There’s far more than just chocolate to this year’s Chocolate Hop in Pickerington.
In fact, there’s a whole festival orbiting around it this year.
The Chocolate Hop, a fundraiser created to raise money for local charitable organizations, dates back to 2011.
“This idea came about from my love of chocolate, and I have been the coordinator every year,” says Peggy Portier, Pickerington Village Association member.
In 2018, the Chocolate Hop will be part of Pickerington’s new Mayfest celebration, slated for May 12. The event will run from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., and the Chocolate Hop will take place from noon-2 p.m.
As part of the Chocolate Hop, visitors can make charitable donations at downtown businesses, in the process obtaining maps of Pickerington Village. They can then make their way around to each of the participating businesses, receiving a sweet treat.
Beauty salons, boutiques, libraries and more will continue to participate in this year.
“Each stop is different, giving visitors a small chocolate treat along the way,” says Portier. “In the past, participants loved the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory candy from Pickerington’s Chamber of Commerce and the book-shaped chocolates the library hands out.”
Mayfest will include a brand-new art component in its inaugural year. Columbus Street will be closed in Pickerington Village, and art vendors will line the streets with booths and tents.
“We wanted to add this art component because we have a large art community and thought adding this to the Chocolate Hop would be interesting and get more people involved,” says Portier.
Dana Bower – owner of the Art Gallery of Pickerington, located at Massage Therapy of Ohio on Refugee Road – is helping Portier with the art component and will have her own booth promoting the Art Gallery. Bower is also looking to schedule musical acts and food vendors for Mayfest.
“These additions will expand the opportunities and interest among community members" - Portier
Desirae DeBellis and Amy Smith of Pick Town Art Works will also showcase art at Mayfest. Their production pottery, mosaics and custom stained glass will be displayed in their booth and available for purchase. Also helping Portier with the event, they are looking for more vendors to fill Columbus Street.
“We’re still in the process of finding craft vendors,” says DeBellis. “We’re looking for woodworking and mixed media vendors from all around Ohio.”
Organizers hope the new event will be a further draw to Pickerington Village and the city in general.
“These additions will expand the opportunities and interest among community members and the festival as a whole,” says Portier. “We are very excited to add the art component this May.”
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Laura Baird is a contributing writer. Feecback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
Chocolate Peanut Clusters
Courtesy Sandy Melillo, The Hair Boutique
Ingredients
24 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chip morsels
24 oz. butterscotch morsels
32 oz. peanuts or mixed nuts
Instructions
Melt packages of semi-sweet chocolate chip morsels and butterscotch morsels. Add peanuts/mixed nuts after melting.
Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper and let them cool completely. Yields approximately 300.
