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Local Feature  Posted on: 04/02/08 Written by: , email: Albany Chocolate Fest Sweetens With Age When the Northeast Family Chocolate Festival kicks off this weekend, it will be bigger and better than ever, organizers say. “We’re really excited,” said Shari Noonan, executive director of The Addictions Care Center of Albany, which sponsors the festival. “Every year, we’ve sort of grown the event.” That means that families from around the region can look forward to not only having all kinds of chocolate treats at the festival, but to enjoying music, activities, demonstrations and other entertainment. “We have something really for kids of all ages,” said Noonan. The festival is Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Washington Avenue Armory. About 5,000 people are expected. Now in its fourth year, the festival is the Addictions Care Center’s largest fundraiser. Proceeds from this year are earmarked for a women’s and children’s campus that the center is building. “This allows us to continue providing care to a disenfranchised population,” Noonan said, noting that the center’s clients are “very low income” and most are homeless. The campus will allow mothers to receive treatment for their addictions without being separated from their children. Noonan is a mother herself, and she said that when she was helping to plan the chocolate festival, she thought about what kind of things her own family would enjoy doing at this time of year -- when the weather is unpredictable and it’s generally too cold to go outside. “This is something I’d want to do,” she said. Here are some of the highlights of the festival, as outlined by Noonan: Author Miriam Peskowitz will speak about subjects in her best-selling book, “The Daring Book for Girls,” described as a sort of a handbook for girls with “an independent spirit.” She will sign copies of the book, which will be available for purchase along with its counterpart for boys, “The Dangerous Book for Boys.” Capital News 9 weekend anchor Kate Welshofer will emcee a fashion show put on by Gap Kids, with local kids as models. The Zucchini Brothers, a musical act based in Saratoga, will perform at 11:30 a.m. The popular group touts its music as “100 percent healthy and 100 percent fun.” Local dancers and gymnasts from the Boland School of Irish Dance, Eleanor’s School of Dance and World Class Gymnastics will perform on stage. There will be plenty of strolling entertainment: “Clowns, face painters, guys making balloon animals,” Noonan said. Staff from the Schenectady Museum & Suits-Bueche Planetarium will stage interactive experiments. Older kids can take a turn scaling an indoor rock-climbing wall. And, of course, there will be plenty of chocolate. Noonan said there will be more than 30 vendors selling chocolate and chocolate-related goodies. At one booth, attendees can make their own chocolate bars. Elsewhere, they can dip treats in a chocolate fountain. Cookies, cakes and chocolate-covered strawberries will be among the offerings. “Who doesn’t love chocolate?” Noonan asked. Tickets are available at area Price Chopper supermarkets. A $1 discount off the $8 adult ticket price and $5 children’s price can be obtained by presenting the Price Chopper AdvantEdge card at time of purchase. Tickets will also be available at the door for full price.You can contact with any questions. Also, feel free to post comments below. Comments powered by Disqus |
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