More than 300 chocolate lovers flooded Harvard Square Jan. 25 for the city’s 14th Annual Taste of Chocolate Festival. Hosted by the Harvard Square Business Association, the weekend was promoted as a “three-day chocolate extravaganza,” punctuated by a free and highly anticipated chocolate-tasting Saturday.
Hot chocolate, cookies, ice cream and more greeted a long line of Cambridge visitors in the snow. Local cafes and shops showcased their chocolate products through tasty bite-sized samples that many felt were worth waiting in the cold for.
Despite the chill in the air, the sun appeared, radiating across Harvard Square and drawing people outside.
“I love to do things when it’s daylight, there’s not always enough things in Boston that are outside and sunny during the winter,” said Hannah Dunleavy, a new Brookline resident and avid chocolate lover.
Sweet treats from businesses, including Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, Henrietta’s Table and The Painted Burro, lined a narrow walkway as people filed through, happily accepting chocolate goodies handed their way. Transparent, enclosed “igloos” and fire pits sat in the middle of the event, helping to warm people up as they sampled vendors’ offerings.
People from Brookline to Cambridge, young and old, enjoyed their favorite types of chocolate in the many forms they took.
“This winter, I’ve been on a quest to make getting hot chocolate a thing,” said Aiden Khan, a Boston local. “I think people are too into getting coffee, so I’ve been taking them and other people to get hot chocolate all winter, and there’s some here that I haven’t tried yet.”
Throughout the day, vendors and participants were entertained by the music of Grooversity, a social activism drumming group, and DJ Joey Finnz, dancing off some newly consumed calories.
After all, most attended for “free samples and the allure of many different types of chocolate,” Dunleavy said.
