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CHOCOLATE TIME Seven years in, Lewisburgs sweetest festival is going strong

April 2013

Lewisburg Shows Its Affection for Confections

At the citys annual Chocolate Festival, you can have your cake and eat it, too.
by Sarah Alderson
into one of the states most popular annual events. If youve never attended before, you dont know what youre missing. But from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 13, youll have another opportunity to see what all the fuss is about. West Virginia chocolate companies, bakeries and pastry shops pull out all the stops to create the most amazing confections they can think of. And so far theyve managed to top themselves year after year.

Even if you arent a chocolate lover, this quintessential small-town festival has much to offer. Lewisburg comes alive as businesses and restaurants invite visitors to stroll, shop and dine throughout the day. Music, entertainment and childrens activities can be found around every corner. Theres something for everyone.

All you need is love. But

a little chocolate now and then doesnt hurt.

ane Seabrook, the illustrator, designer and author, once said, If theres no chocolate in heaven, Im not going.
Lewisburg looks forward to reveling in all things chocolate at the largest festival of its kind in West Virginia. Now in its seventh year, the Lewisburg Chocolate Festival also has grown

Charles M. Schulz

While we might not know whether theres chocolate in heaven, theres one little corner of Almost Heaven that has plenty of chocolate. And its a place youll certainly want to go. Each spring,

Its been said that in the spring, a young mans fancy turns to thoughts of love. But in Greenbrier County,

everyones fancy turns to thoughts of chocolate. And theres always been a connection between love and chocolate. Its not just the fact that its often thought of as the perfect gift for someone you love. Chocolate can literally make you feel good. Eating chocolate increases the levels of endorphins released into the brain, which helps decrease pain and stress. It also releases a neurotransmitter called phenylethylamine, which causes the pulse rate to quicken, resulting in feelings similar to those of being in love. In fact, the Lewisburg Chocolate Festival was born out of love or, more specifically, out of a passion for helping others. Cindy Lavender-Bowe, one of the events founders and first committee chairpersons, says the festival was created as a fundraiser for a local nonprofit organization. It quickly grew into a

community event that ended up not only benefiting area nonprofits, but also gave a boost to local businesses and the tourism industry. Most importantly, the chocolate festival continues to be a nonprofit event, with any profit that is raised going to benefit a local charity, says Lavender-Bowe. Early on, the festival committee implemented a selection process to determine which local organizations would receive proceeds from the festival. A different nonprofit is selected every two years, and so far the Greenbrier Humane Society, HospiceCare and Greenbrier Valley Theatre have been beneficiaries. This years festival will have a farther-reaching impact than ever, with proceeds going to help the United Way of the Greenbrier Valley, of which Continued on next page

Chocolate mousse cake with whipped cream and raspberry coulis (left), from Stellas, and chocolate martinis (center), from Del Sol, will be among the tasty temptations in this years Chocolate Tasting Extravaganza. Food & Friends (right) will also participate.
 Photos by Ken Bays

14 April 2013

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Number of years the Lewisburg Chocolate Festival has taken place, including this year. The first festival was held in the spring of 2007.

Life is like a box of

chocolates: You never know what youre gonna get.

Forrest Gump

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
Thursday, April 11 Chocolate for Dinner, at Carnegie Hall, 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 12 Chocolatey Crafts (children 3-10), at The Darling Exchange, 4:30-6 p.m. The Road to the World Culinary Competition, at Greenbrier Valley Theatre, 7 p.m. Saturday, April 13 10K Chocolate Chase, at Greenbrier Valley Airport, 9 a.m. Chocolate Mousse-Eating Contest , at Bella Casa, 1-2:30 p.m. Chocolate Bake-Off, at First National Bank, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Chocolate Tasting Extravaganza, downtown Lewisburg, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Kids take part in the Lewisburg Chocolate Festivals mousse-eating competition.
Photo courtesy of Blackbird Studios

Continued from previous page Lavender-Bowe serves as executive director. So while her plate is very full, she has a twofold interest in making this years festival successful.

Anything is good if its made of chocolate.

Jo Brand
For many, the highlight of the festival is the Chocolate Tasting Extravaganza, which takes place in shops and businesses throughout downtown Lewisburg. The Extravaganza is an exclusive experience. You must buy tickets to participate, and, since tickets tend to sell out quickly, you need to plan ahead. Ticket holders sample the widest variety of chocolate treats from an array of chocolatiers, from West Virginia favorites to nationally recognized brands. Its through Extravaganza ticket sales that the festival raises most of its funds. From regular visitors to festival newcomers, no one leaves disappointed especially if theyre a chocolate lover. Greenbrier County resident Jacqueline Wickline has attended every year so far, and she knows people from as far away as North Carolina, Tennessee and even Georgia who make the trip each spring just to satisfy their chocolate-

The General Lewis Inn will serve chocolate mousse with whipped cream, strawberries and a dark chocolate disc at the festival.
Photo by Ken Bays

craving palates. Wickline sums up the Tasting Extravaganza with a simple statement: Everything served is chocolate. How cool is that? Of course, if youre the type of person who believes its impossible to get too much of a good thing, some suggest using caution when participating in this event. The founders admit that with the numerous tastings and samples available, its possible to experience chocolate burnout. If that happens, you have several options. You can save some to take home and enjoy later. You can trade some of your tickets for other treats, such as wine. Or you can sell your tickets back at a special booth set up for that purpose which also helps those who werent able to purchase tickets ahead of time. Another area resident, Gregg Wingo, says he and his family attend the festival each year primarily for the kids programs and the opportunity to spend time downtown in beautiful spring weather. I really cant do that much chocolate, so we usually go to the places that will trade tickets for wine, Wingo says. Then we go home with leftovers from the rest of our tickets to enjoy the rest of the week. But when he asked his young daughter, Kearney, about her favorite part of the festival, a dreamy expression came over her face. Her response? Chocolate.

Each year, the festival creates an exciting schedule of chocolate-themed events including musical performances, dinners, tastings and other activities for all ages. Visitors also can enjoy celebrity chef demonstrations and the HospiceCare 10K Chocolate Chase. Best of all, theres no cost to participate in many of the events. Gina Lang, another founder of the event, says, I love watching people get their maps and plan out their day. Its like a huge scavenger hunt for chocolate. Lang, a pastry chef who operates the Greenbrier Valley Baking Co., says it was her idea to make the festival a chocolate-themed one. She judges the popular All Things Chocolate BakeOff, which benefits the Greenbrier Humane Society. But the childrens activities might be the most entertaining of all. From chocolate-themed crafts to chocolate face painting and an annual complimentary showing of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory at the Lewis Theatre, there are plenty of opportunities for family fun. Theres also the chocolate-mousseeating contest, a hands-free competition for both children and adults. Its one of Langs favorites: The contest is such a riot. People really fight for their title, she says. Monica Maxwell, who runs Harmony Ridge Gallery, has also been involved in the planning of the festival since its inception. Its unique because it offers something for everyone, she says, from the fine chocolate connoisseur interested in learning the nuances of making chocolate ganache to the 10-year-old boy or girl interested in diving face-first into a chocolate mousse. Tasting tickets for the Lewisburg Chocolate Festival arent actually golden, but they are popular and sometimes rare. In its first year, the Chocolate

Devin Preston holds a childrens book reading at the festival.

Photo courtesy of Blackbird Studios

Cindy Lavender-Bowe helped found the festival in 2007.

Photo by Ken Bays

Festival attracted about 300 people and sold just short of 1,200 tasting tickets. In 2012, more than 32,000 tasting tickets were sold. There are a limited number of tastings available each year, and the event has become so popular in such a short amount of time that tickets routinely sell out often before the festival begins. So perhaps the most important thing to remember is that if youd like to participate in the festivals most popular event, the Chocolate Tasting Extravaganza, youll want to buy tickets before April

13 or early that morning, at the latest. Tickets cost $1 each and are sold in packets of five. But even if you miss out on the tastings, there are plenty of other activities to keep you entertained. Its a little bit of chocolate heaven, right here in our own back yard. For more information about this years Lewisburg Chocolate Festival, visit lewisburgchocolatefestival.com. Tasting tickets can also be purchased through the website.
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