Annual Chocolate Festival Attracts Hundreds

By Broadside Style Editor Sherell Williams
Photo by Photography Editor Courtney Erland

Chocolate enthusiasts, confectioners, cakeries, and chocolatiers came to the Fairfax area this weekend for the Chocolate Lovers Festival.

Every year, hundreds of area residents and visitors attend the popular annual two-day festival which began in 1992 as a collaborative effort by the city of Fairfax, George Mason University, the Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Fairfax Coalition and the Downtown Fairfax Merchants Association as a way to encourage visitors to come to Old Town Fairfax. A portion of the proceeds raised during the festival is given to a charitable organization of the Chocolate Lovers Festival Committee’s choosing.

The overarching theme of the festival every year since its inception is “love of chocolate.” One of the biggest and most attractive events at the festival is the Taste of Chocolate.

Vendors at the annual Taste of Chocolate presented delicious chocolate and candied goods for purchase. Of the 14 approved vendors at the Taste of Chocolate, two can be found right here in Fairfax.

At the beginning of the festival, money is exchanged for the once-popular POGs of the ‘90s.

Victoria’s Cakery on Main Street was one of the vendors who participated in the first Chocolate Lover’s Festival back in 1992. They continue to attend the festival every year, selling an assortment of pastries and cookies. Their most popular cakes, according to baker Michael Henslur, are the white chocolate and raspberry. Another favorite is “The Devil Made Me Do It,” a pastry combination of chocolate cake and brownie.

The Sweet Life Café on Chain Bridge Road, owned by the Lederer family, was also present. The year marked the café’s second year at the festival.

Attendees had the opportunity to purchase chocolate-covered strawberries and pretzels, cookies, coffee, rice krispies treats and ice cream.

Aunt Joanie’s of Manassas, now in their fifth year of attendance at the festival, sold several of their popular novelty pops which resembled Dora the Explorer, Hello Kitty, and SpongeBob SquarePants in colorful combinations of milk, dark and white chocolate. Like a few other vendors, Aunt Joanie’s also had a number of Valentine’s Day-themed chocolate goodies on display for purchase in addition to candied favorites like jelly beans and peanut brittle.

Chocolate-making supplies and all the items for sale from Aunt Joanie’s at the festival can also be found here.

Debbie Walsh and Confection Connection from Springfrield, Va. are veteran chocolate festival vendors with this year marking their 14th year participating. Favorites like their signature chocolate grahams, English toffee bars, peanut butter meltaway bars, and their wide assortment of truffles including mint, amaretto and milk chocolate, are only available by mail-order. Interested buyers can send an e-mail to mschocolet@aol.com to place an order.

Those who ventured to the second floor of the Old Town Hall were most excited about returning vendor Capital Chocolate Fountains from Manassas, Va. The chocolate fountain rental company is largest in the Washington Metropolitan area and gave festival attendees the opportunity to dip marshmallows, strawberries, rice krispies treats and cream puffs in one of their four chocolate fountains that were overflowing with imported Beglian Callebaut chocolate in milk, dark and white chocolate for a POG per item.

“Everything we do, the proceeds go to a good cause. Kids enjoy the chocolate fountains. It’s a lot of fun,” said Reggie Guzman, who along with owner Melissa Guzman, encouraged visitors to try the fountains.

Other vendors who participated in the Taste of Chocolate were The Melting Pot Restaurant, Dave's Candy Kitchen, Great Falls Ice Cream, Victoria's Cakery and the Virginia Chocolate Company.

Additional festival events included the Chocolate Challenge, where city of Fairfax Mayor Robert F. Lederer, along with Norman R. Davis and Zane Beg of The Sweet Life cakery in Annandale, Va., served as judges.

The challenge features cakes made by metro area chocolatiers, both amateur and professional, who are judged by an audience of their peers and the attending visiting public.

Several of the cakes that were donated to the challenge are auctioned off in a silent auction.

If you missed this year’s festival sponsored by Noodles & Company and First Command, be sure to check it out next year. The Chocolate Lovers Festival will be held again next year, Feb. 7-8, 2009.