Prepare for a taste sensation when the fourth annual Ramsbottom Chocolate Festival takes place this weekend (Saturday 31 March and Sunday 1 April).
A vast range of chocolate treats awaits visitors to this hugely popular event, plus choco workshops and live music, a beer tent and special East Lancs Railway trains with family activities.
Among the highlights are award-winning produce from chocolatiers at the two-day, while local breweries Irwell Works and Outstanding Beers have produced a special Choc Fest Beer.
UK Chocolate Champion John Costello will be making a giant chocolate sculpture of an Olympic gold medallist – and you can step onto the podium and have your picture taken with him!
The Chocolate Festival Bar is back, and this time its flavour is Chicken Tikka Massala. In best Willy Wonka style, some bars contain a special golden prize ticket.
And the ELR is running the Chocolate Rail Ale Tour, combining a trip on the heritage railway with visits to some of the area’s best real ale establishments and the Ramsbottom Chocolate Festival.
Gina Ball, chair of Ramsbottom Business Group, said: "Ramsbottom Chocolate Festival is an amazing event that proves more and more popular every year and is a well-rounded family event that appeals to everyone. The festival is just one event that has put Ramsbottom on the map as a popular tourist destination.
"Ramsbottom Business Group is busy putting together a town website which will be a ‘one stop shop’ for people wishing to find out about our independent retailers, special offers, events and the history of our little market town. With our popular Winter Christmas Markets and Spring Chocolate Festival, we are working closely with the council’s town centres team to deliver a festival for each season - watch this space!"
The town centre is likely to be busy with people enjoying the festival - why not take the East Lancashire Railway and arrive in style or jump on one of the regular bus services to Ramsbottom?
For more information go to www.ramsbottomchocolatefestival.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/RamChocFest
Twitter: @ChocFestival
