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October in Upstate New York usually means leaf-peeping, but this weekend the action is decidedly more dairy-driven. On Saturday, October 4, the Little Falls Cheese Festival celebrates its 10th anniversary by taking over Main Street in Little Falls, the Mohawk Valley town once known as the cheese capital of the world.
What started in 2015 as a community street fair has grown into the state’s premier cheese event, pulling crowds from across New York and beyond. Organizers estimate that more than 15,000 people came last year and they expect even more this time around. Nearly 100 vendors are slated to set up shop, including more than 40 cheesemakers. Between them, they’ll be serving up over 120 varieties, ranging from Adirondack Cheese Company’s robust wedges to the herbed chèvre at Shtayburne Farm Creamery and the sharp classics from Original Herkimer Cheese.
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The dairy may be the headliner, but it’s not the only reason to make the trip. The festival also showcases regional craft beverages, gourmet bites and handmade goods, with local musicians providing a soundtrack as visitors snack their way down Main Street. It’s an easy excuse to explore a town recently voted the friendliest in the state—and one with a storied relationship to cheese.
Little Falls hasn’t forgotten its past: between 1864 and 1870, it was the largest cheese market in the world, a hub fueled by the Erie Canal and surrounding dairy farms. That legacy continues to shape the festival’s mission today. “We want to celebrate that drive and the diversity of produce our state offers,” organizers said.
That ethos has turned the event into more than a shopping spree—it’s become a statewide gathering point for cheese lovers, farmers and curious travelers alike. Whether you’re after a wheel of cheddar to take home, a new farmstead discovery or just the chance to wander through a town overtaken by the smell of melting dairy, Little Falls is promising the cheesiest day trip New York has to offer.