In the gray and dreary month of February, visitors tend to stay away from the North Beach communities of Pacific Beach, Seabrook, Moclips, Copalis Beach and Aloha due to the sideways rain. However, all this will change soon because, “It’s always raining chocolate on the last weekend in February.” This motto invites chocolatiers, artists, crafters and thousands of chocolate lovers from across the state and beyond to participate in the 9th Annual Chocolate on the Beach Festival, February 26–28.
The Chocolate on the Beach Festival is the brainchild of Stephanie Allestad, a Grays Harbor Fire District 8 firefighter. In 2008, Allestad staged a small chocolate festival fundraiser in support of the Museum of the North Beach. The event was an instant crowd pleaser, and the festival’s popularity grew so much during the following years that the organizers decided to establish an independent entity in 2011. The Chocolate on the Beach Festival was born.
During the last five years, the Chocolate on the Beach Festival has raised $20,000 in grant money for the North Beach community as well as educational and historical purposes and has been able to attract tourism to the area in the dead of winter. Allestad holds the title of Festival President and Chocolate Lady. “We have a lot of help from the community,” Allestad says. “Grateful grant recipients make very motivated volunteers,” she adds.
New for this year, festivalgoers can enjoy the festival’s first-ever theme — pirates. During the event, Captain Savvy Jack, a British Captain Jack Sparrow impersonator, and some Ocean Shores pirates will roam 10 miles of beach from the Green Lantern in Copalis Beach to the Ocean Crest Resort in Moclips to entertain and teach visitors pirate lore. “We surrender the booty for chocolate,” has aptly been made the slogan for this year’s event.
Allestad’s concern has always been to make the festival fun, educational and affordable for the whole family. Of the 3,000 to 5,000 attendees the festival draws in, most of those festivalgoers return the following year. So do 85 percent of the vendors. “We don’t invite the commercial vendors,” Allestad stresses. “We want to open opportunities to small businesses. They can try new things here. Nice Nuts of Hoquiam, for example, had their first, very successful event here preparing their specialty nuts on location. Small vendors love not having to compete with big business.”
Originally, all festival events took place in Pacific Beach. But hosting 5,000 visitors has been a challenge for the small beach town. Allestad remembers how in the past the heat from too many bodies in one building caused the chocolate to melt, forcing the organizing committee to spread the event throughout several venues.
This year, vendors will display an amazing variety of chocolate products — including gluten free and vegan chocolate as well as carob pet treats — at Pacific Beach Elementary School. For those who need a break from chocolate, Papa Skins will offer pulled pork sandwiches.
Chocolatier and chef demos, as well as chocolate-related classes, will take place at the North Beach Community Center “Chocolate Station.” Erin Andrews of indi chocolate will teach an educational class about the cocoa plant and its growers. She will offer coloring pages as well. Unique for a chocolate festival will be a disaster cooking class teaching participants how to use pantry items (including chocolate, of course) in emergency situations. The disaster cooking class will be held at the Pacific Beach Resort & Conference Center, which is sponsoring the event with North Beach CERT.
The Town of Seabrook, a major festival sponsor, will host its own programs at the Town Hall and the Mill 109 Restaurant and Pub. Chocolate After Dark is a casual dinner event catered by The Mill featuring live music by Butler and the Maid and chocolate-themed appetizers and cocktails. Part of the Seabrook proceeds will benefit the Seabrook Foundation to help support the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
The Green Lantern in Moclips and other watering holes, as well as local coffee shops, will compete in a number of chocolate themed contests. Vote for the Chocoholic Award or for your favorite drink in the Chocolate Cocktail Throw Down or the Battle of the Beans. Restaurants will compete for the best chocolate appetizers, entrees and desserts. Guests and professionals of all ages may enter the chocolate recipe contest.
Kids activities include Mini Mateys, a pirate themed afternoon at the Seabrook Town Hall; decorating a chocolate treasure journal and collecting activity sheets at various locations; meeting Captain Savvy Jack and his mates; and participating in the ever popular chocolate eating contest — a popular event for all ages.
Visitors can support the Seabrook Foundation when they purchase from glassybaby. Ten-percent of glassybaby’s proceeds will support the Pacific Beach Parent’s Group to help raise funds for new playground equipment.
Admission for all three festival days is $5 for adults and $1 for teens. Children are admitted free. During Public Safety Day on Sunday, February 28, there will be free admission for firefighters, 911, EMS, law enforcement and retired military.
Visit the Chocolate on the Beach Festival’s website for additional information, including a list of festival sponsors who will appreciate your business. Follow Facebook.com/ChocolateontheBeach for this year’s novelty: a downloadable app designed to help you navigate the festival’s many activities. Questions? Contact Allestad via email at PBCotBF@gmail.com.
