Visit Topeka Inc. is excited to announce the Kansas Chocolate Festival as a new event for 2016. Held in partnership with Mars Chocolate, the event will be held in downtown Topeka from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on September 24, 2016 and will feature chocolate cooking demonstrations, food trucks and many other chocolate-themed activities.

“The Kansas Chocolate Festival will be a great event to get families downtown to experience everything that will be offered, including the Capitol building,” said Brett Oetting, CEO and president of Visit Topeka. “We are working with local storefront businesses to ensure visitors to the area get a great sense of all the great things taking place downtown. By next year, we expect many new businesses to be open that will add to the atmosphere.”

The Mars chocolatier will conduct cooking demonstrations on the main stage. More than 20 food trucks have committed to attend. Each truck will serve their normal fare while featuring at least one item that includes a Mars chocolate product. Additionally there will be a competition for the best chocolate products including cupcakes, brownies and nonalcoholic drinks with special guest judges.

Although the festival ends at 5 p.m., Downtown Topeka Inc. will invite attendees to stay downtown a chocolate-themed Movie on the Lawn at the Statehouse.

Interested vendors can contact Rosa Cavazos for more information at Rosa@VisitTopeka.com.