After a two-year hiatus, the Fairfax City Chocolate Lovers Festival is back with plenty of delectably delicious treats for residents to indulge their sweet tooth, as well as activities to keep all ages entertained.
The Taste of Chocolate event is perfect for connoisseurs of the sugary confection. Organizers expect to have at least 15 chocolate vendors coming from throughout the region.
“It usually has a fairly long line because everybody wants to taste the chocolate,” says Mitzi Taylor, event and athletic manager for the City of Fairfax’s Parks and Recreation Department.
The Liquid Chocolate event will showcase all the ways the dessert can be made into a drink. Folks will be able to see and taste regular favorites like chocolate milk and hot chocolate and also learn about new concoctions such as chocolate soda. Alcoholic libations will be available, including dessert wines that have chocolate in them or go well with the treat. Breweries will bring chocolate stouts, and a distillery will showcase a chocolate whiskey.
There will be plenty of kid-centric activities, too. The Fairfax County Historic Courthouse will be open for tours, and the area bar association will host a game show called Are You Smarter Than a Lawyer? similar to the TV show Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? A cakewalk will be held for those interested in more sweet treats. Fairfax Ace Hardware will be hosting a Construct a Cupcake event where kids can bring in a cupcake and pick up the decorations to create a sweet masterpiece.
For more than a decade, Taylor has helped to put on special events for the city, and the Chocolate Lovers Festival is her favorite.
“I like it because of the uniqueness, and I just hope that we can continue to do it and come up with clever activities to get people to come to it,” she says. “I think it is a fun event for all ages.”
What: Fairfax City Chocolate Lovers Festival
When: February 3–5; event times vary each day
Where: Downtown City of Fairfax
Cost: Free, but vendor chocolate runs $2–$5 per piece
Challenge: Willy Wonka fans can try their luck at the Golden Ticket contest. About 2,000 chocolate bars will be dispersed throughout downtown businesses, and the player with the ticket will win a prize.
Don’t Miss: City of Fairfax Regional Library’s chocolate-themed events for kids like a storyteller, puppet show, musician, and more.
This story originally ran in our February issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to our monthly magazine.
