Organizers of the 7th annual Chocolate Festival are currently looking for delicious entries to be sampled and auctioned off to raise money towards a new stage for the Lester Centre of the Arts.
The Chocolate Festival is a fundraising event where people attending can sample and bid on chocolate treats while helping raise funds. Organizers are currently calling out for entries for five different categories that include cakes, cheesecakes, cookies, candy, and other. Lester Centre manager Crystal Lorette says that the “other” category was added because organizers had found in previous years that people were bringing in items such as chocolate chili, which couldn’t be added into the other categories.
Entry forms should be submitted by April 15th and entrants will need to make two pieces of their dessert, one to be sampled and one to be put up for auction.
Anyone that puts an entry in will get free admission on April 23, the day of the Chocolate Festival. On that day entrants will drop their dishes off for the judges, who will determine who the first, second and third place winners are in each different category.
People attending the Chocolate Festival will be able to sample all the entries and a chocolate fountain, as well as enjoy refreshments from the bar. After the sampling, there will be a live auction with a catwalk set up where models will showcase the delicious desserts while people make bids on them.
As well as the indulging in the tasty treats there will be entertainment and door prizes for those whose show up. Also, there will be a raffle at the festival. All successful bidders will have their names entered into a raffle for the top prize of a return trip to Vancouver provided by HawkAir.
Although indulging in chocolate treats may seem like a good enough reason, people partaking in the festival will also be helping the performing arts centre. Funds raised from the Chocolate Festival will be going towards the Lester Centre’s Legacy Project, which will be going towards needed repairs for the building including a replacement stage.
“We are in need of a new stage. We have a few soft spots on the current one, nothing dangerous, but in the next year or so we definitely need one,” said Lorette.
People wishing to submit an entry or entries can pick up a form are at Cooks Jewelers or can contact Crystal Lorette at the Lester Centre by calling 250-627-8888. Also, tickets for the Chocolate Festival are now on sale at Cooks Jewelers and the Lester Centre.