Nothing says Valentine's Day quite like chocolate -- and fans of that confection can find more variations than they can even imagine Feb. 11 at this year's 13th annual Chocolate Lovers' Festival and Emporium in Eureka Springs.
"We're changing it up a bit this year," says Tammy Thurow, president of the Greater Eureka Springs Chamber of Commerce, the sponsoring organization. "We try to give people a different experience each year.
FAQ
Chocolate Lovers’ Festival
And Emporium
WHEN — 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Feb. 11
WHERE — Inn of the Ozarks Convention Center in Eureka Springs
COST — $15 online, $20 at the door
INFO — eurekaspringschambe…
FYI
Valentine’s Day
Events in NWA
Super Saturday — Clay Hearts: Perfect for making necklaces, charms or magnets, 10-11:30 a.m. Feb. 11, Community Creative Center in Fayetteville. $25. Ages 6 & older. 571-2706 or communitycreativece….
Chocolate & Champagne Open House — Featuring new artists Corrinnia Briggs, Trent Tally and Dee Spurgeon, with music, champagne & more, 4-7 p.m. Feb. 11, Heartwood Gallery in Fayetteville. Free. 444-0888.
Date Night — Ghost Pottery: Learn to throw a pot just like Patrick and Demi in “Ghost,” 7-9 p.m. Feb. 11, Community Creative Center in Fayetteville. $80. communitycreativece….
Valentine’s Day Dance — With the Bella Vista Big Band, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 11, Riordan Hall in Bella Vista. $10 at the door. Email [email protected].
Pinch Pot Class — Including two pinch pots, two sweet treats, two beverages and one bluebird, 11 a.m. & 3 p.m. Feb. 11; 11 a.m., 1 p.m. & 3 p.m. Feb. 12, Terra Studios near Durham. $30. Reservations at terrastudios.com.
Sweetheart Weekend Cruises — Take an eagle watch cruise on Beaver Lake and stop for lunch at Ventris Trail’s End Resort, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Feb. 11 & 12, hosted by Hobbs State Park near Rogers. $40 per person. Reservations at 789-5000.
Black Hearts Ball — Join with artinfusion members to “set fire to the standard Valentine’s Day tradition” with Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art’s fifth annual Black Hearts Ball. Participants will enjoy “off-the-wall encounters with art and performance,” dance to live music in Eleven, explore the galleries and enjoy drinks and food, 9 p.m.-midnight Feb. 11. $45 at crystalbridges.org. 21 & older.
I (Heart) Art Sunday — Music and hands-on art for the entire family, noon-5 p.m. Feb. 12, Crystal Bridges Museum. Free. crystalbridges.org.
Gallery Conversation — Love Letters From the Permanent Collection, 1 p.m. Feb. 13, Crystal Bridges Museum. Free. crystalbridges.org.
Movie & Craft — “Finding Dory” and a craft, 4 p.m. Feb. 14, Springdale Public Library. Free. 750-8180.
— Send additions to [email protected]
"What we provide is not only chocolate, but we have an emporium, our store section, filled with special things to make Valentine's Day perfect," Thurow explains. "And because this is such a busy time in Eureka -- it's the wedding capital of the South, and Valentine's Day is huge here -- we're also doing a sweet treat sampling tour. As everyone leaves, they get a map of other participants, and they can take this map and go to different locations for sweets and surprises."
Kilwins, a Branson, Mo., chocolate maker will be among those offering samples of three kinds of fudge, homemade marshmallows and caramel, both dipped in chocolate, and caramel apples in the Willy Wonka Room downstairs at the Inn of the Ozarks Convention Center. The chocolate -- which requires "lots of time and patience" -- is made at the store in Branson, Mo., but the recipes date back to 1947, when the candy was first created in Petoskey, Mich.
"I had a passion for confectionary and the food business," says chocolate maker David Bagwell, proprietor of the Branson shop with his wife, Dawn. "I'm a retired retail guy who thought it was time to do something with our family. My son is the manager of the store, and my wife and I work here every day. We'll both be at the Chocolate Festival."
Also new to the festival are performances by Trike Theatre of Bentonville, which will present scenes from "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory." And boxes.
"This year, everyone will get a box," Thurow says. "So you don't have to eat it all right there."
You can save some for Valentine's Day.
NAN What's Up on 02/03/2017