For all the cheese and charcuterie lovers in Vancouver, you’re in for a one-of-a-kind food festival this coming fall.

The first ever Vancouver Cheese and Meat Festival will take place on September 17, 2016 at Terminal City Club (837 West Hastings Street).

It will feature local and international cheese and meat from over 40 vendors, paired with a large selection of wines, beers, and ciders.

Guests will also be able to taste samples of delicious condiments that are usually found on charcuterie boards, which can range from pickles to mustard seeds, olives to toasted bread.

“The biggest highlight of this festival is that a visitor can walk in with an empty charcuterie board and empty wine glass, and proceed to taste all the different items at the event,” said David Bain, Cheese and Meat Festival producer, to the Straight by phone.

“Essentially, the goal of this festival is that visitors can come out with more knowledge of cured meats and cheese,” Bain said.

He also runs the Victoria Wine Festival, and explained that when his team was buying cheese to pair with the wine, a lot of the local shops seemed to be overlooked.

“It’s hard for these shops to get media exposure since they are so small,” Bain added. “The team and I wanted to focus on finding a festival that would represent local mom and pop shops, the ones that would need some extra exposure.”

Guests don’t have to worry about not having enough knowledge to taste all the different kinds of meat and cheese—information sources will be on site.

Sommeliers and cheese and wine experts will be walking around the festival to give information to consumers. They’ll be easy to spot—just look for the individuals with different coloured aprons.

With the nearly sold-out Victoria Cheese and Meat Festival taking place later this month, it’s a clear sign that its Vancouver counterpart will be just as (if not more) popular.

“We really want the consumer to feel really relaxed, and to know that this festival will be a nice and easy going event,” Bain said.

Tickets ($55) go on sale tomorrow (May 4) and can be purchased online. The festival will have an afternoon tasting (3-5 p.m.) and an evening tasting (7-9:30 p.m.) at Terminal City Club.

For more information, click here.