PLYMOUTH (NBC 26) — It's known as one of the quirkiest New Years traditions in the country. This year, the Plymouth Cheese Drop is celebrating 15 years of ringing in the New Year.
Every year, the city, which has been named the Cheese Capital of the World, celebrates the New Year by dropping a wedge of cheese from a Plymouth Fire Department ladder truck. The free event is held at the Plymouth Arts Center and is sponsored by Satori cheese company.
“Satori company is a long standing company here that actually makes the cheese," said Plymouth Performing Arts Center administrative assistant Kerry Lynn Kraemer."Satori makes a BellaVitano which is world renowned and that’s what this wedge of cheese is shaped off of.”
The event kicks off at 8:30 p.m in the Performing Arts Center Greatroom with live music by Bella Musik followed by the Honeygoats. Other festivities include a cash bar, cheese tasting table, outdoor fire pits, as well as a Satori cheese gift bag for the first 250 families in attendance.
The cheese will drop early for families at 10 p.m and music will continue until 12:30 a.m. A complimentary champagne toast at midnight will be provided to all guests.
The event is a tribute to the city’s cheese industry, which dates back to the 1800s. Plymouth first rose to national prominence because the price of cheese in the U.S was designated at the Wisconsin Cheese Exchange in downtown Plymouth, beginning in 1918. The Cheese Exchange pricing and standards were the platform for cheese pricing until 1956.
During this time period, Plymouth became known as 'Cheeseville' due to its cheese storage facilities, cheese processing and shipping of the product throughout the country. Today, over 15% of the cheese consumed in the U.S moves through Plymouth.
The cheese drop, which attracts thousands of attendees every year, gives visitors a chance to get a taste of the city by trying out local factories and cheese stores.
For more information and a full schedule of events, you can visit plymoutharts.org.
