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Three words: Hot Chocolate Festival. Yes, it’s a real thing, and yes, it’s happening in Vancouver this winter. Taking place between January 16 and February 14, 2021, this food festival is perfect for chocoholics - or anyone who needs a little pandemic pick-me-up. 

2021 marks the 11th year of Vancouver’s Hot Chocolate Festival, and while there are restrictions in place due to the pandemic, the hosts didn’t want to cancel it outright. Not only is a hot chocolate festival something we all need right now, but it’s also a way to drum up support for local businesses who have been suffering more than ever before. 

This year’s Hot Chocolate Festival has partnered with 39 local cafes and restaurants, who together have created a whopping 87 new hot chocolate concoctions. These include 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters + Lucky’s Donuts’ Jaffa hot chocolate made with orange and dark chocolate, as well as Honolulu Coffee’s Mauna Loa, which contains 70% dark chocolate, maple chili bacon, and cayenne pepper.

Other standouts range from Ladurée’s Ispahan (featuring Valrhona white chocolate, rose infusion, chantilly cream, and a rose macaron) to Soirette’s vegan Flamingo Fever beverage, made with vegan pink grapefruit dark chocolate and pink rosewater cream. 

To ensure everyone stays safe and abides by BC Health rules and regulations, all participating locations are offering their hot chocolates for takeout and masks are required in any and all establishments. Further, some vendors are even offering discounted rates on their hot chocolate to frontline medical and hospital workers, so if you fall into this category, be sure to ask about that. 

Visit the festival’s official website for a list of all 39 participating locations (there is even a festival map to make your search easier!). 

If you’re visiting Vancouver this winter and plan to take advantage of the city’s annual Hot Chocolate Festival, then be sure to book a stay at the Georgian Court Hotel. Our luxe yet cozy hotel is the ideal spot to escape to this winter, not to mention the fact that it’s near several of the festival’s participating cafes and restaurants.