ELLSWORTH – A little rain did not deter folks from pouring into Ellsworth on Saturday, June 26 to get their deep-fried cheese curd fix at the 2021 Cheese Curd unFestival drive-thru event.

Ellsworth Area Chamber of Commerce executive team member Kim Beebe said people came from all over the United States to support the event. License plates from Iowa, Indiana, California, North Dakota and South Dakota joined the Wisconsin and Minnesota attendees at East End Park and the Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery.

Beebe said event volunteers served 825 pounds of cheese curds and gave away 1,208 bottles of Silver Spring Chipotle Ranch (one per car.) “Our volunteers were rock stars,” Beebe said. “We were thankful to have cooler temperatures than last year but the rain was a different kind of challenge. Despite it all, our volunteers were all smiles and guests left happy.”

Beebe said they received many positive reviews about the new dill pickle cheese curds, while the cinnamon sugar dessert curds continue to surprise people when they taste them for the first time.

“We love seeing those surprised faces,” she said. “Overall, another successful event. Although, we really do miss the food, tasting experiences, music and fun of our full festival. We’ll give the committee a few weeks to recover from their hard work and efforts and then will begin our planning for June 24-25, 2022! Save the date!”

Event volunteer Jack Hines, who greeted guests at the drive-thru entrance, always runs into people he has connections to, wherever he goes and proves what a small world it can be. He spoke to two couples from Worcester, Mass., which is near Fort Devens where he was stationed in the Army in 1956 and 1958. He also met a Kansas City couple who lived next to the National Auctioneers Association home office where he attended monthly meetings for six years while on the NAA Board of Directors and Board of Trustees.

“Two people came from Mason City, Iowa, and were close to the Auction College where I instructed auctioneering for 52 years,” Hines said. “We had lots of visitors from Iowa, Illinois and especially Minnesota, besides all from our good state.”

It will take about a week to finalize the profits from the event. While those are tallied, mark your calendars for June 24-25, 2022!

Photo by Sarah Nigbor

Photo by Sarah Nigbor

Photos by Sarah Nigbor

Photo by Sarah Nigbor

Joe Hines (right) gave Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery’s deep-fried cheese curds an extra shake on Saturday, June 26 at Curd Central as Reegan Spriggle looks on. Guests could sample original, cinnamon sugar and dill pickle cheese curds.

(From left) Kallie Beissel, Lisa Bench (in disguise as a dairy cow, and Mattie Beck greeted guests at the Cheese Curd unFestival drive-thru line adjacent to East End Park in Ellsworth on Saturday, June 26. At right, Cheese Curd unFestival guests could sample original, cinnamon sugar (exclusive to the festival) and this year’s new dill pickle deep-fried cheese curds, all served with ranch and a free bottle of Silver Spring Chipotle Ranch.

“The Baron of Bubble,” Lawrence Ripp, aka “Sir Sidney Soapington,” entertained Cheese Curd unFestival visitors as they waited for deep-fried cheese curds on Saturday, June 26 in Ellsworth. He is a licensed floatologist, according to his business card.