2022 Parade Marshal

Donna Douglas will be honored as marshal to lead The Swiss Colony Cheese Days Parade on Sunday, September 18, 2022. Donna will appear in the parade twice! Once as Mayor of the City of Monroe, and once as marshal at the beginning of the parade. Donna is director at Monroe’s National Historic Cheesemaking Center. She has served on many boards at the township, county and city levels. An enthusiastic supporter of the festival, she has chaired the Arts and Crafts Show, sold beer tickets, and at the last festival she and Cheese Days mascot Wedgie led the crowd in the festival’s biggest Chicken Dance ever. Donna is the area’s most enthusiastic promoter of tourism and cheese.

CHEESE DAYS

Back in 1914, the concept of Cheese Days originated from the notion that if some little town in Illinois could have a festival commemorating sauerkraut, then a celebration based on cheese would be an even better idea.

A group of local businessmen planned the festivities in just nine days, driving a roadster through the city of Monroe to publicize the event. A hand-lettered sign attached to the vehicle proclaimed “FIRST CHEESE DAY COMMITTEE 1914 – WE STARTED SOMETHING!”

And did they ever.

100 years later, we invite you to take part in our centennial Cheese Days 2014 – where old-world tradition has generated an out-of-this-world celebration.

Help us celebrate our Swiss heritage with traditional music, dance, drinks, food, and extraordinary cheese!