SUGAR RUSH: Chocolate Walk draws hundreds in search of sweet treats – The Daily Reporter

GREENFIELD – The Greenfield Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual Chocolate Walk was a huge success Friday as a sold-out crowd enjoyed chocolate throughout downtown Greenfield.

Chamber President Retta Livengood said 27 vendors were ready to hand out 8,100 chocolate samples to 300 attendees, who traveled to stops throughout the city.

As usual, much of the chocolate was custom made to match each vendor’s theme.

Members of the Hancock County Master Gardeners handed out different types of chocolate in flower shapes, while Wooden Bear Brewing Co. offered guests 21 and older samples of chocolate beer.

The Chocolate Walk was created to raise funds for Chamber programming while encouraging participants to visit various downtown stores and businesses.

“I bought my favorite T-shirt at one of the stores here last year,” said Jenna White of Morristown as she toured the Chocolate Walk stops with her family Friday night.

Every year, her parents travel from Lafayette to attend the event with White, her husband and their two daughters — Zoe, 8, and Gwen, 5 — who attend Eastern Hancock Elementary School.

This was the fourth year in a row that his family had attended the event. They took a break to dine at Pizza King between chocolate tastings in town.

“I think it’s awesome because I’ve only been here a few years and there were so many places I didn’t know existed until we started doing this,” White said.

Jayne Hoadley, owner of Greenfield Chocolates, said the Chocolate Walk has brought a number of new customers to her shop over the years.

“I like this concept because people need to come downtown and see who the downtown merchants are. There’s a wide variety of products and a lot to offer,” she said as a crowd gathered outside her storefront windows Friday night.

She gave attendees a choice of a pecan praline cup, Swiss chocolate rolled in French cocoa or a blond truffle rolled in Vietnamese cinnamon.

The chocolate shop also prepared custom creations for a number of Chocolate Walk vendors, including theater masks distributed by the Friends of the Theater group at the HJ Ricks Center for the Arts.

Three Bears Bakery handed out samples of its chocolate macarons, smaller versions of the popular staple at the bakery located on the northeast corner of Depot Street Park.

While some companies showcased their chocolate products, some nonprofits used the event to promote their mission.

In addition to their flower-shaped chocolates, Hancock County Master Gardeners handed out flyers about their upcoming programs as well as seed packets for growing perennial plants, which also serve as pollinators.

The Arc of Hancock County, which supports people with developmental disabilities, also used the Chocolate Walk to raise awareness of its mission.

“I think it’s critical to get our name out there right now, and this is a great way to do that,” said the nonprofit’s executive director, Liz Subrin.

She bought her chocolates at God’s Embrace, a cafe on Indianapolis’ east side that trains and employs people with disabilities.

Livengood said this year’s Chocolate Walk vendor lineup of 27 was the second-largest on record and the third year the event has sold out.

“We probably could have sold 30 or 40 more tickets, which would have allowed us to maybe increase our attendance next year,” she said.

As hundreds of guests headed to downtown shops and hundreds more attended a concert at Depot Street Park that evening, Livengood said it was great to see so much “sweet” energy downtown.