The Sturminster Newton Cheese Festival brings cheese makers, food producers, craft traders, live music and a real ale and cider bar to the Blackmore Vale town every September. The 2026 festival ran on 12 and 13 September. It runs on the second full weekend of September each year, and the 2027 dates are still to come.
How it started
The festival began in 1999. The town’s weekly cattle market closed in 1997, and the local creamery, the largest employer in town, had won awards for its cheese the following year. The organisers wanted more than cheese to draw visitors, so other small food producers were invited, and the first festival ran over the second weekend of September. Thomas Hardy called the surrounding Blackmore Vale “the Vale of the Little Dairies”.
Visitor information
Dates: To be announced for 2027. Expect the second full weekend of September.
Tickets: Advance tickets are sold online. Carer tickets are free once a standard ticket has been bought.
Getting there: Parking is free in Durant Field, with the entrance from Bridge Street (satnav postcode DT10 1DQ). If you are walking in, use Ricketts Lane at the top of Bridge Street. The nearest railway station is Gillingham, 9 miles away, followed by Templecombe at 10 miles and Sherborne at 12 miles.
Accessibility: The disabled car park is close to the main pedestrian entrance. There is no mobility scooter hire on site.
Dogs: Not allowed in the food tents. Assistance dogs are welcome.
Weather: Most exhibits are under canvas, and the field is well drained, so the festival goes ahead unless conditions make it impossible.
Where to stay
Sturminster Newton is a small market town on the River Stour. Browse places to stay near Sturminster Newton once the 2027 dates are out.
