CREEDE— It’s that time of year again and as people flock to the busy cities and towns down Valley, the small mountain town of Creede will be hosting their own Black Friday celebrations and theirs includes chocolate. The 28^th Annual Chocolate Festival will kick off the day after Thanksgiving and the entire town of Creede is open and ready to take on the holiday shoppers from the Valley. The festival includes delicious homemade treats, sweet shopping deals in several shops around town with live music and festive activities for the entire family to enjoy.

Creede can be a hopping place in the summer time, and in the winter can offer a reprieve from the busy holiday season found in the larger communities in the Valley. Shop owners open specifically for the weekend to offer special deals for the adventurers in the family; they also participate in the festival and offer homemade chocolate treats to their shoppers as they meander their way around town. It is a great place to come and enjoy a taste of the holiday season while searching for the perfect gift.

The festival originated as a way to get people to come and enjoy the business district in Creede and to present a unique and fun way to kick off the holiday season with sweet treats and tasty fun. Each participant is given a list of businesses who will have samples of chocolate and are sent on their way to find their favorite treat. At the end of the day the votes are dropped off at Basham Park and counted to come up with the day’s people’s choice award. Each participating business competes for the top spot and bragging rights for the next year as the town’s best chocolatiers.

Valley businesses are gearing up their shop local initiative to encourage people to buy from small town businesses instead of major department stores or online shopping. Creede offers a diverse variety of shops that will be open and welcoming with holiday specials on unique and sometimes homemade gifts. Places like Ooh La Spa and Rare Things Gallery have advertised something for everyone. The entire weekend is a great way to get out and shop local.

The event runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. beginning on Nov. 24 and 25. Both days of the Chocolate Festival will also include the fun-filled activity known only as the “Scoop Chase.” This event allows guests and visitors to interact with the participating businesses by providing fun questions that can only be answered by going into the business and sparking conversation. Such questions add a bit of fun to the chocolate tasting and forms an opportunity to learn about the participating businesses.

The “Scoop Chase” winners will be announced each day between 3:30 and 4 p.m. for a chance to win prizes. A list of winners for the festival will be announced the following Monday and give the winning business bragging rights for the next years. Pull away from the hustle and bustle of busy shopping, come enjoy a sweet treat and join Creede for their Chocolate Festival fun!