Chocolate Festival offers ice sculpture demonstration, cake walk

Jonesborough's annual Chocolate Fest will return in February as a two-day ticketed event featuring chocolate samples and community activities. The Jonesborough Area Merchants and Service Association will host the 11th annual Chocolate Fest on Friday, Feb. 13, and Saturday, Feb. 14, according to a press release from the Town of Jonesborough. The festival will include chocolate-themed stops throughout downtown, with participating local businesses offering items such as bark, fudge, truffles and baked goods. Several additional activities are planned as part of the festival. A live ice sculpture carving by Ice Mill of Asheville, North Carolina, will take place on Saturday only, according to the release. Ice carvers will create a Jonesborough-themed sculpture during the event. A cake walk is also planned, giving attendees the opportunity to win bento cakes packaged in takeout-style boxes. The event will be held across four scheduled time slots. On Friday, activities are planned from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. On Saturday, time slots are scheduled from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Attendance will be limited, and tickets must be purchased in advance, according to the press release. Organizers will also offer a Friday evening option for attendees age 21 and older called Chocolate After Dark. A combined Chocolate Fest and Chocolate After Dark ticket is priced at $35 and includes chocolate tasting tickets along with five beverage tasting tickets, according to the release. The release notes that beverage tickets are nontransferable and that identification will be required at pickup. Chocolate Fest tickets will be sold in packs of 10 for $20, with each ticket redeemable for one chocolate stop, according to the release. Early ticket pickup is scheduled for Feb. 11 and Feb. 12 at the Historic Jonesborough Visitors Center on Boone Street, with Chocolate After Dark ticket pickup beginning the afternoon of Feb. 13 due to ID requirements. JAMSA is a volunteer-run organization made up of local business owners and community members. Proceeds from Chocolate Fest are used to support local businesses and community initiatives in Jonesborough, according to the release. Organizers said the event will be held rain or shine. More information and ticket sales are available through the event website or by phone at JBOChocolateFest.com and (423)753-1010.