Love (And Chocolate) is in the Air

Visitors will feel the love as they stroll College Avenue and admire love-themed ice sculptures making their community appearance in February this year.

As part of the new Love Is In The Air event, couples are invited to gather in Houdini Plaza at noon for a Community Wedding Vow Renewal. This public celebration will allow participants to re-proclaim their love for each other in the heart of Downtown Appleton in a ceremony officiated by Reverend John McFadden. The celebration will include a “first dance,” an ice cake, photo opportunities and an official certificate.

In addition, live ice carving demonstrations will occur in Houdini Plaza immediately following the Vow Renewal. “The weather just didn’t cooperate the last few years, which made us leery of featuring ice carving again in December” explained Jennifer Stephany, Executive Director of Appleton Downtown Inc. (ADI) “But we realized that our community loves watching the magic of ice being transformed into beautiful works of art right before their eyes, so we are excited to bring the event back!”

The ice carvings and demonstrations are free and also coincide with the weekly Downtown Appleton Farm Market, which happens every Saturday morning inside City Center November through May. Visitors are encouraged to stop at the Farm Market to write out what they love about Downtown Appleton and show a little local love. These heartfelt love notes will be displayed throughout the end of February in the ADI office windows at 116 N. Appleton Street.

February 10th is also the date when the popular annual event, Death by Chocolate, makes its appearance for its 15th year. From 1:00-4:00 p.m., ticketholders for this sweet-tooth-satisfying event will be able to sample scrumptious chocolate desserts whipped up by some of the best chefs in Downtown Appleton.

With a greater number of businesses and participants wanting to join in on the fun, there will be two Death by Chocolate routes available this year, each featuring 20 locations for just $20. As participants travel from venue to venue, they can enjoy the sculptures, sample the delicacies and even get a little Valentine’s Day shopping in at the unique boutiques and specialty stores. Tundraland and Warning Lites of Appleton are the proud sponsors of this great event and will be providing the Downtown trolley to help ticket holders get to as many of the twenty locations as they desire.

Participating businesses and their chocolate offerings, as well as tickets for the event, can be found online at www.appletondowntown.org or by stopping in the ADI office at 116 N. Appleton St. Tickets are $20 each and quantities are limited. Credit card orders will be accepted. Event proceeds will benefit Downtown programs. Participants must be 21 or older to partake at some establishments.

“This is a fun event and tickets in the past have sold really quickly. After all, who doesn’t love chocolate? The chefs really show their creativity and come up with decadent desserts, drinks and all sorts of dishes you wouldn’t expect.” says Anne Wiegman, Appleton Downtown Inc. marketing director. “We think with the ice carvings and vow renewal, this will be the perfect way to break up the long stretch of winter, celebrate Valentine’s Day and enjoy yourself.”

At the close of the Death by Chocolate event, participants are invited to vote for their favorite chocolate treat at any of the participating venues. Votes will determine this year’s winning venue on each route, which will be presented with the annual People’s Choice Award, along with bragging rights for the year. Voters will also be eligible to win Downtown Appleton Gift Certificates.

About ADI

ADI is a non-profit advocacy source for the businesses and merchants of Downtown Appleton, presenting the weekly Downtown Appleton Indoor Winter Farm Market and a host of other events. For more information about ADI and/or a complete listing of upcoming Downtown happenings, visit www.appletondowntown.org, on Facebook at the Appleton Downtown Fan Page, or on Twitter @dwtnappleton.

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