One event my husband and I always look forward to each spring is the Oregon Cheese Festival, celebrating its 14th incarnation this year. Each year it gets bigger, and Culture Magazine, a leading periodical in the cheese industry, has named it one of the Ten Best Cheese Festivals in the country. We’ve watched it evolve over the past nine years we’ve lived in the area; it’s been interesting to observe not only the growth of the event in terms of the number of vendors and attendees but also in the variety of vendors.

This year a total of 23 creameries producing goat, sheep and cow cheeses from across Oregon and up and down the West Coast offered their wares as small bites for tasting and in wedges, tubs and wheels for sale. They were far outnumbered by food products (35 vendors in all) ranging from honeys, sauces, dips and oils to baked goods, chocolates and sweets, fruit and mushrooms. Of course, you gotta have something to wash all those goodies down, so 32 different booths offered mead, wine, beers, ciders, distilled spirits and fresh-roasted coffee. Throw in a smattering of crafters and nonprofits, and the result was two enormous tents overflowing with plenty to eat and drink.

Most notable in just the past three to four years is the increase in the number of local distillers producing whiskeys, vodkas, gins, rums and the like. Starting with just one a few years ago, this year there were eight, all located in state. While ciders have also been coming on strong during this period, I’ve been impressed with the quality of the spirits I’ve tasted . . . though I confess I’m more of an oenophile. Locavores certainly have plenty of options here!

I appreciated this year that when I purchased the $10 adult beverage tasting option on top of the pre-sale $15 entrance fee, I wasn’t limited to a certain number of tastes. In the past, one had to hand over a paper ticket or have a mark made on a bracelet for each taste, with a limit of 10 or so. It was a hassle. This year, patrons got a glass and a color-coded bracelet and they were good to go. (You could also purchase full servings from some of the vendors if you wished.)

It’s also been interesting to observe how the event has increasingly incorporated technology over the past several years. There’s been a strong push to have guests purchase their tickets in advance ($5 cheaper than at the door) online and print them or download them to their phones. We were scanned through with handheld devices at the entrance to the event, and even with a large crowd the line moved quickly. Most vendors are able to accept credit card payments via their phones; it really wasn’t so many years ago that cash and checks were most commonly used.

The one constant, however, is that the quality and variety of the cheeses are excellent, and despite the crowds, we’ll be back for more next year.

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor