Premium chocolate lovers can indulge while helping support the Manteca-Lathrop Boys & Girls Club during the first annual Ghirardelli Chocolate Jubilee on Saturday, March 19, at the Lathrop outlet and ice cream shop.
And as an added bonus chocolate Easter bunny aficionados will have a chance to buy solid and hollow versions made for the first time ever with Ghirardelli chocolate.
The heart of the event is the grand tasting tent featuring creative, fresh chocolate samplings not just of creations using Ghirardelli Chocolate but from local chocolatiers, bakeries, and restaurants.
While the overall jubilee that features entertainment, music provided by local schools, a children’s play area and other activities is free, access to the grand tasting tent is $20 for 15 tastings that will include being able to sample the popular Ghirardelli ice cream sundae. There are also family tickets for four costing $40.
“We expect the Chocolate Jubilee will attract a lot of families,” noted Carla Tibbets, the assistant marketing manager for the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company’s Restaurant and Retail Division based in San Leandro.
Among the free activities will be Ghirardelli ice cream eating contest for all ages. Contestants will be selected from those in attendance.
There will also be chocolatier demonstrations highlighting handcrafted Ghirardelli Chocolate. Part of the day’s event is the Ghirardelli Chocolate School where you will learn how Ghirardelli Chocolate is made from bean to bar.
Tibbets noted a lot of people make it a point to drop by the Ghirardelli Chocolate store on Pier 39 when they travel to San Francisco.
“You can do that right here (in Lathrop),” she noted an not just by attending the Chocolate Jubilee March 19 but also dropping by the outlet store and ice cream shop that is part of the Ghirardelli distribution center off of Harlan Road along Interstate 5 in Lathrop.
Purveyors of chocolate products wishing to develop increased awareness, lead generation, and one-on-one engagement can contact Tibbets about being part of the grand tasting tent. Sponsorship opportunities are also available.
She can be contacted by emailing jubilee@ghiradelli.com or calling 510.346.3124 for more information.
Tickets can be bought at the event. They also will be available soon on Eventbrite.com.
Tibbets noted a portion of the profits will go the Manteca-Lathrop Boys & Girls Club that serves 1,700 youth in the two communities at two different locations. A similar event in San Leandro benefits the Boys & Girls Club in that community.
Ghirardelli’s history is intertwined with the Gold Rush.
In 1849, during the California Gold Rush, Italian-born Domingo Ghirardelli moved to America and opened a store in a mining camp. After discovering the miners were starved for luxuries and needed something to spend their gold dust on, he starting stocking chocolate delicacies. In 1852, the enterprising immigrant founded a confectionery shop in San Francisco, which eventually became the modern-day Ghirardelli Chocolate Company.
Today, Ghirardelli is America’s oldest continuously operating chocolate maker. Their products are sold in stores everywhere and online. They also have their own chocolate and ice cream shops across the country.