It’s back, and better than ever! The Festival’s signature opening event, Wine & Chocolate, features live music from Benque musician Pablo Collado, a specially commissioned performance by the National Dance Company of Belize, and a firework display. As well as international and Belizean wines, there’ll be an array of chocolate treats and desserts from three prominent Belizean chocolate makers – our very own Goss Chocolate, Kakaw from the Belize Chocolate Company, and Cotton Tree Chocolate.

Linn Wilson and Kerry Goss of Goss Chocolate are attending the Festival for the fourth year, and will be bringing some of their new treats along to the wine & chocolate evening. Linn told us “it’s a really fun festival, and the wine & chocolate is a wonderful, special event – the desserts, the savouries, the live music, people looking happy, and of course good wine! We’ve been working on a variety of new products this year, and we’re looking to show off our special chocolate-dipped truffles.”
Goss Chocolate will also be exhibiting at the Taste of Toledo cookery and craft fair on the Saturday -- this year in its new seafront location at Petillo Park and the grounds of the Father Ring Parish Hall. The Fair showcases local and national artisans work, and will include a special exhibition of George Gabb’s legendary “sleeping giant” zericote sculpture, as depicted on the BZ$100 note. There’ll be local food, cookery demonstrations by local chefs, music and dance performances, and a special screening of the newly released award-winning “Three Kings of Belize” DVD ahead of the Sunday concert.

New Cacao for Kids activities include a sock-puppet class, and also creating the longest rainforest mural in Belize, with a chalk pavement art scene along the Fishermen’s Co-op wharf. The Sea Toledo kayaking, snorkelling and boat trips will depart from the Fisherman’s Co-op wharf, giving everybody the chance to appreciate the beautiful coastal waters of Toledo. The inland Cacao Trail tours take you through the organic cacao orchards in Toledo, to learn how the pods are grown, harvested and processed before being turned into chocolate – the food of the Gods!

On Sunday the focus moves inland to the ancient Maya site of Lubaantun – the place of the fallen stones – and you can learn more about the current excavations being led by Dr Geoff Braswell as part of the National Geographic sponsored Toledo Regional Interaction Project.

As in previous years, a Maya dance will be performed in the plaza, with a special introduction by Dr Jaime Awe, the Director of the Institute of Archaeology. This year sees the villagers of San Jose perform the Monkey Dance – a tradition that goes far back in time, with dancers dressed as ‘batz’ and ‘max’ – howler monkeys and spider monkeys respectively – along with with the Ch’iip, or boy-monkey, and the Mam, the king of the monkeys.

The Festival closes with a very special live performance by the “Three Kings of Belize”, along with Carlos Perotte. The Three Kings – Toledo’s very own Florencio Mes and Paul Nabor, and Wilfred Peters from Belize District – are the stars of the newly released DVD which shares moments from their daily lives, and offers a glimpse of three very different cultures, whilst the musicians quietly battle to preserve their musical heritage.

Visit www.ToledoChocolate.com for full details!

Kerry Goss, sponsor’s note:
Goss Chocolate started the year of the first Cacaofest, 2007. Linn and I attended the first one and we were hooked. Wine and chocolate under the stars, with live music. If not paradise, close enough. Belize may be the cradle of chocolate. Many people believe cocao was first used in this area. The Mayan kings were the first to tax chocolate, but not the last. Only 1-3% of chocolate beans grown worldwide are flavor beans, the most valued by chocolate makers.

Here in Belize most chocolate beans are flavor beans. This helps make Goss Chocolate some of the best in the world. We would like to thank the growers who work very hard to grow world class beans. Growing organically is not easy, and we appreciate the excellent quality. We thank TCGA for the work they do everyday to ensure a great product. We thank the Cacaofest committee and all the volunteers that work to make the Cacaofest happen. And we thank our many customers who keep Goss Chocolate going.

For more information email info@ToledoChocolate.com, visit the Festival website www.ToledoChocolate.com, or call the BTIA Toledo Tourism Information Centre on 722-2531. Toledo Cacao Festival is held in association with the Toledo Cacao Growers’ Association, Ya’axche Conservation Trust, Sustainable Harvest International, NICH, the Institute of Creative Arts, the Institute of Archaeology, and the Belize Tourism Board.