Sweet event returns for 13th year on Genoa
GENOA - Truffles, and brownies, and parfaits, oh my.
It was all about chocolate at the 13th Annual Chocolate Lovers' Fest at Apostolic Restoration Center at 303 W. Fourth St. on Saturday, Feb. 10, as hundreds of people came to sample delicious and decadent chocolate treats from a 40-foot-long buffet.
Fest was based on a Food Network program
Event organizer Jennifer Widmer said the event was born while watching episodes of Food Network shows featuring small towns hosting chocolate festivals.
"I thought we could do that as a fundraiser for the church and school," Widmer said.
Each year the event has grown, and Widmer said they expected between 250 to 300 people to come through the doors.'
For $15 per person, attendees could sample six treats and either enjoy them in the church or take them home in foam containers.
The goods are high-quality chocolate made by church and community members, Widmer said.
Guests make an annual event, she said.
Quality chocolates are eat in or carry out
"It's every kind of chocolate you can imagine, it's really good," Jill Stinebaugh, of Elmore, said as she waited in line to pick up her chocolates. It was her third year attending, she said.
Guests chose carefully from a 40-foot-long buffet of chocolate treats, choosing between truffles, brownies, parfaits, cookies and even a chocolate fountain.
Jonathan and Melissa Buck made the drive to the Genoa from Maumee after seeing the event online, attending for the first time on Saturday.
"We saw it online and said 'a Chocolate festival? sounds amazing,'" Jonathan said.
"It was such a hard decision," Melissa said of choosing her treats from more than 40 different options.
Jonathan's favorite was the chocolate brownie cheesecake while it was a tie for Melissa between the homemade Snickers bar and the black forest parfait.
"It's really high-quality chocolate," Melissa said.
Seated at the same table were Jim and Marsha Barnes from Oak Harbor, who said it was their second year attending.
"We love, love, love it," Marsha said.
Fest will be returning in 2025 for 14th year
And good news for those who missed out this year, the event will return for 14th year, on Feb. 8, 2025, ARC announced on their Facebook page.
For more information about the Apostolic Restoration Center and its events, visit its Facebook page.
This article originally appeared on Port Clinton News Herald: Forty-foot-long table of chocolates highlight area festival
