Bloomington’s Week of Chocolate is an annual week-long, community-wide festival that will be put on by nonprofit learning organization LIFEDesigns.
The Week of Chocolate will consist of a series of events, such as chocolate and wine tasting, which provide funding to local nonprofit organizations.
Stephanie Shelton, the community development officer from LIFEDesigns, helped plan and organize the event. She said the organization would have its own specific event titled “The Art of Chocolate” as a part of the Week of Chocolate.
“It’s a fun event,” Shelton said. “‘The Art of Chocolate’ is there to raise awareness about the different nonprofit organizations that do awesome things for the community. It helps people learn about what the community is doing for others who have needs.”
The Week of Chocolate has been going on for more than 10 years, with most of the organizations hosting the same event each year to use them as signature ?fundraisers.
The event is sponsored by Bloomington Moose Lodge, Cococlectic, FinePrint, the IU Art Museum, Lamar and Oliver ?Winery.
Besides supplying varieties of chocolate, each day of the event will also provide different activities such as free gifts, massages, bingo games, prizes, raffles and live music.
The Week of Chocolate 2015 will take place Jan. 24-31. Each day will have a different theme and concept.
The first event of the festival is called “The Sweet Life” and will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 24 at the Osmon Chiropractic Center on 1332 W. Arch Haven Ave., Suite C.
“The Sweet Life” will be set up as a beauty and health event, and services such as spinal ?screenings, chair massages, acupuncture, beauty consultations and hand-softening treatments will be provided.
The second event, “The Art of Chocolate,” will take place at 5:30 p.m. in the IU Art Museum on 1133 E. Seventh St. “The Art of Chocolate” is a chocolate and wine tasting gala and features artwork, chocolate creations, libations, live music and performing art. General admission for this event costs $50.
The third event will be called “Chocolate Bingo” and will take place at 6 p.m. Monday at Bloomington Moose Lodge, 840 S. Cory Lane.
“Chocolate Bingo” will feature a game of bingo with a chocolate theme, cash awards, chocolate and drinks provided. General ?admission for this event costs $20.
The concluding event will be a chocolate open house on ?Friday, Jan. 30.
All of the funds raised at each of the chocolate-themed events will go directly to that event’s host agency in support of its specific mission.
The event will also feature a variety of local artists such as Peggy Woodcok and Joey Like and chefs like Damian Esposito and Linda Armes.
They will supply original artwork, decadent chocolate creations, live music and ?performing art.
“The chefs will be making and bring a variety of chocolate truffles and desserts and appetizers to the event,” Shelton said. “There’s going to be a wide variety of chocolate, and it’s not going to be your typical Hershey’s Kisses candy chocolate.”
LIFEDesigns will put on this event to support its mission to partner with people of all ages and abilities to lead meaningful and active lives, according to its website.
Tickets for this event can be purchased at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater and on the ?LIFEDesigns website.
