Now here’s a bright idea: a festival devoted entirely to HOT CHOCOLATE!
This makes my kids all kinds of excited, and me, too! The 6th annual HOT CHOCOLATE Festival is happening right now in my city of Vancouver. There’s over two dozen bakeries, restaurants and cafés offering incredibly delectable takes on HOT CHOCOLATE, with interesting flavours like Vanilla Earl Grey (The Last Crumb), Honey Bun with chili honey (Terra Breads), and lots of non-dairy options, too, like Coconut Hot Chocolate paired with a small scoop of chocolate vegan ice cream (Ernest Ice Cream). Sweet!
So, how does a HOT CHOCOLATE festival work, you ask? Here’s the scoop: each participating business offers 2 or 3 signature HOT CHOCOLATE recipes on their menu paired with an accompanying topping or tiny sweet treat for patrons to come try during the festival dates of January 16-February 14. There are also specific flavours only offered on certain days during the festival at certain locations, so there’s lots of variety. The idea is brilliant, and it gets people out and about to new locations around the city, and the HOT CHOCOLATE festival is a fundraiser organized by Cityfood Magazine for the Downtown Eastside women’s job training program, so it’s a feel-good do-good event on all sides.
And I love that this festival is highlighting the fantastic imaginations of our city’s best creators of chocolate, and getting Vancouverites tasting some drinkable confections. The Vancouver HOT CHOCOLATE Festival is also very social, so go check out #hotchocolatefest on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to enter their HOT CHOCOLATE photo contest, for more ideas and for deliciously drool-worthy pics.
Now, if you can’t make it to the festival, let me make a suggestion…
Try your hand at creating some fun HOT CHOCOLATE concoctions of your own. There’s no rules at home! I’ve tried all sorts of flavour combinations with my kids starting with milk, hot water, soy or almond milk with cocoa, chocolate chips, hot chocolate mix or sometimes (a lot of times) just with Nutella (you don’t even need actual chocolate to make HOT CHOCOLATE, by the way). And you can add cinnamon, vanilla, orange rind, anything you like for a little flavour flourish. Whipped cream and sprinkles are always fun for kids, and I love Oh She Glow’s recipe for Coconut Whipped Cream.
Or make a plan on a chilly day to go compare flavours at several different cafe’s in your neighbourhood. Order one to share and taste test with homemade score cards for each location. Bring some crayons for colouring and for filling in the scorecards for best chocolatey taste, creamiest whipped cream, favourite sprinkles, yummiest marshmallows, deepest chocolate colour, etc. Have a discussion on what makes the best HOT CHOCOLATE and recreate it at home. Note: we like to schedule a family dance party or perhaps a balloon party to work off all that sugar afterwards!
The Vancouver HOT CHOCOLATE Festival is happening until Valentine’s Day, just in time for some creamy, dreamy, chocolatey love! Take your lovey, your littles, or just yourself for a well-deserved chocolatey quiet time. Click for a complete listing of the HOT CHOCOLATE Festival vendors & flavours.
And now it’s time for me to stop writing and start sipping. Are you hitting any of the HOT CHOCOLATE festival spots in Vancouver? Do you make your own HOT CHOCOLATE at home?
Here’s how to sign HOT CHOCOLATE with your kids…please be careful if you’re sipping and signing!
To sign HOT in American Sign Language, start with an open claw-hand in front of your open mouth then bring hand down and swing it away from your body (like something that’s too HOT to touch)
To sign CHOCOLATE, hold one hand in a ‘C’ shape circling on top of your other flat hand:
Growing Signs 
I have to say that nothing warms the tummy like a nice big cup of hot chocolate. I’m so jealous that this is happening in Vancouver – we could use it on our cold Toronto winter days. I just bought a frother and I love all the options you speak about and since I’m off dairy I’ll have to explore the Oh She Glows Coconut Whipped Cream. You’re making me crave some cocoa. Thanks for sharing – wish I lived closer to enjoy this festival
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Oh, yes, Toronto needs a hot chocolate festival, too! I hope you can try the coconut whipped cream, it is delish!
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Love your posts…so playful and positive!
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Thank you so much Korena! (It’s pretty fun writing about sign language and hot chocolate!!)
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Great post! The thought of a nice, warm cup of hot chocolate definitely brightens the winter blues! My family is all about hot chocolate after a skate around the lake but I would love to be able to tour Calgary’s shops for tasty bites and a hot chocolate treat. Brilliant idea and proceeds are going to a great cause. Love it!!
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Yes, isn’t it a great idea as a fundraiser? And I think Calgary needs a hot chocolate festival, too! I love that you go skating with your family. Thanks for stopping by!
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A chocolate festival sounds positively dreamy right about now. As per this time of year, I am cooped up at home with sick kids, your post about home made gourmet chocolate is just what we needed! Hopefully we will all be up and running in time to head in and compare some of our homemade versions against those of the pros! Great Post! Thanks!
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Oh no, winter colds and flus are the worst! I hope you can get some cocoa going at home until you get outside again 🙂
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Ooooh!! I love the Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival! Thanks for the reminder! And what a great sign to know. It will definitely come in handy to signal when we’re ready for a hot chocolate break in Whistler too!
For some added fun at home, I recommend homemade marshmallows with your hot chocolate. ☺️ Thanks for sharing Lee Ann!
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Great idea to take score cards to compare; my kids would love it! Thanks for including the link to the listings!
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Thanks, Kiley! The scorecards are a great conversation starter and adds some competitive edge to all the sipping 🙂 I hope you go try some festival locations!
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I’m fond of my hot chocolate and baileys. But that Earl Grey one sounds pretty good to! Oh how I miss my blog…maybe it’s time to start a new one but just focus on baking.
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Yes, please start your blog again! Baking as a focus is perfect for me, I love knowing what recipes you’re trying, Marla.
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This sounded like a lot of fun. I really love those gloves in your first picture to! Where did you get those?
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heather, those gloves were handmade and given to me, I love them too! Perfect for chilly but not too cold weather (or if you’re sipping from a warm cup)!
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You had me at “chocolate” – but then, did my eyes deceive me? – you wrote “Vanilla Earl Grey” and I think I died and went to heaven! We love your posts and now its inspired us to go on a chocolate hunt (kind of like a scavenger hunt but yummier!) of all things chocolate that Vancouver has to offer – thanks Lee Ann!
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Oh, yes! You must try the Vanilla Earl Grey, Corrine. And I love the spin of calling it a “chocolate hunt” for the kids. You are a fun mom!!
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YUM! Sounds like a perfect mommy-daughter date!
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Absolutely, Steph, and I hope you can go taste some!
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Thanks for some great ideas for a bit of weekend fun.
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I’m all in for anything chocolate!! What a great idea! When I was in my early twenties (and didn’t worry about calories…) I would put a whole aero bar in my mug of piping hot chocolate. A dessert- dessert; drink my hot chocolate and then scoop out the warm melted chocolate goodness at the bottom. I miss those days ;).
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Love this…and love the idea of coconut whipped cream, definately a must-try!
Always enjoy reading your posts!
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LOVE this post! My family members are hot chocolate fanatics. I love the sound of coconut whipped cream (thanks for the link). I often forget the ways we can pump up the chocolate add ins like orange and mint. Thanks for the great ideas, again!
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