Dazzled by chocolate at Chocolate Daze in downtown Wooster
The event is sponsored by The Wooster Weekly News and is presented by Main Street Wooster, Inc.
Retailers and restaurants will oversee their own events during their regular business hours during the Friday-Saturday promotion.
Included among the businesses are downtown’s newest businesses: the St. Paul Hotel on South Market Street will conduct tours, accompanied by delicious gourmet hot chocolate from Woo’s Brews. The latter business, located in the northeast quadrant of Public Square, will have its own in-house offerings of chocolate covered bacon, half priced chocolate drinks and new sipping chocolate, along with other in-store specials and a drawing for a gift basket or gift card. And the G+G Boutique/Wooster Floral on West Liberty will have a drawing for roses and a basket of chocolate, not to mention hot chocolate and chocolate candy for customers.
Liberty Street Furniture, which just recently opened at the corner of Buckeye and Liberty streets, will serve chocolate and have a drawing for a chocolate recliner. Across the street, DaVinci Floors & Granite will offer sweet deals and chocolate treats. If you opt to purchase new granite countertops during the event, they’ll even throw in a new stainless steel sink.
If you want to get a head start on Valentine’s Day shopping, try one of downtown’s jewelry stores: White Jewelers on East Liberty is offering Coblentz Chocolates’ chocolate diamond and a drawing for a Coblentz gift basket and free ring cleaning and inspection. Just a stone’s throw away, the Bead Café on North Buckeye will have Swarovski crystal earrings for just $4 (while supplies last). MacKenzie’s Silver & Gold on East Liberty will have chocolate covered coffee beans to try, while White Raven Native Elements on Public Square will have a drawing for a gift basket.
Looking for a little midwinter pampering? Salon Fringe in the Liberty Street Commons will be glad to provide a mint chocolate manicure ($10) or a mint chocolate paraffin hand dip ($5), with a chocolate treat for everyone, plus a drawing for a “chocoholic” gift basket. A hand and arm massage will be accompanied by a cup of hot chocolate at Spa Collections on North Street and a 10-minute chair massage is only $5 at Cutter’s Hair Studio and Spa at the north end of downtown (at Quinby Avenue and Bowman Street).
For the well-read, the Wooster Book Company on West Liberty will have a $15 gift certificate for the person who can most closely guess the number of Hershey’s Kisses in a jar, while the Wayne County Public Library across the street is going all-out for both its adult and younger patrons. On Saturday, children from 2-12 can participate in a live game of Candy Land, with lots of treats along the way, while adults can take a chocolate quiz on Friday or Saturday and be entered into a drawing for a basket of chocolate-themed books. Friends of the Library will be on hand to kick off its membership drive Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Have a little fun at the specialty shops: Artfind Tile on South Market will have homemade hot chocolate, while Friendtique on West Liberty will have chocolate treats and chocolate coffee and 25 percent off everything (except items in the window). Next door, the Uptown Downtown Emporium will have free chocolates and Ride On on Public Square will have a chocolate fountain and 25 percent off all winter gear. Stay on the square for a chocolate mint at the Wooster Gift Corner or some Brix chocolate (for wine samples) and a chocolate specialties gift basket drawing at Today’s Kitchen Store.
And, in what has become a Chocolate Daze tradition, a purchase of $10 or more will get you a spin on the Wheel of Chocolate to win a chocolate treat or discount at Everything Rubbermaid.
There’s live music (Toni Rae Arnold Shreve at the piano Feb. 10) and free chocolates at Larry’s Music Center at Bever and Liberty streets and complimentary chocolates and a chance to win a gift basket of eye care supplies at The Looking Glass on East Liberty. A half-block away, the Urban Cottage will host its second annual Chocolate for Charity event, where a donation to the Wayne County Humane Society will get you some free hot chocolate and where there will be discounts and specials throughout the event.
Meanwhile, you can leave the Urban Cottage and head right into roomScapes at Liberty Street Commons, where there will nice warm Otis Spunkmeyer cookies and specials all around the store.
In the end, chocolate can be decadent and fun and no one does it better than downtown’s outstanding place to eat and drink. Special menu items along West Liberty Street include the legendary mint chocolate brownies (served warm with ice cream) and chocolate specialty drinks at TJ’s Trio of Restaurants and chocolate mousse pie, hot chocolate and more chocolate drinks at Zen Restaurant & Lounge.
On South Market Street, there will be chocolate marshmallow with chocolate hearts and chocolate chipotle brownies with Irish crème at City Square Steakhouse; a free chocolate french kiss with any entrée order from 4-9 p.m. (while supplies last) at The Henry Station; and chocolate chipotle cheesecake with whipped crème and berry coulis and chocolate specialty drinks with dark chocolate, Irish crème and Van Gogh caramel flavors at South Market Bistro; and unique chocolate desserts and pastries will be featured at Spoon Market & Deli, along with 10 percent off on all market items that feature chocolate. Buyers will be entered into the market’s gift basket drawing. SoMar Wine Cellars will offer special chocolate-themed wine flights with Brix chocolate, as well as a gift basket drawing.
On the square, Omahoma Bob’s BBQ will provide free Godiva cheesecake to share with dinner for two and Tulipan Hungarian Bakery & Coffee Shop will offer free samples of chocolate coconut honeycake and $1 per cup Buckeye hot chocolate.
The treats continue on East Liberty, with $1 off chocolate martinis and chocolate custard at Broken Rocks Café & Bakery and a free chocolate decadence dessert with an entrée purchase at Muddy Waters Café & Grille.
And head up North Market Street, where the chocolate theme continues at Buehler’s Town Market Café, which will offer brownie pops and cake balls – a staple on its catering menu -- for individual sale.
Published: February 6, 2012
