McLean’s annual Chocolate Festival returns Sunday with sweets and songs

TysonsReporter.com January 26, 2024 at 11:02am

McLean Chocolate Festival 2023 (photo by Thomas Mangan) — The McLean Chocolate Festival will return this Sunday, Jan. 28 (photo by Thomas Mangan)

The McLean Chocolate Festival will be back in action for a 12th year this Sunday (Jan. 28).

Organized once again by the Rotary Club of McLean, the annual celebration of all things cocoa will take over the McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Avenue) from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For a $3 admission fee that includes a tote bag, attendees will be able to peruse various regional chocolate vendors. The festival will also feature live music by the Sunshine Gang Band, a return of sponsor Mars Inc.’s “History of Chocolate” presentation, and a children’s room with face-painting and other activities.

As of press time, the festival had confirmed 14 vendors, per its website:

In addition to supporting local businesses, the festival’s proceeds go to the Rotary Club of McLean for community and charity projects. Here’s more from the nonprofit on the initiatives that will benefit:

The projects supported by the festival include scholarships for graduating high school seniors, books for Timber Lane Elementary School, McLean Project for the Arts, playground equipment at the Fairfax Children’s Center, hygiene products for school-age girls, medical equipment and clean water initiatives in several African countries. The funds will also support global initiatives such as eradicating Polio abroad, medical needs in Central America, food insecurity across the globe, helping find abused single moms a safe place to live, and many other community projects.

The McLean Chocolate Festival will be followed a week later by Fairfax City’s Chocolate Lovers Festival, which is set to return on Feb. 2-4. A few vendors are scheduled to appear at both events.