Big Cheese Days comes to Tillsonburg Aug. 22

Emily Stewart, Post Correspondent

Summer in the Tillsonburg area is about to get a little cheesier.

Tourism Oxford will hold a Big Cheese Day on Aug. 22, highlighting the seven Tillsonburg and area businesses included on the Oxford County Cheese Trail. Station Arts Centre, GoodPud, Coyle’s Country Store, Red Dragon Dairy, New Galma Dairy, Makkink’s Flower Farm and Bakery Cafe, and Dad’s Ice Cream will either offer tasty treats and/or special activities available only on the upcoming Big Cheese Day, in addition to their summer programming and other services.

GoodPud will run mini dessert demonstrations and samples of their chilled chocolate dessert. Makkink’s will serve a brie croissant sandwich. Dad’s Ice Cream’s big cheese butter tart sundae will include maple cream cookie ice cream topped with a maple drizzle, nuts, whipped cream, and a cube of local cheddar.

Coyle’s customers can get a free third cheesecake fudge square when purchasing two squares of cheesecake fudge. Red Dragon Dairy, near Salford, will serve a Welsh rarebit grilled cheese made with sheep’s milk and New Galma Dairy will have samples of the Dutch treat known as bitterball made with their own cheese. Station Arts Centre will run a Bloom Bar, featuring a pick-your-own 2D paper flowers activity where guests can pick, colour, and create their own bouquets.

"We've been playing around with the idea of offering a one-weekend, or one-Saturday event for some time, and we decided to try it out this year,” said Meredith Maywood, tourism manager of Oxford County. “There's so much going on in Tillsonburg in the summer. We thought it was a great opportunity to see if there was an appetite for people to come out to another event later in the year in August."

Big Cheese Days, where Oxford County businesses and organizations on the cheese trail offer special products and promotions, is otherwise held on every Saturday in May.

Maywood said that during the summer, the seven businesses in Tillsonburg and area flourish.

"For instance, Dad's Ice Cream is very seasonal, flowers are in full bloom at Makkink's, the farmer's market is in full swing at the Station Arts Centre,” she said.

The web page for Tillsonburg Cheese Days on the Oxford County Tourism website said that it should take about 30 minutes of driving to visit all places part of the Tillsonburg Hub.

"It keeps your drive time short while you check out the most number of attractions,” Maywood said.

More information can be found online by visiting https://www.tourismoxford.ca/big-cheese-days/august.