17th Annual Glendale Chocolate Affaire

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Chocoholics Unite in Downtown Glendale February 4-6

February 3-5 is a delicious delight for the senses as the Glendale Chocolate Affaire takes over downtown Glendale to create a chocolate-lover’s dream!

Chocolate purveyors from Arizona and around the nation gather in Glendale for this award-winning festival, which celebrates not only chocolate, but romance and the arts as well. Chocolate confections will include everything from chocolate ganache crepes to chocolate-covered bacon. These are in addition to the ever-popular standards such as rich chocolate truffles and gigantic chocolate strawberries.

The Chocolate Affaire is sponsored by Arizona’s famous candy makers, Cerreta’s. The candy factory will offer tours all weekend, so visitors can get a behind-the-scenes look at how the chocolatier creates everyone’s favorite candy.

In addition, the festival has become the largest gathering of national romance novelists in the Southwest. This symposium of literary romantics offers fans the opportunity to get up close and personal with authors, as well as the chance to attend free writing workshops given by the experts.

Families with children will enjoy myriad activities, including hands-on arts and crafts, face-painting and a rock-climbing wall. Horse-drawn carriage rides will be available throughout the weekend to take couples or families on a scenic, charming ride through the historic Catlin Court district.       

For the third year in a row, the Glendale Arts Commission will coordinate an on-site Plein Air competition that will take place on Saturday, Feb. 4. The competition will be open to any artist 18 years of age or older, who paints using the Plein (open) air technique in oil, watercolor, acrylic or pastel. Plein air paintings are created outdoors, from real life; both painter and subject must be outdoors and photographs can not be used. This year’s contest is themed to the Arizona Centennial, encouraging entries to reflect Glendale’s historic places.

Admission is free. Preferred parking is available in the two downtown garages, located at City Hall, at 59th and Glendale avenues and the Bank of America building at 58th Drive and Glenn Drive. The preferred parking fee is $10.

Event hours are Friday 5 - 10 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. The event is located in the heart of Historic Downtown Glendale, in Murphy Park, located at 58th and Glendale avenues.

For more information on the Glendale Chocolate Affaire, including the entertainment lineup and a list of authors making appearances, visit www.glendaleaz.com/events or call our special events hotline at 623-930-2299.

City of Glendale is a paid advertiser of Sonoran Living Live