Sweet! Calgary's charity hot chocolate festival returns in February
Dozens of vendors will be selling specialty hot chocolates for charity for the month of February during Calgary's annual YYC Hot Chocolate Fest.
The charitable competition sees cafés and restaurants sell creative and specially-crafted hot chocolates, some boozy and some not, with a portion of the sales going to Calgary Meals on Wheels.
Last year was the event's biggest year yet, with more than 60,000 hot chocolates sold and over $79,000 raised for the charity.
This year, there are just under 100 vendors signed up to participate, according to the website.
If you have dietary restrictions, don't fret – there are dairy-free, gluten-free and vegan hot chocolates available.
After the event wraps up at the end of February, awards will be handed out for the city's best hot chocolates.
Last year, the winners were:
- Cornerstone Music Café, which had the top rated hot chocolate.
- Hexagon Café, which had the best selling hot chocolate; and
- Kristi YYC, which had the top rated spirited hot chocolate.
Participating vendors include:
- Black Sheep
- Vendome Cafe
- Rosso
- Holy Cow
- Calgary Heritage Roasting Co.
- The Bullet Coffee House
- Abbey's Creations
- V Burger
- Fringe Coffee
- Chocolate Lab
- Mr Sun Tea
- Stable
- D6 Tabletop Cafe
- Canyon Meadows Cinemas
- Light Cellar
- Heritage Park Historical Village
- Shoe & Canoe Public House
- Distilled Beauty Bar & Social House
- Community Natural Foods
- Good Trade Coffee Company
- Calgary Climbing Centre
- Bragg Creek Bakery & Cafe
- The Pharm Drugstore
- Regal Cat Cafe
- 8 Cakes
- 723 World Bier Haus
- Pocket Coffee
- Kaffeeklatsch
- Odyssey Coffeehouse
- Kristi YYC
- Deane House
- 1600 World Bier Haus
- Master Chocolat
- Cacao 70
- The Cheesecake Cafe
- Paradigm Spark
- Caffe Beano
- Bono Coffee
- Milano Coffee
- Hexagon Cafe
- Oolong Tea House
- Alforno Bakery
- Canela Vegan Bakery & Cafe
- Euphoria Cafe
- brühe
- Sucre
- JusFruit Canada
- Pablo Cheese Tart Calgary
- For Goodness Bake
- Bike and Brew
- Analog Coffee
- Lina's Italian Market
- River Cafe
- Fonda Fora
- Cravings Market Restaurant
- Eighth Avenue Trattoria
- Sauce Italian Market
- Good News Coffee
- Mini MRKT
- AGGÜDO
- Boogie's Burgers
- Holy Cannoli Coffee Company
- Amato Gelato
- Seasons of Bowness
- Monogram Coffee
- Peanuts Public House
- Cafe Jindo
- Aroma Cafe Bar
- Higher Ground
- Cornerstone Music Cafe
- Neighbour Coffee
- Element Cafe
- Amaido Cafe
- Prairie Grounds Coffee House
- Yann Haute Patisserie Ltd.
- Monki Breakfast Club & Bistro
- Velvet Cafe
- Caffe Artigiano
- Hutch Cafe
- Sips Avenida and Sips at the Market
- Ollia Macarons & Tea
- Popping Dragon Tea House
- Lazy Loaf and Kettle
- Socality House
- Flower & Wolf
- Ladybug Bakery and Cafe
- Good Bread
- Made by AKB Bakeshop & Cafe
- Inner City Brewing Company
- T2722 Luxury Barista Experience
- TELUS Spark
- The Inn on Officers' Garden
- Prologue Cafe | Cocktail
- Our Daily Brett Market & Cafe
- Schwarzwälder Cherry Bomb
- Love sugar and dough
- Pixie's Candy Parlour
For more information you can visit the YYC Hot Chocolate Fest website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Live updates as Stormy Daniels testifies at Trump hush money trial
Adult film star Stormy Daniels will take the stand a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump’s hush money case continues in Manhattan. Follow live updates here.
NEW Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
NEW Capital gains tax change 'shortsighted' and 'sows division' business groups tell Freeland
Forging ahead with increasing Canada's capital gains inclusion rate 'sows division,' and is a 'shortsighted' way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
RateMDs violates privacy of health professionals, class-action lawsuit claims
A lawsuit against RateMDs has been given the go-ahead by a B.C. Supreme Court judge who found the claim that the website violates the privacy rights of medical professionals is not 'bound to fail.'
Defence attacks Stormy Daniels' credibility as she returns to the stand in Trump's hush money trial
Stormy Daniels will return to the witness stand Thursday in Donald Trump's hush money trial as the defence tries to undermine the credibility of the porn actor's salacious testimony about their alleged sexual encounter and the money she was paid to keep quiet.
With contactless screening tech, this Toronto startup hopes to catch breast cancer early — and save lives
Amid evidence of rising breast cancer rates among young women in Canada, one Toronto startup is offering a contactless and radiation-free device that can help doctors identify suspicious changes in breast tissue. The company, Linda Lifetech, says this can lead to earlier detection of breast cancer.
Tornadoes tear through southeastern U.S. as storms leave 3 dead
Forecasters warned a wave of dangerous storms in the U.S. could wash over parts of the South early Thursday, a day after severe weather with damaging tornadoes and large hail killed at least three people in the region.