Little Falls – The Little Falls Cheese Festival returns to Main Street on Saturday, October 3, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and festival committee head Teri Chace, affectionately known as the event’s “head cheese,” says year eleven is all about listening to the people who come.
“Every year we make improvements,” Chace said. “We get feedback from attendees and vendors, and we try to improve it, because we’re on the continuous improvement plan.”
The festival’s footprint on Main Street is staying the same size, and many familiar faces will be back. “You will see some of the same vendors you’ve seen in previous years, some of your favorite vendors, some of these really amazing cheeses, and the rum cake guys coming back,” Chace said, noting that a handful of new vendors have filled spaces that opened up.
Twice the Buses, Plus a Dispatcher
The biggest change this year addresses the most common complaint from 2025: long waits at the shuttle lots, both getting into the festival and getting back to the car.
“We changed bus companies, and we doubled the number of buses, and we have a dispatcher,” Chace said. “So if one shuttle lot is not busy and the other one is busier, they can summon their friends to come down and help.”
The fleet also includes two smaller buses that hold 10 passengers and two wheelchairs. “If you’re coming with someone who’s in a wheelchair or a walker or a cane, or just needs extra time, you’re welcome to use the smaller buses, and your family and friends can ride with you,” she said.
The shuttles run continuously all day rather than on a fixed schedule, and riders can ask a driver to call for another bus or a pickup.
Chace was blunt about how to get there. “Please use the shuttle lots. Do not try to drive into Little Falls,” she said. “Main Street is closed. Albany Street is one-way; everything’s blocked. You’ll drive around in circles, get really frustrated, and won’t be able to enjoy the festival. Use the shuttle lots. They’re free, with way more buses.”
Travelers coming off the Thruway at Exit 29A should know the bridge into Little Falls has been under repair and closed. Organizers hope it reopens before the festival, and a signed detour is in place.
For those east or west of the city, Chace offered simple advice: “Take Route 5. Why not? It goes right to the shuttle lots. There are signs to follow.”
A New Stop at Canal Place
The shuttle serving the west lot in the industrial park will now swing through Canal Place on each trip, giving visitors an easy way to see more of the city.
“There’s more to Little Falls,” Chace said. “If you feel like Main Street is too crowded, or you glimpsed Canal Place coming in on the bus, you can go down there. The brew pub will be open. The restaurants will be open. The shops will be open. It might be a little bit quieter down there. We just want people to really appreciate Little Falls.”
Cheese Classes With Mary Rizzo
New this year, the New York State Cheese Council will have a booth at the festival and is hosting a fundraiser featuring three hour-long cheese classes led by Mary Rizzo, whom Chace called a “scintillating, lovely, exciting person to listen to” with “boundless enthusiasm and knowledge.”
“Really, their mission is our mission,” Chace said of the council.
The first class covers the basics of cheese. The second focuses on rinds, which Chace summed up as “to eat or not to eat, that is the question.” The late afternoon session explores New York State cheddar, “which has a lot to do with Little Falls area history,” she said.
And yes, there will be tasting. “There will be things to nibble on,” Chace said. “You’re not just going to listen to Mary talk. And you will learn.”
The classes will be held at Rock City Centre at 690 E. Main St., a block before the festival begins. Tickets are available on Eventbrite, or by searching “cheese classes Little Falls Cheese Festival.”
“Just duck out for an hour, take one of Mary’s classes and then return to the festival, fortified and educated and enthusiastic,” Chace said. “Maybe it’ll change your buying plans.”
Music Made for Grazing
The festival will again feature live music roughly every block, curated by a musician with what Chace called “wonderful taste.”
“This is not a rock and roll festival,” she said. “We have some of those here in Little Falls. This is not one of those. There’ll be jazz and bluegrass, acoustic guitar, classical guitar, fiddle music and stuff like that, which I think makes a really nice atmosphere.”
With a limited music budget, performers will have their cases open. “If you like what you hear, please tip the musicians,” Chace said. “It’s good karma. Don’t walk by.”
All New York, All Day
Everything at the festival, from the cheeses and gourmet foods to the beverages, food trucks and musicians, comes from New York State. Chace said cheesemakers from Wisconsin and Vermont have asked to take part, and the answer is always no. “This is our festival,” she said, adding proudly that organizers have learned it is the largest cheese festival in the Northeast.
The Art Thing Collaborative, a local nonprofit, will set up in front of M&T Bank and rove the crowd snapping photos of “cheesy smiles.” History lovers can visit the Herkimer Home State Historic Site, (just a few miles away), whose costumed interpreters set up at the corner by the traffic light, and the Little Falls Historical Society a block away, which has an exhibit on why cheese took root in Little Falls.
A food truck court with tented seating will be half a block off Main Street in the M&T Bank parking lot. None of the trucks duplicate what local restaurants serve, so visitors who prefer air conditioning and table service can head inside a local restaurant or pub instead.
On safety, Chace said the festival has checked every box required by the state. “You won’t be aware of how you’re being protected, but you are,” she said.
Supporting a Volunteer Effort
The festival is a nonprofit run entirely by volunteers. Donations are welcome at the entry booths where visitors pick up festival maps, and the souvenir booth has doubled in size, stocking hoodies, wine glasses, pint glasses, and Christmas ornaments along with T-shirts. “Do all your holiday shopping at the Little Falls Cheese Festival,” Chace said.
A Culinary Adventure
Chace’s advice for first-timers: come early, follow the signs to the shuttle lots, and slow down at the booths.
“Our vendors are the people who grow and make these things. You are buying directly from someone,” she said. “Come with the attitude that this is a culinary adventure. You’re going to find good things to eat and drink that you’ve never had before, and you’ll get them directly from the person who made them. It’s going to cost a little bit more, but you’re helping the economy of New York and of this region.”
That, she said, is why the festival exists. “The whole reason the Cheese Festival was founded was to promote New York State cheeses. There’s no reason Wisconsin and Vermont should have the crown. We have great cheeses in New York State, and we want you to come and learn about them and enjoy them.”
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