At the American Cheese Society Conference in Chicago this week, two events are open to the public: the Festival of Cheese, the evening of Saturday, July 26 at the Hilton Chicago, and the Cheese Sale, held at Kendall College the morning of Sunday, July 27.

The Festival of Cheese is from 5:30 to 9 p.m. The cost to the public is $85, which might sound expensive until I tell you that more than 1,000 cheeses will be available to taste. It's like cheese heaven! Other food products, wine, and beer will also be available. Tickets can be bought at the door.

"The Festival offers a rare opportunity for people to taste a wide variety of cow, goat, and sheep cheeses, many of which are never sold beyond the region where the cheese is made," said Marci Wilson, executive director of the American Cheese Society.

But don't over do it, because you've got to get up the next morning and head to the cheese sale from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Kendall College (900 N. North Branch Street). If the high price of artisanal cheese doesn't fit into your budget right now, this sale is for you. The cheese will be sold at discounted prices, much lower than what you'd pay in stores. And I guarantee there will be some cheeses available that you usually don't see in your local cheese shop. Just make sure to get their early - supplies of some cheeses will be limited.

I am tremendously sad that I am not able to attend, so if you're going, let us all know what the experience is like!

It's finally here, the cheese competition of the year! The American Cheese Society conference is kind of like the Oscars for cheese. But instead of awards for best actor and screenwriter, there's awards for categories like "best washed rind cheese" and "best aged sheeps' milk cheese." Somewhere around 1,200 domestic cheeses will be in the competition - which means the judges have their work cut out for them. Yes, that's right, there are actually people who work as professional cheese tasters!

The American Cheese Society has been around for 25 years, but the conference was a relatively small and quiet event until the cheese craze took hold. Between 2005 and 2007 attendance at the conference increased by a whopping 84 percent.

This year, the conference is being held at the Chicago Hilton July 23-26. Most of the events are open only to members of the ACS (cheese makers, retailers and restaurateurs) but if you're in Chicago and love cheese, there are two events open to the public that you won't want to miss: the Festival of Cheese, the evening of Saturday, July 26 at the Hilton, and the Cheese Sale, held at Kendall College the morning of Sunday, July 27. Says Marci Wilson, executive director of the American Cheese Society, "It's a rare opportunity for cheese lovers to peruse, sample, and purchase the top cheeses in North America all in one weekend."

It is recommended that you purchase tickets in advance. If you can't get to Chicago this weekend, don't worry. The conference moves to a new city every year, so stay tuned!