Pensacola's Chocolate and Cheese Fest returns, but with more cheese and chocolate
As Pensacola’s Chocolate and Cheese Fest returns for its second year on Feb. 18, event promoter Christie Sachse, owner of Apex Shows and Events, is hoping to make some improvements. She's starting with sprinkling more cheese, and more chocolate, into the lineup.
While the turnout for last year’s first-ever festival was double what she imagined, many attendees took to social media after the 2023 festival wrapped with critiques of the festival's design. Much of the criticism stemmed from the lack of sampling stations for varieties of cheese and chocolate as the festival’s name indicated, as there was only one cheese sampling table.
Sachse said she took this feedback to action in planning this year’s festival, which she hopes will be bigger and better than last year’s. The 2024 Pensacola Chocolate and Cheese Fest will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Feb. 18 at the Community Maritime Park at 301 West Main St.
"Last year, it was a huge success. It was super busy," Sachse said. "I just hope we have a great turnout."
The event will be $5 to enter for adults, and free for children ages 12 and under.
More chocolate, and more cheese
This year, the free sampling booth will have two lines for cheese sampling and two lines for chocolate sampling, as opposed to the sole line for cheese last year. These will include some special cheeses to try, such as Sweet Grass Dairy’s Griffin Cheese, a farm-style cheese made with curds soaked in a half barrel of Terminus Porter from Gate City Brewing and aged a minimum of 120 days.
Festival participants will also be able to taste from flowing cheese and chocolate fountains, that includes various dipping accompaniments including bread, fruits, pretzels, marshmallows and Rice Krispie treats.
Sachse said the chocolate-flavored alcohol, like the chocolate martinis and chocolate pudding shots, were also popular and sold out last year. This year, they will be increasing the supply to serve more people.
"We're trying to increase all of that this year," Sachse said.
She vowed that each vendor will have a clear connection to the cheese and chocolate theme, such as Cinnaholic’s salted cookies and cream cinnamon roll for the chocolate fix, or an ooey gooey grilled cheese from Pensacola’s MELT food truck.
What else will there be to do at the festival?
For $5, parents can buy wristband for children to enter the two bounce houses, and live music will be played throughout the festival. As the tables and chairs are intended for those eating, Sachse suggests those who plan to stay a while and listen to music bring a lawn chair.
There will be a chocolate pie eating contest at 2 p.m. for those 18 and older to participate. The first-place winner earns a trophy and a $100 restaurant gift certificate. Those interested can register for the event here.
Real-time updates and information can be found on the Pensacola Chocolate & Cheese Fest event Facebook page and on the Apex Shows and Events website.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola Chocolate and Cheese Fest returns with more cheese chocolate
