It appears that chocolate has been largely in the forecast lately. From seasonal events and celebrations to its universal, year-round appeal, the quintessential confectionery nature of the beloved cocoa bean is rarely lost on anyone. Here in the Mid-Atlantic, we even hold an international claim to fame for being the home base of several notable chocolate candy companies, including world-renowned Hershey’s Chocolate, based in Pennsylvania. There are several others, too, like Boyer (Altoona, Pennsylvania), Gertrude Hawk (Dunmore, Pennsylvania), Mars (McLean, Virginia), Goetze’s (Baltimore, Maryland), and Wockenfuss (Baltimore, Maryland), to name just a few.
In addition to boasting several localized, operational headquarters, many Mid-Atlantic cities and towns are known for hosting various festivals, tastings, and events celebrating the sweetness of chocolate concoctions. In the weeks ahead, several options are coming to our immediate area! While pickings are plentiful, I’ve narrowed the numbers to the three most highly anticipated, chocolate-enticed endeavors to check out in Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware.
Hershey Super Sweet Adventure
First up is the long-awaited opening of a new Hershey ’s-themed pop-up, which is slated to debut in Tysons Corner Center this week! As the second-ever installment of such a featured offering (the first having premiered in Chicago last year), the pop-up is set to deliver a family-friendly experience of interactive candy-coated activities, stations, and a themed gift shop.
Headlined as The Hershey Super Sweet Adventure, this most promising and popular pop-up has been made possible by Hershey’s in collaboration with Original X Productions. The latter is also renowned for its themed pop-ups based on television shows like Friends, The Office, as well as the Harry Potter franchise, and other featured productions.
In going beyond the usual walk-through observatory experience provided by most themed incorporations, attendees to the Hershey Super Sweet Adventure get to move through multiple stations and take on an abundant array of touch, create, play, and customize options. Different stations are set to include: a Hands-On REESE’S Experience, a Custom Hershey’s Kisses Wrapper Station, a Twizzlers-Themed Interactive Zone, and the Jolly Ranchers Experience. There will also be a private room available for booking parties and events.
The Hershey Super Sweet Adventure will open on the first level of Tysons Corner Center next to Macy’s on March 6. Learn more or get your tickets now at www.hersheysupersweetadventure.com.
St. Michael’s ChocolateFest 2026
Now in its eighth year, the eagerly anticipated St. Michaels ChocolateFest returns to the scene this Saturday, March 7. As a newer community tradition that’s gained fame and momentum in just a few short years, this is the quintessential cocoa callout for chocolate lovers of all refined tastes.
St. Michaels ChocolateFest is essentially a townwide Chocolate Crawl. The event will run between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. (or until the last ticket sells out), all the while showcasing the best chocolate culinary creations by local area chefs.
The vast array of enticements will highlight everything, from decadent desserts to artisan confections. You’ll even get the chance to indulge in limited-edition chocolate-inspired dishes at some of your favorite venues. Many are surprising and unexpected novelties.
Additionally, there will be various tasting rooms along the way to some of the town’s best-loved local shops. Many will present chocolate-laced libations (or those ideally paired with compatible flavor notes).
Not to be missed are all those exclusive retail offerings being advertised, which take the form of giftable sweets and other delights offered at this festival. Learn more on the website at www.stmichaelsmd.org/chocolatefest.
The Downtown Rehoboth Beach’s Annual Chocolate Crawl
While you can enjoy the aforementioned events as early as this weekend, you’ll have to wait a little while longer for Delaware’s delightful offering. But it will be well worth it with the return of the Annual Chocolate Crawl in Downtown Rehoboth Beach on Saturday, April 25.
The event, which serves to benefit the Harry K Foundation, will run from noon to 4 p.m. During that time, participants will actively “taste” their way throughout the Downtown scene, gorging on the goods of chocolate-inspired concoctions of all kinds. This year’s contributions come from nearly 40 area merchants.
The lineup for this year’s event includes: 302 Social Eatery & Barroom BAKED at The Spice and Tea Exchange, Blackwall Hitch, Blue Moon, Breakfast Guru, Browse About Books, Chocolate Wave, Cup ‘r Cone, Dalmata Italiano, DiFebo’s Restaurant, Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats, Downtown Bethany Blues, Freddies Beach Bar, Good News Natural Foods, Goolee’s Grille,
Kaan’s Bakery, Kitwins, La-Di-Da, Le Macaron, Nalu Restaurant, Pineapple Princess, Pink Flamingo Café, Rise Up Coffee, Sea Hag Champagne Lounge, Somewhere, Sugar and Thread, Sugar Planet, Summer House, Sunny Bay Café, The Coffee Mill, The Ice Cream Store, The Kove, The Market at 59 Baltimore, The Spice and Tea Exchange, Tiki Jac’s, Victoria’s Restaurant, Zava Café, and Zogg’s Raw Bar & Grill. Once you’ve filled up on chocolate choices galore, you get to play an active role as judge by voting for which merchant presented the best chocolate feature.
Even though this chocolate crawl doesn’t take place until April, tickets can be purchased online now by clicking here. Chocolate Crawl participants also take note that ballots and maps must be picked up before crawling. Pickup dates are slated for Friday, April 24, between noon and 5 p.m., and on Saturday, April 25, at 9:30 a.m. at Atlantic Jewelry located at 313 South Boardwalk.
In addition to these three, there are so many chocolate-covered can’t-miss events to take note of throughout the year, at any given time in the Mid-Atlantic. Isn’t that a sweet treat to keep in mind?