The annual Seattle Cheese Festival happens again this weekend, and there's plenty of artisanal, handcrafted and farmstead cheese to taste and see (eight chef demos onsite; the winner in a grilled cheese sandwich recipe contest ) at the exhibitor stalls on Pike Place. In addition, three dozen local restaurants are adding a cheese plate to their menus over the weekend.

Best for true fans are the seminars, which bring cheese professionals to town for professional-level discussions. For example, Laura Dubouloz, who works in the caves of the famous Hervé Mons; and Allison Hooper and Mary Keehn, grande dames of the American cheese world.

Seminars are held at the Top of the Market event center. Tickets are $35 each and include a wine-and-cheese pairing.