The Firehouse Art Center has selected the participants for the 28^th Annual Chocolate Festival.  The event will take place on January 30, 2010 from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Forum Building at the University of Oklahoma, located at 1704 Asp Avenue (at Asp and Timberdell).

Over 30 “Chocolatiers” are participating this year, and will be bringing with them over 25,000 samples of chocolate.  Many of these vendors and restaurants have participated for years. Legends will be bringing their Chocolate Amaretto Cream Cake, The Candy Basket will provide samples of Godiva chocolate and La Baguette will bring their famous chocolate mice. Kendall’s Restaurant will bring their chocolate cinnamon rolls, which are only available at the Chocolate Festival each year. For something a bit unusual, The Diner will provide chocolate chili.

There are several new restaurants in 2010. Carriage Hill Farms Wedding Event Center will bring a chocolate fountain, CG Chocolates will provide chocolate truffles and nut and fruit clusters, and Iron Starr Barbecue will bring their mouthwatering Double Chocolate Bread Pudding.  Other new vendors include The Melting Pot, Interurban, Michelangelo’s Coffee and Wine Bar, “O” Asian Fusion, Pink Elephant Café and more.

There are also several extra activities at the Chocolate Festival this year, including a children’s art area and art demonstrations by Firehouse Art Center faculty.

Tickets are available by calling the Firehouse Art Center at 329-4523 or online at www.normanfirehouse.com. Tickets can also be ordered in person at the Firehouse Art Center, 444 S. Flood in Norman, and will be mailed prior to the event.  Tickets will also be available at the door.

There will be chocolate tasting sessions at 11:30 a.m., noon, 12:30 p.m., 1 p.m. and 1:30 p.m.  Tickets are $18 for members of the Firehouse Art Center and $20 for non-members, and include 10 chocolate samples.  A premiere, one-hour tasting session will be from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and includes 15 chocolate samples, a container to take home leftovers and a complimentary drink.  Premiere tickets are $27 for members and $30 for non-members.

The Firehouse Art Center’s Chocolate Festival was ranked third among food festivals in the United States by the Food Network, has been featured in Southern Living Magazine, and won this year’s Frontier Country Grand Award for Outstanding Food Festival in Central Oklahoma.

All proceeds of the 28^th Annual Firehouse Art Center’s Chocolate Festival will help support visual arts education, exhibits and programs offered by the Firehouse Art Center.

For additional information on the Chocolate Festival, contact Carla Chew at the Firehouse Art Center at 329-4523 or visit www.normanfirehouse.com.

ABOUT THE NORMAN FIREHOUSE ART CENTER – The Norman Firehouse Art Center, Inc. is a non-profit organization that serves Norman and surrounding communities by offering visual art classes for students of all ages, as well as gallery exhibitions of the highest quality.