Chocolate lovers cook up $2,400 for youth activities
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
1 of 3 free articles.
ARLEE — Paper plates rich with portions of cakes called “Chocolate Overload” and “Blackout” fed even the most insatiable sweet tooth. Everything from cheesecakes to suckers to even chicken was drizzled and dipped in chocolate.
And after all was baked, dished and devoured, the eighth annual Arlee Chocolate Lover’s Festival raised more than $2,400 for Arlee youth activities.
This was the second year Arlee resident Chelsea Arlee has brought her family to the event. The first year, they didn’t know what to expect, but after tasting the delicious treats and watching the bidding wars over the best desserts, Arlee knew this year’s festival was a must. The Arlee family even baked their own chocolate concoction: chocolate cupcakes.
But Arlee was a little worried about the “stiff and tasty” competition.
“If nobody bids on mine, I’ll bid on mine to save face,” Arlee laughed. “I think this will be a family yearly tradition.”
Cindy Newberg of Arlee made a drunken rum cake two years ago but this time decided to spice things up a bit more with her chocolate mole that featured a crisp tortilla cup filled with rice and chocolate covered chicken.
“There’s so many great desserts here; I wanted to make something different for variety,” Newberg said. “I’ve always loved mole, and most mole has cocoa in it.
The Arlee Chocolate Lover’s Festival was created to raise money to support the community afterschool art program sponsored by the Arlee Community Development Corporation. According to CDC member Kelley Brown, the majority of the arts program is now funded by grants, and monies raised from the festival now go toward other activities such as the Jocko Valley Library’s summer reading program and the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, which provides children with a new book every month.
“It seems like each year (the festival) has grown,” Brown said, explaining that people create and donate chocolate treats, one to sample and one to auction off. Festival-goers then taste, vote and bid on their favorites, with winners receiving donated prizes from local businesses and individuals. This year’s event had 25 desserts in the auction, as people clamoring to taste-test formed a line snaking around the filled room.
“Everything has been excellent and amazing,” Brown said of the community support.
