Fewer treats take the sting out of a chilly Vancouver January or February day than a cup of hot chocolate. Each year, fans of the comforting beverage get to roam the Lower Mainland to taste well over a hundred creative chocolatey creations offered by dozens of local cafes, restaurants, and sweet shops as part of the annual Greater Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival.
Always held in that sweet spot of the weeks leading up to Valentine's Day, the 2024 Hot Chocolate Festival will have locals and visitors alike wrapped in its hands - and their hands wrapped around cups of hot cocoa - from January 13 to February 14.
This year marks the beloved fest's 14th anniversary, and it's likely to be another banner event for the celebration of hot chocolate.
The Hot Chocolate Festival is essentially a DIY event, with participating vendors putting special hot chocolate drinks on their menus for all or a portion of the fest, and the public is invited to seek out any (or all) that tempt them.
Nearly 100 locations with over 140 hot chocolates last year
Year after year, the vendors up their game, coming up with all sorts of exciting takes on the iconic winter drink. Some go for eccentric flavour combos, while others get spicy. Some locations serve up spiked hot chocolates, and several opt to work in some kind of tasty garnish or treat on the side, whether that means cookies, crickets, or cotton candy.
Every year, the number of plant-based options seems to increase with the Hot Chocolate Festival offerings, which means it's a breeze to find a vegan version to sip on.
In recent years, the Hot Chocolate Festival has seen an uptick in participants every winter, dreaming up and pouring from a roster of upwards of nearly 100 tempting sweet creations. Last year, the Festival featured a staggering 143 hot chocolate creations at 95 participating locations (from 66 businesses) across Metro Vancouver.
Even sweeter: Last March, organizers revealed that through the course of the event's history, vendors have donated an estimated $400,000 to official Festival Charity Partners (and a few others) thanks to purchases made during the fest.
The 2024 Hot Chocolate Festival participants, whom the fest calls its "chocstars," and their tantalizing drinks soon, were revealed on Friday, January 5. We have the complete list of all 162 drinks from 71 vendors at 105 locations for you HERE.
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