The Downeast Cider + Cheese Festival returns to Ellsworth this November, beginning a new chapter through a partnership between Heart of Ellsworth and Woodlawn.
The Downeast Cider + Cheese Festival celebrates Maine’s cider and cheese makers and the agricultural traditions behind their work. Rooted in Maine’s historic apple industry and Ellsworth’s own cider-making past, the festival brings people together to taste, learn, and meet the producers carrying these traditions forward.
While Heart of Ellsworth and Woodlawn are proud to host the festival together, its return is only possible because of a much larger community. Sponsors and media partners have supported its growth over many years. Local organizations and businesses have contributed programming, gathering spaces, expertise, and promotion. Cider makers, cheesemakers, farmers, and food producers have traveled to Ellsworth to share both their products and the stories behind them. Volunteers have given their time to the countless details that bring the festival to life.
2026 festival lineup
Celebrate all week long, November 9–14, with downtown businesses, Maine producers, and sponsors coming together around cider, cheese, and community. Explore events across downtown Ellsworth and Woodlawn campus below!
Downtown Cider Crawl
November 9–14 | During participating businesses’ regular hours
Building on last year’s Pub Crawl, the Downtown Cider Crawl brings the Downeast Cider + Cheese Festival into local restaurants, pubs, and cafés with apple- and cheese-inspired food and drink specials.
Visit participating locations in any order and at your own pace. Make a purchase at each stop and collect a sticker on your Cider Passport. Return your passport with more than five stops marked by 2 p.m. Saturday, November 14, to the Festival Market at Woodlawn or Heart of Ellsworth at 16 State Street for entry into the festival raffle.
Passport availability + Pickup to be announced Nov. 1st
Confirmed participating businesses
Apple History Talk
Friday evening at Woodlawn | Free admission | Registration required
Explore the history behind the harvest with an apple history talk at Woodlawn, part of the Downeast Cider + Cheese Festival.
More details and registration information will be announced closer to the festival. Check back as we share what’s in store!
Sponsored by Mae Beth Vacation Rental Management
Live Music: Smoked Salmon
Friday, November 13 | 6PM - 8PM | Fogtown Brewing co.
Spend Friday night at Fogtown with local jam band Smoked Salmon, bringing psychedelic funk rock to the indoor taproom stage. Gather with friends and settle in for an evening of live music as part of the Downeast Cider + Cheese Festival.
Festival Market
Saturday, November 14 | 10AM - 2Pm | The Barn at Woodlawn
Shop a mix of cider, cheese, and complementary goods at the Festival Market, part of the returning Downeast Cider + Cheese Festival. This family-friendly market brings together producers and vendors inside the Barn at Woodlawn, with opportunities to meet the makers and purchase goods to take home.
This year’s market is dedicated to shopping, with no coordinated tasting tickets offered during market hours. Guided tasting experiences are held separately and require advance tickets.
Sponsored by maine Cheese Guild, Fogtown Brewing Company, & Fuzzy Udder Creamery
The Art of Pairing
Saturday, November 13 | 3:30PM - 5PM | 16 State Street
WITH CHEF ROSS FLORANCE OF LA LAITERIE AND APPLE HISTORIAN TODD LITTLE-SIEBOLD. FEATURING AWARD-WINNING MAINE POMMEAU CRAFTED BY JON STEIN OF ELLSWORTH’S FOGTOWN BREWING COMPANY.
The Art of Pairing brings culinary expertise and cider heritage to the Makerspace Gallery at 16 State for a special afternoon gathering surrounded by the current exhibition.
Ross Florance, chef and owner of La Laiterie, whose career includes internationally celebrated kitchens such as Le Bernardin and Per Se, joins apple historian Todd Little-Siebold to guide guests through a thoughtfully curated series of pairings. Ross’s food selections draw inspiration from the regions and culinary traditions behind Todd’s featured French ciders and local pommeau, connecting each pairing to the people and places that shaped it.
The experience unfolds one pairing at a time, as Ross and Todd share their knowledge and perspectives on food and place. They’ll invite questions and explore how flavors complement and transform one another.
Created especially for the 2026 Downeast Cider + Cheese Festival, this rare collaboration offers a distinctive meeting of food, culture, and conversation in downtown Ellsworth. This is a fully seated experience, with only a select number of tickets available.
$60 per person | Ages 21+
Sponsored by La Laiterie
Cider+Cheese: Guided Tasting
Saturday, November 14 | 6PM - 8PM | The Barn at Woodlawn
Spend an evening discovering what happens when good cider meets good cheese. Join us at Woodlawn for a guided tasting of hard ciders paired with selected cheeses, with stories and conversation from participating cider makers.
During this seated tasting, we’ll explore each pairing together, learning what makes the ciders distinct and how the cheeses complement their flavors. Whether you know your way around a cider list or are trying something new, come curious and leave with a few new favorites.
Part of the Downeast Cider + Cheese Festival, this experience brings guests closer to the products and the people who make them. Your ticket includes the guided cider and cheese tasting experience. Portions are intended for tasting; this event does not include dinner. Advance registration is required, and seating is limited.
$30 per person | Ages 21+
Sponsored by Crocker House Country Inn
Festival Raffle
more info coming soon
Take a chance on festival prizes while supporting the Downeast Cider + Cheese Festival! Prizes and details on how to enter will be announced in early November, with opportunities to purchase raffle tickets or earn an entry through a Downtown Cider Crawl Passport.
The drawing will take place at the end of Cider + Cheese: A Guided Tasting on Saturday, November 14, and will be livestreamed. You do not need to be present to win. Winners who are not present will be contacted by email.
Sponsored by First National Bank, Ellsworth Equipment: Maine Tractor Company & Arbor Camp
2026 festival sponsors
FAQs
Where should I stay while I’m in Ellsworth?
Make a getaway of your festival visit with Arbor Camp, the official lodging partner of the 2026 Downeast Cider + Cheese Festival! Ellsworth also offers a variety of other accommodations, including Colonial Inn, Comfort Inn, Eagles Lodge Motel, and Ramada Inn. Explore your options and book ahead to enjoy the celebrations across downtown Ellsworth and Woodlawn.
Where’s a good place to eat during my visit?
An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but Downtown Ellsworth has so much more to offer! Whether you’re craving pub eats, pizza, curry, or lobster, here’s where to eat in Downtown Ellsworth.
Have another question or comment?
For more information, email us at info@heartofellsworth.org. We’re always happy to take questions or feedback!
Check out this video from the 2022 festival to get a feel for what the Downeast Cider + Cheese is all about!