the same time. On the way home the one question my daughter had was how many more weeks til the festival happened again. I told her it was once a year and we would go again next year. Her response was, "That's it? That was so much fun it should happen more than once a year!" So from her little hands and from mine, we both give two thumbs up to the Cheddar Cheese Festival!
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