Big Cheese Festival facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Big Cheese Festival |
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| Location(s) | Caerphilly |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Founders | Caerphilly County Borough Council |
| Attendance | 80,000 |
| Website | https://www.caerphillycheesefestival.co.uk/ |
The Big Cheese Festival is a super fun yearly food festival. It happens every July in Caerphilly, Wales. This festival started in the year 2000.
About the Festival
The Big Cheese Festival is all about delicious Caerphilly cheese! Everything at the event is planned around this special cheese. It's a huge event for Caerphilly town. Up to 80,000 people visit over three days. This is also the only festival in Wales just for cheese.
The festival takes place in and around Caerphilly Castle. This castle is the biggest in Wales. It is also one of the largest castles in all of Europe! The festival is free to enter. You can also go inside the castle for free during the event.
In 2020 and 2021, the festival did not happen. This was because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The festival hoped to return in 2022. But there was building work at Caerphilly Castle. So, the council held a different event. It was called the Little Cheese Race. The Little Cheese Race happened again in 2023. It was spread out around Caerphilly town center. It also used the grass area behind Caerphilly Castle.
What You Can Do
The festival focuses on yummy food and drinks.
- You can find street food vendors.
- There is a comfy lounge bar area.
- Food halls offer many tasty treats.
- Chefs give live cooking shows.
The food halls have stalls from local Welsh food makers. They also feature producers from other parts of the UK. There is a big focus on Welsh cuisine. You can also visit a special cheese market. It has cheese makers from Wales and all over the UK.
In the past, the festival had many exciting things.
- There was a Big Cheese Race.
- A funfair offered rides and games.
- Amazing firework displays lit up the sky.
- Live music filled the air.
- Other fun activities included talks and demonstrations.
- There were also educational activities for everyone.
- Special activities were planned just for children.
Medieval re-enactments happen in the castle grounds. These include exciting battles and displays. A special program of events is held in the castle's Great Hall. These activities help show the history and culture of Caerphilly.
The Big Cheese Race
The Big Cheese Race is a fun event. Teams run a relay race around the castle. They pass traditional cheese stretchers. These stretchers hold fake cheese truckles. Each team runs a lap around the castle grounds. The race has different age groups. Each team is made up of four people.
How the Festival Works
The festival is put together by the Caerphilly County Borough Council. Many businesses help by being sponsors. The Welsh Government has also supported the festival. They help through their Food Festival Grant Scheme.
The festival usually lasts for three days. It starts on a Friday afternoon. In 2012, about 80,000 people came to enjoy the event.
Videos
- The Big Cheese Festival 2019
