Chocolate Stroll 2023
The 14th Annual Mount Vernon Chocolate Stroll will take place Saturday, June 3, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This chocolate-themed event features more than 30 participating businesses and pop-up vendors offering chocolate and chocolate-inspired products for attendees to enjoy as they stroll along Mount Vernon’s historic 1st Street.
Attendees will receive a map featuring participating vendors that doubles as a “passport” challenging attendees to visit the various locations to be entered into a drawing for gift baskets featuring products and gift certificates from Mount Vernon’s Uptown shops.
The Chocolate Stroll hosts multiple activities for kids of all ages. Kids’ games and face painting will take place in Memorial Park. Children’s events throughout the day will include crafts, M&M Bingo, yard games, and a scavenger hunt. The children’s activities will kick off with a Story Time by local performer, Kim Benesh, from the Pinhook Players. She plans to read chocolate-themed children’s books at the event beginning at 10 a.m.
As patrons stroll, they are able to participate in several Guessing Contests. Jars filled with chocolates will be located at the Information booths at the First Street Community Center, City Hall and the Visitor Center. At each location you can stop and add your guess. Winners will be notified at 2 pm and will win the jar of chocolates.
Returning this year after a 4-year hiatus due to the pandemic is the “Make It With Chocolate” Dessert Contest. It will be headquartered at The Nourishing Root Cafe. The two categories for judging will be Youth (under 18 years old) and Adult. Entries can be dropped off from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Judging will begin at 1 p.m. and Winners will be announced at 2:30 p.m.
A Point-Five-K Fun Run will start from the City Hall parking lot at 12:15 p.m. where participants will walk, run, or stroll a third of a mile through Mount Vernon. Participants will receive an event sticker and will have the opportunity to win chocolate medals. There is a $3 registration fee for each participant and registration is accepted the day of the event. All participants should arrive at 11:45 a.m.
“Uptown Mount Vernon is the perfect place for a festival and we all love Chocolate! Chocolate Stroll is unique because it invites attendees right into our 41 shops and restaurants and really showcases all that our town has to offer. This year’s event will include such specialties as chocolate raspberry scones, macrons, artisan bon bons, cheesecakes, as well as the more traditional chocolate truffles, cupcakes, shortbreads and caramels. We will even have other chocolate-themed products such as chocolate mint plants and cocoa butter lotion bars.”
Sherene Player, Chocolate Stroll Committee Chair
Additional Information:
- Download the Chocolate Dessert Contest Flyer.
- Link to Point-5-K registration form.
- Link to Point-5-K map.
- Volunteers can sign up here.
- Download the Food Vendor Application for Chocolate Stroll.
About the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group
The Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group exists to improve the social and economic well-being of Mount Vernon and Lisbon by capitalizing on their unique identity, assets and character. Mount Vernon was selected as a Main Street community in 2008, and practices economic development within the context of historic preservation.
About Main Street
The Main Street Approach is a copyrighted process of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The Program has been used in Iowa since 1986 with a total of 56 communities having participated. Mount Vernon was selected as a Main Street community on March 4, 2008, by the State of Iowa, after submitting a comprehensive application and presenting to a select board of reviewers.
About Mount Vernon
Historic Mount Vernon, Iowa, is home to 4500 residents, including 1200 college students enrolled at Cornell College. Located in Eastern Iowa at the intersection of Highways 30 and 1, 20 miles north of Iowa City and 15 miles east of Cedar Rapids, it boasts a vibrant uptown business community with numerous antique and specialty stores, restaurants, coffee houses, commercial art galleries, and three National Historic Districts.
