Sweet Treats and Global Rhythms Take Center Stage at the Asheville Chocolate and Arts Festival

Whether you're looking for indulgent holiday gifts or just looking to indulge, the Asheville Chocolate and Arts Festival will satisfy your cravings on December 8th, 2012. Taking place at the US Cellular Center from noon until 7:00 p.m., the event features world music, dance, arts, and pounds upon pounds of chocolate made by over a dozen local chocolatiers.

Chocolate, Chocolate, and So Much More
The cost of admission to the Asheville Chocolate and Arts Festival includes free chocolate samples, plus the opportunity to purchase sweet treats from local chocolatiers. The confectionary line-up includes all of your Asheville favorites, like the French Broad Chocolate Lounge, Raw Shakti, and True Confections Bakery, and a few new industry names too, such as Raw Herbal Chocolates and Silver Moon Chocolates. And, there's plenty of additional ways to get your chocolate fix: World's Best Carrot Cake makes a delightful baked good, Nourish & Flourish will be serving up chocolate chai tea, and Choffy presents a tasty beverage that is brewed from roasted cacao beans.

Celebrate Diversity through Music and Dance

Performers, musicians, and dancers will bring a world of culture to the stage at the Asheville Chocolate and Arts Festival. Featuring a bold range of sound and movement, including Tango, West African dance, bellydancing, Aztec dance, Reggae Afro-beat music, and Native Cherokee dance, the event has a worthy mission of bringing people together to celebrate diversity this holiday season. Kids will love Juan Holladay and the Secret B-Sides, and the whole family can get in the groove with Eternity Hip Hop Dance Troupe with Michael Hayes. Additional performances include Bollywood-style Indian dance by Gayatri, the Tried Stone Gospel Choir, and Middle Eastern Drumming by River Guerguerian. And, if you want the full experience, dance workshops will be offered throughout the day.

Shopping to Support Local Education
The international artisans market at the Asheville Chocolate and Arts Festival will feature plenty of gift buying opportunities, including handmade goods from local artisans, baskets and basket weaving demonstrations by Gullah artisans, Buddhist gifts and books from Urban Dharma, paintings by a Haitian artist from Atlanta, and clothing and accessories from Cooperativa Mujeres Tejedoras, a Guatemalan women’s cooperative. There will also be a live fashion show featuring stylish threads from local designers and independent shops, including Honeypot, Royal Peasantry, The Costume Shoppe, and Vintage Moon. Twenty-five percent of the proceeds will be donated to the Urban Arts Institute and Odyessy School to fund multicultural arts education for Asheville youth.

The Perfect Place to Stay in Asheville
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