"A complete world of chocolate" opens at 10 a.m. Feb. 11 in Eureka Springs at the 19th annual Eureka Springs Chocolate Lover's Festival.
Devin Henderson says participants "can expect lots of vendors to be there selling all different types of products. There'll be some chocolate vendors there, but then there are other vendors, too. There's clothing vendors, jewelry vendors, lemonade vendors, you name it," and every booth has chocolate to share.
When guests enter the Community Center they will be given a box to fill with chocolates, and they can sample sweets prepared by each vendor -- and Henderson says they are usually homemade.
"By the time you get through the venue, you've gotten to sample all different kinds of chocolate, and you've got a box of chocolate to take with you," Henderson says, just as in years past. "It's one of those timeless classics that not a whole lot is changed from the past years."
Among those handing out chocolates this year will be Kilwins of Branson, Good Shepherd Humane Society, Yellow Frisbee Bakery, Peachtree Village, Mary Kay and Fresh Mountain Soaps, among others.
"The chocolate tour is happening again this year," Henderson adds. "After [guests] leave the chocolate festival, they'll have in their hand a list of participating stores outside of the venue around town that they can go to and get special discounts and chocolate samples as well."
He adds that SixtyOn will provide background music. "All the businesses here are excited to participate. All the vendors are excited, and we're anxious to have everybody come," Henderson says.
Tickets are $15 and may be purchased either online or at the door. Vendor space is still available and open to all, including local artists and artisans who want to share chocolate and their art.
"It's open to everybody," Henderson says. "It's a good way for somebody to get in front of about 1,000 people or so in one spot and get exposure."
He adds that they are prepared for late additions.
"We can pretty much make room for anybody up until the day of. We prefer a vendor booth would give us a little bit of notice, but we can squeeze anybody in that we need to."
FAQ
Chocolate Lover's Festival
WHAT -- Vendors share candy, fudge, cookies or some other sweet to promote their products.
WHEN -- 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 11
WHERE -- Eureka Springs Community Center, 44 Kingshighway
COST -- $15
INFO -- eurekasprings.org/event/chocolate-lovers-festival
More To Celebrate
• "The Etiquette of Courtship" -- A a glimpse into the process of courtship in the early 1900s in a guided tour of the Hawkins House, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday through May 20, Rogers Historical Museum. Free. 621-1154 or rogershistoricalmuseum.org.
• Galentines Party -- 6 p.m. Feb. 8 at Bentonville Brewing Company. Tickets are $66 and include one shirt, one beer and $20 in Bloom Bucks to be redeemed during the event at Common Dwellings' mobile Bloom Bar. See facebook.com/commondwellings for availability.
• Love Letters to Eureka Springs -- Reception 6-7:30 p.m. Feb. 8 at the Main Street Hub inside Main Stage in Eureka Springs. "Love Letters" will be on display, and a selection of Love Letters will be read aloud; refreshments evoking love will be served. This is a free event, and all ages are welcome. On display each Saturday in February from noon to 6 to p.m.
• The Art of Self Love -- 6 p.m. Feb. 9, explore ways of calming the mind and body with guided mindful meditation, journaling, light movement, and other interactive practices with Joy Yerby in the Arts and Movement Room at the Fayetteville Public Library. Free. faylib.org.
• Date Night Pottery Wheel Valentine's Day Special -- 6:30-8:30 p.m. Feb. 9 or 2-4 p.m. Feb. 12. No clay experience necessary but dress for a mess! Clay, glazes, and firing fees are included. Ages 18 and older. Price is $48 per person at Community Creative Center, 505 W. Spring St. in Fayetteville. communitycreativecenter.org.
• Valentine's Day in Eleven -- Reservations are available for Feb. 10 & Feb. 11 and Feb. 17 & 18, with seatings at 6 and 7:30 p.m. each day at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville.. Tables are limited. Tickets are $79 per person ($75 for museum members) with hand-picked wine pairings for $25 per person. Reservations at crystalbridges.org or call Guest Services at 657-2335.
• 'Love Is a Losing Game' Tribute to Amy Winehouse -- 7 p.m. Feb. 11 with Jenna and the Soul Shakers with special guests Chris and Brian at Meteor Guitar Gallery, 128 W. Central Ave. in Bentonville. meteorguitargallery.com
• Valentine Singles Mingle -- 6 p.m. Feb. 12 An event for singles to meet other singles who love dogs at Rope Hounds, 407 S.W. A St. in Bentonville.
• Sweetheart Hangar Dance -- 6-9 p.m. Feb. 11 at the White Hangar at the Arkansas Air and Military Museum in Fayetteville with big band music by Stockholm Jazz. Tickets include dance lessons and dinner. Couple tickets are $45; member couple tickets are $35; singles tickets are $25; $170 for a table of eight. Email [email protected] to purchase tickets or for more information.
• Stupid Cupid Candle Party -- 5 p.m. Feb. 12, Dandelion Boutique leads a candlemaking party at Ozark Beer Company, 109 N. Arkansas St., Rogers. $45. facebook.com/OzarkBeerCompany.
• Valentine's Day Family Paper Craft -- 2-4 p.m. Feb. 12, Community Creative Center, 505 W. Spring St. in Fayetteville. Make a Valentine's Day-themed card or craft with handmade colored papers, stamps, printmaking supplies, glue, ribbon, lace, paints and inks of all kinds, glitter, die cutters, and lots of fun accessories. Price is $25. Class requires a minimum of four registered participants to run. Ages 8 and older and all skill levels welcome. communitycreativecenter.org.
• Crafternoon: Wooden Arrow -- 2 p.m. Feb. 11 make a Valentine's-themed wooden arrow at the Springdale Public Library, 405 S. Pleasant St. in Springdale. Free. Sign up at springdalelibrary.org.
• After-School Workshop: Edible Valentines -- For grades kindergarten through fourth, 4 p.m. Feb. 14 in the Walmart Story Time Room at the Fayetteville Public Library. Students will use sweet treats to create delicious valentines. Supplies provided. Free. faylib.org.
• Just My Type: Typewritten Valentines -- Celebrate International Typewriter Appreciation Month by crafting a valentine or a letter to a loved one using a vintage typewriter, 4:30-7 p.m. Feb. 14 in the Schmieding Foundation Teen Project Room at the Fayetteville Public Library. For grades 5-12. Free. faylib.org.
• Valentine's Day Sucks Party -- 4 p.m. Feb. 14 at Crisis Brewing Company, 210 S. Archibald Yell in Fayetteville. There will be no roses. No chocolate. No conversational hearts. No cupids. There will be special-themed trivia by the Joshie from 7-9 p.m. complete with special prizes. crisisbrew.com.
• Run Bentonville Valentine's 4K/8K -- 7:30 a.m. Feb. 11 starting at the Bentonville square. Whether you're celebrating Singles Awareness Day or true love or whatever. Registration closes Feb. 8. More information at runbentonville.com/race-series/valentines-4k8k.
• Make a Valentine Craft -- All day until Feb. 14 at the Dallas branch of the Fort Smith Public Library, 8100 Dallas St., Fort Smith. fortsmithlibrary.org.
• "In Tune" Valentine Concert -- With Susan Shore & Michael Cockram, 6 p.m. Feb. 14 with drinks and hors d'oeuvres from 6-7 p.m. and songs from 7-8 p.m., Fenix Arts, 150 N. Skyline Drive on Mount Sequoyah in Fayetteville. $25 per person; reservations encouraged. Tickets at Eventbrite.
• Valentine's Wine and Dine -- 5-8 p.m. Feb. 14, enjoy a five-course meal accompanied by a diverse selection of wines in the Canyon Grill Restaurant at Dogwood Canyon Nature Park near Lampe, Mo. $135.70 per person. Must be 21 or older to attend. dogwoodcanyon.org/valentines.
• Love in the Wild -- 6 p.m. Feb. 14 an adults-only, guided underwater adventure at Wonders of Wildlife followed by three-course dinner in the Nature's Best exhibition hall at Wonders of Wildlife Museum & Aquarium, 500 W. Sunshine St. in Springfield, Mo. $225 per couple. Must be 21 or older. Ticket includes digital photos and admission ticket of choice to Wonders of Wildlife, Dogwood Canyon or Top of the Rock in Branson. wondersofwildlife.org/valentines.
• "Silence in the Jungle" -- 7 p.m Feb. 10, 11, 17 and 18. BYOB and intimate seating for Valentine's Day theater by Melonlight Productions at Melonlight Ballroom, 2 Pine St. (upstairs, above Brews) in Eureka Springs. (Note: Building is not ADA accessible.) Tickets $30-$65. melonlight.com/silence-in-the-jungle.
If you have a Valentine's Day event happening Feb. 12 or later, email Monica Hooper at [email protected].
A special Valentine's Day Date Night Pottery Wheel event is set for 6:30-8:30 p.m. Feb. 9 or 2-4 p.m. Feb. 12 at Community Creative Center, 505 W. Spring St. in Fayetteville. Register at communitycreativecenter.org. (NWA Democrat-Gazette File Photo)
Michael Cockram and Susan Shore will perform at 6 p.m. Feb. 14 with drinks and hors d’oeuvres from 6-7 p.m. and songs from 7-8 p.m., at Fenix Arts, 150 N. Skyline Drive on Mount Sequoyah in Fayetteville. $25 per person at Eventbrite. (Courtesy Photo/Andrew Kilgore)
Jenna and the Soul Shakers will present a "Love Is a Losing Game" Tribute to Amy Winehouse at 7 p.m. Feb. 11 at Meteor Guitar Gallery, 128 W. Central Ave. in Bentonville. (NWA Democrat-GazetteFile Photo/Andy Shupe)
On The Cover: Whether you're in love, out of love, looking for love or just want to enjoy a night out, Northwest Arkansas and the River Valley have all kinds of options for Valentine's Day. (Courtesy Photo/Shutterstock)
Before the word “dating” came into common usage, couples in the early 1900s courted. Courtship was the process by which couples got to know each other and determined whether they made a good match for marriage. The Rogers Historical Museum presents “The Etiquette of Courtship,” a themed tour of the turn-of-the-20th-century Hawkins House, through May 20. (Courtesy Image/RHM)