Chocolate Lovers Unite: Fairfax City Gets Set For Annual Festival

FAIRFAX CITY, VA — The 28th Annual Chocolate Lovers Festival is returning to the City of Fairfax for a three-day extravaganza that attracts chocolate lovers from across the country. The festival will be held Friday, Jan. 31 through Sunday, Feb. 2.

The festival was developed as a joint effort of the City of Fairfax, Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Fairfax Coalition, Downtown Fairfax Merchants Association and George Mason University. The organizers have made "love of chocolate" the festival's unifying theme.

All of the events are held in the heart of the City of Fairfax, including the City of Fairfax Regional Library, Fire Station 3, Old Town Hall and the Historic Fairfax Courthouse. The two largest events are the Chocolate Challenge and the Taste of Chocolate.

The fesitval kicks off Jan. 31 with the Liquid Chocolate event, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Old Town Square. Attendees get to gather inside a heated tent and sample a variety of chocolate beverages from chocolate wine, beer, soda, milk to hot chocolate. Admission is free, with alcohol tasting at $2 and non-alcohol tasting at $1.

The Feb. 1-2 Taste of Chocolate event takes place inside Old Town Hall at 3999 University Dr. Admission is free to view, but in order to taste, visitors must purchase Pogs, which can be traded for merchandise. Pogs are $1 each, and can be purchased with cash or credit card at Old Town Hall.

The vendors for the 2020 Taste of Chocolate are:

• Cameron’s Coffee & Chocolates
• The Capital Candy Jar
• Capitol Chocolate Fountains
• Chocotenango
• Confection Connection
• Dave’s Candy Kitchen
• Diestro, LLC
• The Dough Jar
• Lammar Marie's Gourmet Popcorn
• Le Papiyon Chocolatier
• Mike’s Fudge
• Pacari
• Rumalutions Rum Cakes
• Sugar Mama’s Ice Cream
• The Sweet Life Cakery and Classes
• River-Sea Chocolate
• Veritas Artizen Chocolate

The City of Fairfax has put together a schedule for the event-filled three-day festival. No animals are allowed inside any event site, with the exception of certified service animals.

Questions about the Chocolate Lovers Festival should be directed to Mitzi Taylor with the City of Fairfax Parks and Recreation at 703-385-7949.