Glendale Chocolate Affaire - February 3-5, 2012

	Quick Links
		Event Information
		Entertainment Schedule
		Romance Novelist Workshop Schedule
		Romance Cover Model Jimmy Thomas
		Artist Opportunity: Glendale Plein Air Painting Event
		“The Science of Chocolate” & “Ex-Static” at ASU New College
		Getting Here - Downtown Map and Directions from Around the Valley
		Information on Shops and Restaurants Downtown - Visit our Glendale CVB Website

Glendale Chocolate Affaire - Event Information

The weekend before Valentine’s Day, Feb. 3-5, is a delicious delight for the senses as the Glendale Chocolate Affaire takes over downtown Glendale to create a chocolate-lover’s dream!

• Friday, Feb. 3, 2012, 5 - 10 p.m.
• Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012, 10 a.m. - 10 p.m.
• Sunday, Feb. 5, 2012, Noon - 5 p.m.
• Watch Video
  

Chocolate purveyors from Arizona and around the nation gather in Glendale for this award-winning festival, which celebrates not only chocolate, but romance and the arts as well. Chocolate confections will include items such as chocolate-covered bacon, chocolate-covered churros, chocolate-covered twinkies, chocolate-covered key lime pie, fried ice cream with chocolate and strawberries, chocolate-covered crepes and much more.

The Chocolate Affaire is sponsored by Arizona’s famous candy makers, Cerreta’s. The candy factory will offer tours all weekend, so visitors can get a behind-the-scenes look at how the chocolatiers create everyone’s favorite candy.

In addition, the festival has become the largest gathering of national romance novelists in the Southwest. This symposium of literary romantics offers fans the opportunity to get up close and personal with authors, as well as the chance to attend free writing workshops given by the experts.

Families with children will enjoy myriad activities, including hands-on arts and crafts, face-painting and a rock-climbing wall. Horse-drawn carriage rides will be available throughout the weekend to take couples or families on a scenic, charming ride through the historic Catlin Court district.    

Event hours are Friday 5 - 10 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. The event is located in the heart of Historic Downtown Glendale, in Murphy Park, located at 58th and Glendale avenues.

The Glendale Chocolate Affaire festival was named one of the Top 100 Events in North America by the Washington Post, the Seattle Times and the American Bus Association. The event also was bestowed with the 2003 Governor’s Tourism Award for the Best Special Event in Arizona.

The Glendale Chocolate Affaire is sponsored by Cerreta’s Candy Company, ABC 15, The Arizona Republic, Valley Buick-GMC Dealers, YooHoo, KMLE, KOOL and JAMZ.

Entertainment Line-up

Romance Novelist Workshop Schedule

Romance Cover Model Jimmy Thomas

Though Jimmy Thomas can be seen in fitness magazines, on television and in music videos, his most active modeling venue has been romance novel covers. To date he has been on over 2,000 book covers, since participating in the "2002 Mr. Romance Cover Model" contest. Jimmy Thomas has surpassed Fabio five times over, making him the undisputed #1 cover model in history. A brilliant entrepreneur, Jimmy creates and sells cover images and pre-designed book covers to authors and publishers on his website www.romancenovelcovers.com. Jimmy Thomas will be at the Glendale Chocolate Affaire on Saturday, February 4th from 10am - 6pm.

Artist Opportunity: Glendale Plein Air Painting Event

The City of Glendale’s Public Art Program in conjunction with Special Events, will sponsor the 2012 Plein Air Painting Event at the Glendale Chocolate Affaire. It will be held during the popular festival in downtown Glendale, on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012. We invite artists to participate.Event Details (pdf) | See the winners from 2011

“The Science of Chocolate” & “Ex-Static” at ASU New College

“The Science of Chocolate”

Come experience the science and medicinal properties of chocolate with Dr. Francisco Villarreal, professor of medicine at the University of California, San Diego at the Glendale Chocolate Affair. This presentation will be complemented all day by Arizona SciTech Festival science of chocolate booth.

Date: February 4, 2012 - two sessions
Times are 5 and 6 p.m. in Diamond B at the Glendale Civic Center. 5 p.m. is Spanish presentation, 6 p.m. is English.

“Ex-Static” at ASU New College

A state-wide challenge to students, faculty, staff, and community partners to showcase the very best examples of innovative research and practice in scientific, technological and artistic endeavors.

Date: Saturday, February 25,2012
Time: 1-5pm
ASU West, 4701 W. Thunderbird Road, Glendale

To learn more about The Science of Chocolate and other SciTech festival events, visit azscitechfest.org or click here (pdf)

Getting Here

CLICK HERE to download a PDF event map of downtown Glendale.

Important Street Closure Information
Glendale Chocolate Affaire Feb. 3 – 5, 2012
Event Hours: Friday 5 – 10 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., Sunday noon – 5 p.m.

• 58th Drive is closed from Palmaire to Myrtle Avenue
• 58th Avenue is closed from Glendale Avenue to Myrtle Avenue
• Glenn Drive is closed from 58th Drive to 57th Drive
• Palmaire is closed from 58th Drive to 58th Avenue  

Preferred parking at the two downtown garages is accessible
from 59th Ave & Glenn Drive, which is one street north of Glendale Avenue.
See directions below.

Event and Parking Garage Directions for Chocolate Affaire

Directions to Historic Downtown Glendale
From Downtown Phoenix or East Valley
Take I-17 and exit at Glendale Avenue
Proceed west approximately 5 miles
Event site is between 57th Drive and 59th Avenue and Glendale and Myrtle avenues
We suggest using the preferred parking garages (directions below), but there is street parking available in the area around the event site.

Directions to Historic Downtown Glendale
From Areas West of Glendale
Take I-10 east bound to the 59th Avenue exit
Proceed north approximately 5 miles to Glendale Avenue
Event site is between 59th Avenue and 57th Drive and Glendale Avenue and Myrtle Avenue
We suggest using the preferred parking garages (directions below) but there is street parking available in the area around the event site.

OR

Take the 101 westbound to the 59th Avenue exit
Proceed south approximately 9 miles to Glenn Drive or Glendale Avenue
Event site is between 59th Avenue and 57th Drive and Glendale Avenue and Myrtle Avenue
We suggest using the preferred parking garages (directions below) but there is street parking available in the area around the event site.

OR

Take the western loop of the 101 eastbound at the Glendale Avenue exit
Proceed east approximately 3 miles to 59th Avenue
Event site is between 59th Avenue and 57th Drive and Glendale Avenue and Myrtle Avenue
We suggest using the preferred parking garages (directions below) but there is street parking available in the area around the event site.

Directions to Preferred Parking Garages in Historic Downtown Glendale
From Downtown Phoenix or East Valley

Take I-17 and exit at Glendale Avenue
Proceed west approximately 5 miles to 59th Avenue
Turn right at 59th Avenue and proceed one block north to Glenn Drive
Turn right onto Glenn Drive
The City Hall preferred parking garage is 50 yards east immediately on your right
The Bank of America preferred parking garage is 75 yards east and then 100 yards north
Glenn Drive is just north of Glendale Avenue. If you get to Myrtle, you’ve gone a half-block too far to the north
Parking in these garages is $10 and you are just steps away from the event activities.

Directions to Preferred Parking Garages in Historic Downtown Glendale
From Areas West of Glendale
Take I-10 east bound to the 59th Avenue exit
Proceed north to Glendale Avenue
One block north of Glendale is Glenn Drive
Turn right onto Glenn Drive
The City Hall preferred parking garage is 50 yards east immediately on your right
The Bank of America preferred parking garage is 75 yards east and then 100 yards north
Glenn Drive is just north of Glendale Avenue If you get to Myrtle, you’ve gone a half-block too far to the north
Parking in these garages is $10 and you are just steps away from the event activities.

OR

Take the 101 westbound to the 59th Avenue exit
Proceed south to Glenn Drive
Turn right onto Glenn Drive
(Glenn Drive is one block north of Glendale so if you reach Glendale you’ve gone one block too far south)
The City Hall preferred parking garage is 50 yards east immediately on your right
The Bank of America preferred parking garage is 75 yards east and then 100 yards north
Parking in these garages is $10 and you are just steps away from the event activities.
Glenn Drive is just north of Glendale Ave. If you get to Myrtle, you’ve gone a half-block too far to the north.