Published: April 11, 2008 10:03 pm         

Lewisburg celebrating all things chocolate

The second annual Lewisburg Chocolate Festival gets under way today with a full schedule of everything chocolate.

In anticipation of large crowds, city officials have announced the closing of parts of Washington Street from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

More than 30 downtown shops will have chocolate samples to offer festival-goers, ranging from Dogoba chocolates to old-fashioned chocolate chip cookies. A chocolate dipping fountain will also be on hand along with Lady Godiva chocolates.

Tickets for chocolate samples have been on sale for weeks and can be found at city hall, festival officials said Friday. Four chocolate samples can be bought for $3.

The Lewis Theatre will offer two free showings of the original “Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory” at 11 a.m. and again at 3 p.m.

A Greenbrier hotel pastry chef, the internationally known Frederic Monti, will hold a free truffle making demonstration at Harmony Ridge Gallery beginning at 11:30 a.m.

Other events include:

- 10 am to 4 p.m. — the history of chocolate; North House Museum.

- Noon to 2 p.m. — chocolate bake-ff; The Lewis Theatre.

- Noon and 12:30 p.m. — adults and kids chocolate mouse eating contest; Tavern 1875.

- 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. — book signing by chef and author Marcel Desauliniers Terrace; Greenbrier Valley Theatre.

- 2 p.m. — children’s story of “The Chocolate Cat;” New River Technical and Community College.

Several restaurants in Lewisburg will have chocolate-themed dinner and dessert menus this evening and Desauliniers will also make another appearance at Greenbrier Valley Theatre at 8 p.m. A drawing by the Greenbrier County Humane Society will also be held.

“The 2008 Lewisburg Chocolate Festival will support the Greenbrier Humane Society,” spokeswoman Tammy Shifflet said.

— E-mail: cgiggenbach@register-herald.com