Cold Spring, Richmond Businesses Gear Up for “Chocolate Crawl”

COLD SPRING – Chocoholics will be able to get their fix in Cold Spring and Richmond on Friday.

Businesses in both communities have signed on to participate in the area’s first Chocolate Crawl, sponsored by the Cold Spring Area Chamber of Commerce.

“We were brainstorming and trying to come up with something fun to do, because of course, right now we’re not able to do big events,” said Roseann Baisley, Administrator for the Cold Spring Chamber. “We wanted something that would still bring people out and about. And, who doesn’t love chocolate around Valentine’s Day?”

Fifteen businesses are participating in the crawl, which will run from 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Baisley says they’re hoping the event will motivate community members to visit businesses they’ve never been to.

“Basically, their goal is to have some form of chocolate of their choice available for customers who come in and provide a treat for them,” she said. “And, it’s also an opportunity for someone who hasn’t been to a business before or maybe isn’t comfortable going into a business – they can step in the door, be greeted by (the business owner) and also get some chocolate.”

As far as the chocolate is concerned, Baisley says it’s up to each business to select their treats.

“We told the businesses, ‘as long as it’s not homemade, you go ahead and have fun with whatever kind of chocolate you want,” Baisley said. “Some of the chocolates we’ll see are candy bars, chocolate-covered almonds, chocolate cheesecake, cupcakes and brownies. There will be hot chocolate, so if it’s kind of a cold day, you can grab a hot chocolate and head off to another stop.”

“There will also be some chocolate protein bars, chocolate protein doughnuts, some fudge – so, pretty much a wide variety of chocolate,” she added.

Baisley says event organizers prioritized COVID-related safety concerns while planning the crawl.

“We’ve made sure that each business knows that some customers might not be comfortable coming inside,” she explained. “They may only take one step through the door. We’re making sure they keep the customer in mind, along with the guidelines and masking.”

Baisley says attendees should keep in mind that the Chocolate Crawl is a “while supplies last” event; chocolate items will be available at different times throughout the day at the discretion of each business.

“It is a first-time event, and it’s hard to plan for,” Baisley said. “It’s an all day event, so some businesses will offer chocolate right away in the morning while others will be doing it later in the day. That way, if someone is at work, they’ll still be able to find some chocolate later on.”

To see a list of participating businesses – and what kind of chocolate they’ll be offering – visit the Cold Spring Area Chamber of Commerce website.