The annual Southwest Chocolate and Coffee Fest will take place March 19-20, 2016 at the Expo New Mexico State Fairgrounds. Focused on coffee, coffee and tea, the festival features cooking demonstrations, samples, seminars, contests, live performances, and chocolate eating contests. For 2016, there will also be a Cupcake Vineyards coffee and wine lounge, where you can purchase wine.
Some of Albuquerque’s best chocolatiers will be on hand, like the Chocolate Cartel, Theobroma Chocolatier, and Xocai. Coffee roasters include Fat Boy, Java Junction, and Villa Myriam Coffee roasters. Specialty stores will be available to lend their expertise.
The New Mexico Expo is located at 300 San Pedro NE. Parking is $ 5 per car.
2016 Southwest Chocolate & Coffee Calendar
- Saturday, March 19, from 10 am to 6 pm
- Sunday, March 20, from 10 am to 6 pm
Alcohol sales begin at 10 am on Saturdays and 11 pm on Sundays, and end at 5 pm every day.
Tickets
General Admission for Adults, $ 10
Seniors (65+) / Students / Military, $ 8
Children under 12 years old are free.
Tickets can be purchased online or at the door.
All full price adult tickets purchased online receive a free souvenir mug while supplies last. Cups will be provided at the festival.
What to expect
There will be many coffee, chocolate and tea vendors displaying their wares. Almost all vendors provide samples. Sampling is encouraged, as is purchases of favorite items. Pick up a bag upon entering so you don’t miss out on the goodies.
Easter Egg Hunt Kids can enjoy Easter Egg Hunt all weekend, free for children in attendance. Be sure to bring your own basket.
Cupcake Wine & Coffee Lounge
Enjoy a place to savor wine, coffee, and more. If you own a Mazda, you get a free cup of coffee.
Contests
There will be Guittard’s best chocolate desert baking contests, open to all ages, with cash prizes. The contests are March 19 and 20 at 4 pm and have categories for the first and second prize, as well as for the best young baker.
On Saturdays and Sundays at 2 pm there is a contest to eat chocolate ice cream. Be the first to finish a Cold Stone Creamery chocolate devotion. There will be a contest for children and adults. There are only 10 contestants for each contest, so register ahead of time online.
There will also be a Kids Zone stage, where there will be entertainment, singing, dancing and games for children.
The 2016 vendor list includes (but is not limited to):
- AlbuKirky Seasonings
- Animas Chocolate Co.
- Aroma Coffee
- Bev’s cupcakes
- Bosque coffee roasters
- Burque Bakehouse
- Cocoa
- Cafe Britt
- Cake Fetish
- Caribbean temptation
- Caveman Coffee
- Celina’s cupcakes
- Chocolate poster
- ChocGlitz
- Chocolate friend
- Corvus coffee
- Chocolate for dead dogs
- Death Wish Coffee Co.
- Devil’s Cafe Deviant
- Dolcetta sweets
- Chocolates Boutique Elixir
- Film Cinema Cafe and Roaster fans
- Gluten-free food
- Chocoates Guittard
- Hardcover coffee
- Heidi’s Raspberry Jam
- Iconik coffee roasters
- Janecka Skin Care
- Java Union
- Joliesse Chocolates
- JP’s Custard Cart
- Kuma coffee
- Laughing Turtle Soaps
- Lustful Monk’s Mustards
- Matt’s Gluten Free Bakery
- Mike’s jerky
- Maui Wow Coffee
- Vine nectar
- New Mexico Pinon Coffee
- Next Level Coffee
- Ohori’s coffee
- Old Pecos Foods
- Old dairy windmill
- Orange Magnolia Soap Dishes
- Pampered chef
- Pasta More
- Picacho coffee
- Pig Donut Co.
- Prairie thyme
- Prosum roasters
- Rebel donut
- Red rock roasters
- Satellite coffee
- Savor the brands
- Cupcakes
- Soaked tea
- Styrian Bakery
- Sugar treats
- Sweet and spicy
- Freshwater herbs
- Southwest Dairy Producers
- Teri’s sweet garden
- The sweet lady
- Theobroma Chocolatier
- Candle
- Villa Myriam Cafes
- What a fudge
- Xocolatl Confections
- Santa Fe Brewing Co.
See images from the Southwest Chocolate and Coffee Festival.
Visit the Fest online to register for workshops and contests, and for more information.
Discover more chocolate in Albuquerque.
