One of the very few certainties in life is everyone’s love of chocolate. And Long Islanders are about to get the opportunity to enjoy more chocolate than they ever could have imagined when The Chocolate Expo, one of the largest chocolate events in the United States, returns to the David S. Mack Sports & Exhibition Complex at Hofstra University in Hempstead on Sunday, April 14th, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The Chocolate Expo is enjoying its second appearance at Hofstra University this year, after previously being hosted at Garden City’s Cradle of Aviation Museum. Marvin Baum – the event’s founder and producer –originally started the Expo in 2006, and it currently is held six times annually in venues in New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, with plans to expand it to additional states in the very near future.
This ode to confectionary wonder allows attendees to taste, purchase, celebrate and otherwise indulge in delicious gourmet chocolates, baked goods, specialty foods, cheeses, wines and more from 90+ vendor booths, while also enjoying chocolate-themed presentations, a “chocolate smash,” costumed characters and children’s activities.
Expo guests will be greeted by chocolate fountains overflowing with milk chocolate and dark chocolate selections, as well as chocolatiers offering chocolate bon bons, bean-to-bar chocolates, hot chocolate, chocolate fudge, chocolate novelties, chocolate barks, chocolate-covered pretzels, chocolate-covered bacon, and so much more. In addition, cookies, cupcakes, donuts and other baked offerings will be showcased, and local wines, spirits and other craft beverages – both alcoholic and non-alcoholic – will be available for tastings and to purchase by the bottle.
But Baum noted that one of The Chocolate Expo’s biggest draws of all – in addition to all the chocolate, of course – is the opportunity to meet some of the stars of the original 1971 classic film Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, including Julie Dawn Cole (Veruca Salt), Paris Themmen (Mike Tee Vee) and Oompa Loompa Rusty Goffe, who has also been in six of Harry Potter movies as well as Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Willow, Flash Gordon, and other features.
“We had invited the Wonka cast members to our Boston location…we knew that the new Wonka movie was coming out late last year, so we wanted to do something very special and it was the first time the Wonka cast had a reunion at a chocolate festival. It was perfect!” Baum said. “It was so successful that we asked the Wonka stars if they would be able to come to Long Island for the Expo, and they agreed! Julie Dawn Cole and Rusty Goffe are coming in from England – it’s their first time coming to Long Island – and Paris Themmen is coming from California. In Boston and New Jersey, people were actually crying when they got to meet these beloved characters from their youth, and it’s going to be a real treat to have them on Long Island this weekend.”
Similar to Comic Con-type events, the Willy Wonka stars will participate in a panel discussion starting at 11 a.m., followed by an audience question-and-answer session; later, throughout the day, the cast members will be available for autograph signings and photo opportunities with fans (an extra fee applies per item, cash-only).
The Wonka stars aren’t the only celebrities attending The Chocolate Expo this weekend- Long Island’s own DJ CHEF, the first-ever winner on reality cooking show Cutthroat Kitchen and well-known for his unique ability to spin tunes while cooking, will be among those doing demos.
In addition, the Star Wars-themed cosplay group the 501st Legion – well-known for showing up at numerous sci-fi and pop-culture events dressed up in Imperial Stormtrooper armor – will be in attendance, taking pictures with fans and helping to raise funds for a very good cause: The Cerebral Palsy Association of Nassau County. A balloon sculpture auction will also be held at 5 p.m. to help fundraise for the not-for-profit organization as well.
And finally, the Expo’s popular “Kidz Zone” allows children to engage in fun activities such as face painting, balloon twisting and craft activities, including a famed balloon artist that will be creating blow-up sculptures of various Wonka characters that fans can pose with for pictures, purchase, have autographed, and take home with them.
Timed-entry tickets to The Chocolate Expo are $20/adult and $10/child (ages 5-12), when purchased online from www.thechocolateexpo.com, or $30/adult and $15/child (ages 5-12) at the door. With the time-entry tickets, guests get priority entry during the specific time they choose (to even-out guest arrivals) but can stay as long as they like.
For greater savings, The Chocolate Expo’s “Late-Day Special” ticket is priced at just $10/person (all ages 5 and up) for admission after 4pm, when purchased online, and $15/person, when purchased at the door.
A Chocolate Expo VIP ticket, priced at $40/person and available online only, provides a newly-enhanced guest experience with Early Preview Admission beginning at 9:30a.m. as well as priority entry at any time during the day, plus one deluxe Chocolate Expo insulated tote bag (a $20 value) containing a delicious VIP Chocolate Bar.
Tickets can sell out, so it is highly recommended that guests purchase tickets online to guarantee admission at www.thechocolateexpo.com, where more information is also available about the festival including a list of participating vendors.
Baum extends a warm and hearty invitation to any Long Islanders wishing to indulge their sweet tooth and embrace their inner child for an afternoon to head on down to Hofstra University this Sunday, April 14, and join in on the fun, gobble some delicious treats, and hobnob with the Willy Wonks stars at The Chocolate Expo.
“It’s been really terrific. Like so many events, we were shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it’s hard to realize how much these kinds of events mean to people until you don’t have them,” he said. “During COVID, many event promoters struggled and even went out of business, but we not only survived, but we’re back and bigger and better than ever! We have a great diversity of vendors, and not only are we bringing in vendors from other states that Long Islanders have never seen before, but we're bringing Long Island vendors to other states where they’ve never been!”
“The Chocolate Expo is great for business, but it’s especially great for people,” Baum concluded. “In the news every day there’s so much negativity going on in the world, and the Expo is a great way to get away from it all, where individuals and families can try all different kinds of chocolate and food products while enjoying themselves and creating new memories.”
To find out more about The Chocolate Expo, please visit their official website at www.thechocolateexpo.com, as well as their Facebook and Instagram pages.