An estimated 25,000 people attended last weekend’s Long Grove Chocolate Fest thanks in part to the balmy weather over the three days of the event, according to Ryan Messner, president of the Historic Downtown Long Grove Business Association.
“Summer season’s here,” he said.
Proceeds from the family-friendly event go toward village improvements.
“It’s a community that offers everything to all ages,” Messner said.
Chocolate Fest marks the unofficial start of Long Grove’s event season, officials say.
“It’s great to see the neighbors keep coming in,” Village President Bill Jacob said. “I think we’ve provided an atmosphere that’s family-friendly, but also there’s a nightlife for people, too.
“It’s just a wonderful environment that you can do it all here in Long Grove,” he said.
The festival featured chocolate sold in assorted varieties. There were the signature chocolate-covered strawberries for which Long Grove is known, plus s’mores sandwiches and chocolate-infused beverages.
James Myszka, 11, of Tower Lakes, likes chocolate but picked vanilla for his ice cream cone. Meanwhile, Sienna Stone, 5, said she prefers “regular” chocolate over white chocolate.
Celebrating her birthday on Friday at the event with flowers in a vase and greeting cards was Jeannette Casey of Lake Bluff. “It was nice of them to have a festival for me,” Casey said with a smile.
New this year were special days, with Friday having a country theme, Saturday with a 1990s theme and Sunday with a nod to Woodstock.
Performing on Friday along with an itinerary of bands booked for the main stage on Robert Parker Coffin Road in front of the legendary wood-covered bridge, was country rock artist Abby Karecki of Wauconda. Karecki fronted The Abby Kay Band to a growing after-work crowd before sunset.
Besides the guitarist’s tastes in music, Karecki said he prefers dark chocolate.
Karecki is also sweet on Lake County as a source of inspiration and as a welcoming venue to perform.
“I just want to say thank you to my mentors,” she said. “Thank you for inspiring me to play music, and especially for little girls out there that they can be front women and write songs and play them in front of people, and continue to build the local music scene with some real music.”
Down the street, Palmer Pearson, 16 months, of Lake Barrington, was seen posing for pictures in her frilly dress in front of a flower-filled truck backdrop in the company of parents Jason and Ashley. The truck had an oversized silver Hershey’s Kisses decoration on top.
“We appreciate the town for always putting this on,” Ashley Pearson said. “They do a great job about bringing entertainment, food and families together for really good fun.
“This is really like a Hallmark movie,” she said.
