Devoted chocolate lovers will be pleased to know that there are a number of internationally and nationally based chocolate festivals celebrating chocolate in all its forms!
These festivals bring to life the rich history of chocolate and offer plenty of opportunity to sample chocolate from around the world and often include tasting workshops and chocolate making activities. Some also feature chocolate art and sculpture exhibitions, chocolate themed film screenings and even chocolate fashion shows!
UK and Ireland based chocolate Festivals:
Dublin Temple Bar Chocolate Festival
An annual festival that immerses chocoholics in a world of chocolate discovery, including tasting workshops, talks on the history of chocolate, chocolate themed films and poetry readings. There is also a Chocolate Carnival Food Market.
Click here for further information on the festival
International chocolate festivals:
Óbidos International Chocolate Festival (Portugal)
A two week festival held in the tiny village of Óbidos, just north of Lisbon, this festival has been going for 6 years and features chocolate sculptures, fashion, recipe contests and plenty of opportunities to taste chocolate.
Read more about the Óbidos International Chocolate Festival
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden Chocolate Festival (Miami USA)
An annual event held at the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens that celebrates the Theobroma cacao, the plant that chocolate comes from. The event runs over two days and includes talks and lectures on how chocolate is made, cooking demonstrations and workshops, chocolate art and sculpture exhibitions, chocolate based spa and massage treatments and children’s activities. The event usually takes place in January or February
Read more about the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden Chocolate Festival