Cheese Dip Classic

Big plans this weekend, we're going to the Cheese Dip Classic in Fayetteville! You've never heard of the Southern Cheese Dip Academy have you? Well, I hadn't either until I saw it in the paper! The Inaugural event is planned for Saturday, May 5th at Washington County Fairgrounds. Not just cheese dip either, although that's enough to get me there, cheese dip lovers will also enjoy over 300 beers from around the world. Local celebrities, food critics, and political dignitaries will join the public in voting to decide which cheese dip will best represent the Northwest Arkansas region at the 3rd Annual World Cheese Dip Championship at Little Rock in Fall 2012. Proceeds from the event goes to local charities.
All this because Arkansas is the Epicenter of the Cheese Dip Culinary World... you didn't know that either did you? I learned a lot from this video, evidently cheese dip as we know it today, was introduced to the world and restaurant menus in 1935 by Blackie Donnelly, a Central Arkansas restaurateur and owner of Mexico Chiquito. In 2009, local attorney and filmmaker Nick Rogers researched the history of cheese dip in Arkansas and why it’s so beloved, and it all led back to Donnelly.  “Queso Fever: A Movie About Cheese Dip” soon followed and instantly went viral. After watching the documentary online, Arkansas Convention & Event Marketing contacted Rogers about coordinating and developing not only a Cheese Dip Festival but a National Competition."
The rest is history, the World Cheese Dip Championship is well on its way to being recognized as the premier food festival in Arkansas. National media along with national food websites, food writers like Seriouseats.com and Roadfood.com. will be there to report on this year’s events.

I'll take pictures and if I see anyone famous, you know I'm gonna blog about it! You didn't think I would leave you hungry for more information did you? HERE'S a recipe for  Mexico Chiquitos's famous Cheese Dip!