Built in 1940, the Watonga Cheese Factory has been in operation for more than seven decades, and, every year at the Watonga Cheese Festival, attendees have the luxury of sampling the numerous varieties of Watonga Cheese that are available, including classic cheeses like cheddar and Watonga Cheese Factory staples like pepper jack, bacon cheddar and cheese curds as well as a number of novelty shaped cheeses.
In addition to Watonga Cheese, artisan cheeses from around the country will be available to try.
One change from 2019 will be the location of the Cheese Tasting Line. This year, the Cheese Tasting Line will in the First Baptist Church, and festival goers will also have the option to wash the delicious variety of cheeses down with some homegrown Oklahoma wine in the tent on Main Street.
Along with the annual cheese tasting portion of the festival, adults and children of all ages are encouraged to enter the numerous cheese food contests, at no charge. The contests will take place under six separate divisions, including Main Dish, Snacks, Desserts, Breads, Salads & Dressings and Vegetables. The winner of each food contest will be chosen by a panel of judges, but all this year’s recipes will be used to create a “Festival Cookbook” that will ultimately be available for purchase.
Even though the operation moved to Texas a few years ago, Watonga Cheese Factory cheese is available at local Watonga retailers year-round, and at this year’s Watonga Cheese Festival it will be available for purchase from the Watonga Kiwanis Club.