by Lisa Cirieco-Ohlman
Make sure to go to Versoix (GE) on Saturday April 2nd for the 7th edition of Versoix's Chocolate festival. It's a great day out and you will see some spectacular works of chocolate art as well as taste some great combinations. You might even find some new chocolates that become your favorite! There are 100s of little shops in the area but Versoix only has room for the ones listed below for this Festival. This exhibit might change your mind about industrial chocolate forever! 
Two years ago I bought a chocolate ring: the ring was metal but they "glued" a fancy chocolate to it and I gave it to a friend (see photo below). Other non-chocolate items included beautifully-colored macarons, bags and calculators (chocolate-themed), and candies. One artisan had a box of 10 different chocolates, each accompanied by the name of the best wine to drink to enhance the flavor, another made the biggest easter egg I have ever seen, while another had chocolate truffles the size of footballs!
UNDER THE TENT 9h-18h
1,000m2 of chocolateries (chocolate artisans) under the tent. This is a special pre-Easter event not to be missed with tastings and chocolates for sale. Even if you can't buy everything you can take photos of all...
the beautiful displays and works of chocolate art.
Here are some of the artisans who will be present at the festival. We have more description for some in our chapter on Chocolate! in Know-it-all passport 2011/2012 on pages 199-206.
Cartier Chocolatier (Versoix - Genève)
Chocolats Manuel (Crissier - Vaud)
Chocolats Rohr (Carouge - Genève)
Confiserie Zenhäusern (Sion - Valais)
L'instant Chocolat (Crans-Montana - Valais)
Jean-Claude Hochstrasser (Meinier - Genève)
Mlle Zizou (Versoix - Genève)
Favarger (Versoix - Genève)
Absolument Chocolat (Gland - Vaud)
La Chocolaterie (Sierre - Valais)
Confiserie Taillens (Crans-Montana - Valais)
Pâtisserie Chocolaterie C.J. Mérigonde (Genève)
Noz Chocolatier (Lausanne - Vaud)
Zeller Chocolatier (Genève)
Chocolaterie Philippe Pascoët (Carouge - Genève)
Chocolaterie Rapp (Prangins - Vaud)
L'Epicerie de Châteauvieux (Satigny - Genève)
Confiserie Ducret (Genève)
FOOD 
Enjoy hot and cold foods and drinks served all day outside the tent by about 10 local societies. There is also a little merry-go-round carrousel here. Of course there are many restaurants in Versoix as well.
CHOCOLATE FACTORY TOUR 9h-17h
Favarger Chocolate Factory is located in Versoix, one of the few industrial chocolate that is sold mainstream through shops around Switzerland, and is the last remaining chocolate factory in Geneva. They started business back in 1826! They are exceptionally opening their doors for tours and tastings but be warned as the lines are long to get in. Best to sign up as soon as you arrive. Price: Fr. 20.-/adult, Fr. 10.-/child. They are accepting only 12 participants per hour. You can purchase your ticket the first 15 minutes of the hour for a tour starting on the hour following (ex. buy from 9h-9h15 for tour at 10h). You cannot buy a ticket at any time for any time during the day. Don't be disappointed if you don't get in this time as it is proving very difficult to obtain tickets each year and they have told us that they are trying this method this year. Sigh.
SALLE COMMUNALE LACHENAL
There will be a CHILDREN’S WORKSHOP from 9h-17h at the salle communale Lachenal, up the hill beyond the Migros where the kids can make chocolate rabbits and hens for Fr. 5.-/child (about 20 minutes). You sign-up directly at the workshop. A little CHOCOTRAIN will take you there if you don’t want to walk 5 minutes and leave about every 15 minutes. Train is free of charge.
There will also be an EXPO of chocolate art in the same location around the theme: The year of the forest. This is free of charge and is open from 9h-18h. Don’t miss it!
THEATER SHOW
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory will be put on by a theater group with children 8-14 in French. It is free-of-charge and held at the Aula Colombières (across the street from the main event in the junior high school's auditorium). Held on both Saturday and Sunday at 11h. The director is Jessica Théodoloz, an English lady, who invited the children to imagine their costumes, the decor, and the songs. She invited the parents to help with the scenery construction and would be delighted to have you come admire the whole show!
LOCATION
Main event is at the Espace Lachenal which is behind the Migros about 1 minute's walk
Parking is difficult so best to arrive by train. Click here for train schedule from Geneva or go to www.cff.ch for more options
Official Website www.festivalduchocolat.ch
1290 Versoix (GE) click here for map of Versoix
Veroix website info www.versoix.ch/fdc.php
Saturday, 2 April, 2011
9h-18h
Make sure to read Gavin's article on Cartier Chocolate here!
