The streets of Belmont Shore will be filled with rich smells and sweet treats Saturday for its 15th annual chocolate festival.
Local businesses will be working together to provide Long Beach with an array of chocolate treats including chocolate cakes, crepes and candies. Up and down the street, people will be able to reach out for a taste of what booths have to offer.
“There are going to be a lot of choices for people which is fun,” said Stacia Samartan, an owner of the Frosted Cupcakery.
During the day, attendees will be able to partake in a pie-eating contest, a home-made dessert contest, and many chocolate tastings.
“The pie-eating contest is always hilarious,” said Dede Rossi, Executive Director of the Belmont Shore Business Association.
Rossi said the purpose of the event is to get people excited for Valentine’s Day and to promote the businesses that are in Belmont Shore.
However, turn-out might be affected by the forecasted rain on Saturday. Samartan said she is worried because her booth is usually outside, and she doesn’t know how that will affect them.
Rossi said the rain won’t start until later in the day, so she’s not too worried about attendance, which is usually around 2,000 people.
“Every time we have an event, it’s to promote business here,” Rossi said.
Samartan said the day is usually pretty busy for the businesses with long lines forming at many booths. The Frosted Cupcakery is among those businesses and Samartan said she plans to wow guests with their best-sellers.
The Chocolate Festival takes place from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 9. There is no fee to get in to the event, but it’s $10 for 12 tasting tickets. These tickets are used to purchase treats at the event, and they will be sold in front of Chase Bank on the day of the event for cash only.