Note: This event has already taken place. If you are interested in learning about current and upcoming Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden Events, click here.

When: Friday, January 21, 2011 - Sunday, January 23, 2011 from 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM

Where: Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

View recipes from this year's Chocolate Festival

Join us for Fairchild's 5th Annual International Chocolate Festival with Coffee and Tea!

There will be three days of chocolate treats, delicious cups of coffee and soothing cups of tea.

Don't miss tastings, cacao tree sales, the ChocoKids area, cooking demonstrations, our ChocoWalk, lectures and much more.

View video and photos of past International Chocolate Festivals to see what makes this event so special.

Download the full program as a pdf.

What To Do at the 5th International Chocolate Festival

• Learn how chocolate is made
• Submit a cake or cupcake to our Chocolate Festival Cake Contest!
• Go on the Chocowalk and see cacao trees growing in Fairchild’s Rainforest.
• Enjoy samples from local chocolatiers, then purchase some to take home!
• Learn from some of Miami’s top chefs how to make many dishes using chocolate, from savory to sweet. 
• Learn how chocolate grows and about its native habitat, the rainforest.
• Attend lectures on growing cacao and coffee in South Florida.
• Enjoy great food-- from chocolate crepes to churros dipped in chocolate to grilled chicken with mole. 
• Sip some java at our coffee houses

Cooking Demonstrations

All cooking demonstrations, unless otherwise noted, will take place in the Whole Foods Market Culinary Tent. 

Friday, January 21

12:30 p.m.  Chef Alicia Toledo, Chef/Owner of Once Upon A Thyme
                     Cocoa and Cayenne Churrasco
1:30 p.m.    Chef Fabian Di Paolo, La Marea at The Tides South Beach
                     Chocolate truffle and Passion gelee with Chocolate crystals
2:30 p.m.    Chef Jose Burela, Mexico Tourism Board

Saturday, January 22

11:00 a.m.  Chef Andrea Curto-Randazzo, The Water Club
                      Mini Chocolate Cup Cakes with Chocolate Malted Butter Cream
                      and Crunchy Almond-Bacon Streusel
12:00 p.m.  Chef Andrea Menichetti, Vino e Olio
                     Almond Cannoli with Chocolate Mousse and Grand Marnier Cream
1:30 p.m.    Pastry Chef Hedy Goldsmith, Michael's Genuine Food & Drink
                     Extreme Chocolate Almond Biscotti
                     Milk Chocolate Jellies with Smoked Sugar
3:00 p.m.    Raw cacao demo by Loren Pulitzer, Well Being Coach
                     Hazelnut Truffles

Sunday, January 23

11:00 a.m.  Chef Allen Susser, Chef Allen's, Chocolate Rum Mousse
                      and Chef's Chocolate Chip Cookies
12:00 p.m.  Pastry Chef Crystal Cullison
                      Flourless chocolate cake with Cocoa Nib crumble and Stout Cream
12:00 p.m.   Ancient Flavors for Chocolate: Adding Zest to Sweets and Savories
                      with Flowers and Spices
                      Dr. Maricel Presilla, Miami Herald food columnist and author of
                         The New Taste of Chocolate
                      (This cooking demonstration will take place in Corbin A)
1:30 p.m.    Chef Norman Van Aken and co-Chef Justin Van Aken
                     Pecan-Caramel Tart with Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache
 2:30 p.m.    Chocolate Secrets of the Ancient Maya
                      An Interactive Workshop for Kids of all Ages
                      Dr. Maricel Presilla, Miami Herald food columnist and author of
                        The New Taste of Chocolate

Lectures

All lectures will be held in the Corbin Building, Classroom A.

Saturday, January 22

 10:00 a.m.  The Science of Cacao: The Chocolate Tree is No Longer an
                       Orphan Crop
                       Dr. Juan Carlos Motamayor, USDA-ARS

11:00 a.m.  The Culture of Chocolate: Lessons from the Maya Chocolate Makers
                      of Guatemala
                      Dr. Maricel Presilla, Miami Herald food columnist and author of
                        The New Taste of Chocolate

12:00 p.m.  A Journey of Great Taste: An introduction to coffee history
                     Aslin Castrodad, Regional Coffee, Tea and Spice Coordinator
                     Allegro Coffee Company

1:30 p.m.    Agriculture:  Growing Cacao, Coffee and
                     Chocolate Persimmon in South Florida
                     Dr. Richard J. Campbell, Senior Curator of Tropical Fruit, FTBG

3:30 p.m.    The Art and Craft of Chocolate: Making world class chocolate
                     in America (with Chocolate Tasting)
                     Art Pollard, Amano Chocolate Company

Sunday, January 23

11:00 a.m.    The Art and Craft of Chocolate: Making world class chocolate
                       in America (with Chocolate Tasting)
                       Art Pollard, Amano Chocolate Company

12:00 p.m.   Ancient Flavors for Chocolate: Adding Zest to Sweets and Savories
                      with Flowers and Spices. Cooking demonstration. 
                      Dr. Maricel Presilla, Miami Herald food columnist and author of
                        The New Taste of Chocolate

1:00 p.m.     The Culture of Chocolate: The Women of Chocolate in Guatemala
                      Lecture and Tasting
                      Dr. Maricel Presilla, Miami Herald food columnist and author of
                        The New Taste of Chocolate

2:00 p.m.     The Art and Craft of Chocolate: Making world class chocolate
                     in America (with Chocolate Tasting)
                     Art Pollard, Amano Chocolate Company

Kids' Activities

All Kids' Activities, unless otherwise noted, will take place in the Learning Garden. 

11:00 a.m. Saturday and Sunday
Short Chef teaches kids about chocolate, and makes a healthy dessert fondue recipe with them! 

12:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Jeremy Salamon of JeremyCooks will do a healthy chocolate cooking demonstration for kids.
JeremyCooks.com

2:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Book Reading of Hershey: A Tale of a Curious House Rabbit  by Georgiana G. Hall, an action-filled kids story about a rescued rabbit.  10% of book sales will go go the House Rabbit Society.

2:30 p.m. Sunday 
Dr. Maricel Presilla presents Chocolate Secrets of the Ancient Maya, An Interactive Workshop for Kids of all Ages.  Please note: This workshop will take place in the Whole Foods Market Culinary Tent.   

HARE
Come see rescued rabbits and learn from rabbit expert Dana Krempels, Ph. D. of the University of Miami. 

Yoga

All yoga classes provided free of charge by Rina Yoga in the Alee. 

10:30 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.    Yoga for Adults
11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.    Chocokids Yoga
12:15 p.m. - 12:30 p.m.    Chocolate Meditation
12:30 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.       Yoga for Adults
1:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.         Chocokids Yoga

Chocolate Cake Contest

Theme: Botanic Art in Chocolate at Fairchild
Categories: Amateur, Professional and Kids

This year’s Chocolate Cake & Cupcake Contest will exemplify the botanic beauty of South Florida’s subtropics.  Imagine a lush Royal Poinciana tree in fondant, or an arrangement of orchids on a red velvet layer cake, or some other fantastic creation of chocolate with a botanic theme.  Get creative and submit your finest cake!  Download an Entry Form and Contest Rules.

Bike Valet

Green Mobility Network will be here Saturday and Sunday offering their unique bike valet service at the South Gate. Bike and $5! If you walk or ride your bike to Fairchild, you will receive $5 off the admission price for adults and $2 for children. It's our way of thanking you for contributing to conservation. 

Admission: Free to Fairchild members and children 5 and under. Non-members: $25 for adults, $18 for seniors 65 and up and $12 for children 6-17.

Eco-discount: If you ride your bike, walk or use public transportation, receive $5 off for adults and $2 off for children. It's our way of thanking you for contributing to conservation.

Special thanks to our additional sponsors: