MONROE - Among the more than 600 volunteers working at Cheese Days 2016, two are secretly royalty.
Bekah Stauffacher, manager of the festival's Hospitality Tent, was once a Cheese Days Princess in 1988. And Charity (Rood) McMahon, who will run food demos in the tent on Saturday, was a Cheese Days ambassador in 2008.
Stauffacher was 9 years old when she was voted princess in 1988, but hasn't participated in any subsequent Cheese Days until this year, she said.
"I helped judge the prince and princess contest this year," she said. "I don't think it's changed too much. The kids still seem excited to be there."
The Cheese Days prince and princess act as goodwill ambassadors for the festival, Stauffacher said, adding that she remembered her appearances at parades, school assemblies and interviews in the weeks preceding Cheese Days.
Although she is no longer joining parades and appearing on billboards, her current role at this year's Cheese Days has some similarities with her old one. As manager of the Hospitality Tent, Stauffacher will serve as master of ceremonies for the tent throughout the festival, announcing events and keeping interest high.
Since her days as a princess nearly 30 years ago, Stauffacher said she had moved to New Glarus and started a family of her own.
"Now that my kids are a little bit older, I have time now to give back to the community and I thought Cheese Days would be perfect," she said.
She also added that she thought her son would make "a pretty good prince" in the future.
Meanwhile, McMahon has volunteered at Cheese Days ever since her role as ambassador eight years ago.
The ambassador acts as a media outlet, providing a face in promoting the festival and the cheese industry, which McMahon said has changed dramatically since 2008.
"Facebook just started blowing up in 2008," McMahon said. "So the next ambassador had a whole new way of reaching people."
"Social media made it this huge event," McMahon added. "It's easy for a lot of people to think it's just another local festival, but social media made it easier to get the word out."
McMahon, too, has a job similar to her old one. As a host of the Hospitality Tent's food demos, she will be in charge of promoting Green County products to festival-goers.
For four hours, McMahon will demonstrate how to pair certain foods with each other: pairing chocolate and cheese, for example, or cheese and wine.
"I'll be educating people on Green County's goods," McMahon said.
Not only does volunteering provide McMahon an opportunity to continue to help at Cheese Days, but it lets her meet with old friends and family who treat the festival as a homecoming of sorts, she said.
However, McMahon and Stauffacher, both lifelong Green County residents, agreed on what they were most excited about: "Cheese curds," they both said.
Bekah Stauffacher, manager of the festival's Hospitality Tent, was once a Cheese Days Princess in 1988. And Charity (Rood) McMahon, who will run food demos in the tent on Saturday, was a Cheese Days ambassador in 2008.
Stauffacher was 9 years old when she was voted princess in 1988, but hasn't participated in any subsequent Cheese Days until this year, she said.
"I helped judge the prince and princess contest this year," she said. "I don't think it's changed too much. The kids still seem excited to be there."
The Cheese Days prince and princess act as goodwill ambassadors for the festival, Stauffacher said, adding that she remembered her appearances at parades, school assemblies and interviews in the weeks preceding Cheese Days.
Although she is no longer joining parades and appearing on billboards, her current role at this year's Cheese Days has some similarities with her old one. As manager of the Hospitality Tent, Stauffacher will serve as master of ceremonies for the tent throughout the festival, announcing events and keeping interest high.
Since her days as a princess nearly 30 years ago, Stauffacher said she had moved to New Glarus and started a family of her own.
"Now that my kids are a little bit older, I have time now to give back to the community and I thought Cheese Days would be perfect," she said.
She also added that she thought her son would make "a pretty good prince" in the future.
Meanwhile, McMahon has volunteered at Cheese Days ever since her role as ambassador eight years ago.
The ambassador acts as a media outlet, providing a face in promoting the festival and the cheese industry, which McMahon said has changed dramatically since 2008.
"Facebook just started blowing up in 2008," McMahon said. "So the next ambassador had a whole new way of reaching people."
"Social media made it this huge event," McMahon added. "It's easy for a lot of people to think it's just another local festival, but social media made it easier to get the word out."
McMahon, too, has a job similar to her old one. As a host of the Hospitality Tent's food demos, she will be in charge of promoting Green County products to festival-goers.
For four hours, McMahon will demonstrate how to pair certain foods with each other: pairing chocolate and cheese, for example, or cheese and wine.
"I'll be educating people on Green County's goods," McMahon said.
Not only does volunteering provide McMahon an opportunity to continue to help at Cheese Days, but it lets her meet with old friends and family who treat the festival as a homecoming of sorts, she said.
However, McMahon and Stauffacher, both lifelong Green County residents, agreed on what they were most excited about: "Cheese curds," they both said.