Calling all chocoholics! The Alleghany Highlands Arts & Crafts Center is issuing a Chocolate Challenge! Home chefs across the Highlands are invited to showcase their love of chocolate by submitting their favorite recipe. We want groups to challenge one another: neighbor vs. neighbor, business vs. business, official vs. official – all challengers welcome! We're excited to see the creativity our local chefs will display as they whip up their killer chocolate desserts.

The Chocolate Challenge will be decided at the fifth annual Art of Chocolate Festival to be held in March of 2010 at the Moomaw Center on the Campus of Dabney S. Lancaster Community College. Hours for the festival are 11 AM to 3 PM with the ribbons, prizes and bragging rights awarded at 1:00 that afternoon. All during the day there will be entertainment galore including several cake walks, live music, and a spicy chocolate salsa dance. 
 

Here’s how it works. Each contestant must agree to provide two identical items, one for judging and the other for sharing. Categories include cakes, candies, brownies, pies, chocolate drinks and wild card entries. We encourage people to stretch their culinary skills and send us their best creations.

At the Festival you’ll be able to taste some of the finest creations from friends, neighbors and local businesses. All you have to do is buy a $5 book of tasting tickets, and do so before a finite supply is overwhelmed by demand.

Money raised from the event goes to the Alleghany Highlands Arts & Crafts Center to support exhibits, workshops, and the Artist in Education program for our local schools. For more information and to get an entry form call the center at 862-4447, go to www.highlandsartsandcrafts.com or stop by the Center at 439 East Ridgeway Street in Clifton Forge.

When all is said and done, it’s about the taste. And who doesn’t love chocolate?”

Thank you for your support of the Alleghany Highlands Arts & Crafts Center.

    8:30 - 9:45 a.m.   
  Delivery period for dessert entries

                               11:00 a.m.                            
Art of Chocolate Festival begins

11:30 a.m.
Cake Walk
                   
                     11:00 – 3:00 p.m.               
   Public Tasting, Chocolate Fountains,    
Chocolate Making Demonstrations, Chocolate Art Display and People’s Choice voting
               
                    11:30 – 12:30 a.m.              
   Judging of all desserts 
                      
                     12 Noon                      
Live Auction

1 :00 PM
Award Presentations

2:30 p.m.
Cake Walk 
                                 
                              3:00 p.m.                              
  Festival Closes

The Art of Chocolate Festival
March 27, 2010
11 AM - 3 PM
Moomaw Center 
Dabney S. Lancaster Community College