With Apologies to Chocolate Lovers Everywhere
Dear Chocolate Lovers,
I’m sorry. So deeply sorry.
Sincerely,
Carole
I was so excited about Vista Village Chocolate Festival that I recommended it to everyone I knew, both online and off. I had no idea that anyone would dream up a chocolate festival without chocolate!
Actually there was chocolate, just not much of it. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever attended a street fair with less chocolate.
Nine booths were listed as “chocolate vendors.” However, not all of these vendors specialized in chocolate. Diva Chocolates, for example, sold “chocolate beef jerky.” Call them what you will, their samples tasted nothing like chocolate, but exactly like teriyaki jerky.
The stand-out in this limited crowd was The Chocolate Printers, who printed photos and advertisements onto chocolates. The variety and quality of their products was innovative and impressive.
While waiting in line for an ice cream 
dipped in chocolate and nuts, I spoke with a beautiful young lady who was equally disappointed with the chocolate at the festival, especially since she’d come all the way from Clairemont! I apologized on behalf of Vista. No chocolate lover should be treated this way.
The biggest disappointment of the chocolate vendors was definitely the booth selling strawberries and marshmallows dipped in their chocolate fountain. The $2 for a single strawberry was overpriced to begin with, but worse, the chocolate was liquefied. It didn’t harden on the strawberries or on anything else. It literally dripped all over the place.
On a more positive note, this was undoubtedly Vista’s largest street fair ever. There were musical performances like Elvis in front of the Karaoke store, and bands at the main stage area, and they had excellent attendance in all of the booths.
Like most street fairs, it was a great place to people-watch. Where else can you see beauty queens talking with a guy inexplicably draped in birds?
As you’d probably expect, there were booths selling all types of goods, present in at least double the number of last year’s festival. You could buy wooden bowls, jewelry, clothing, little 
guitars, laser-etched glass art, hair clips, religious products, door hangers, and wind socks.
Thinking of a little home improvement? There were representatives for companies selling kitchen cabinets and countertops, windows, and Nu-cote ”never need painting” house treatments.
Looking for some personal improvement? You could sign up for summer music camp, membership in a fitness center, or receive a chiropractic adjustment on the spot.
If you were willing to give up some personal information, you could enter a drawing for a $100 spa product gift package, and receive a small chocolate in trade for your personal information. Ikea, First Steps in Music and Boomers also ran similar booths, with their own rewards for signing up. For a dollar, you could also spin a wheel to potentially win a free month of 
tanning or some sunscreen.
Other booths served only to advertise, including Summergrass Music Festival, RE/MAX, and Palomar College.
The American Red Cross ran a blood drive all 
day from their blood mobile. The Rady Children’s 10Mobile was also on-hand, alongside radio station Exa FM 91.7.
Way down at the end of the block, there was a small carnival which included a few rides, some typical ring-toss-type booths that were completely ignored by visitors when I went by, and an inflated obstacle course and slide that took less time to 
go through than it took to buy the two 75-cent tickets required.
Throughout the fair, the food booths were better than the chocolate offerings, including Starbucks, Big Ernie’s Rib Shack, Chick’s, Carvel Ice Cream, Hunter Steakhouse, El Gordito Feliz Mexican Food, Ohana Hawaiian 
BBQ, and Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs.
My personal recommendation: the sample Iced Orange Mocha given away by Starbucks. Topped by whip cream, it was absolutely delicious.
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2 opinions for With Apologies to Chocolate Lovers Everywhere
Julie
Jun 2, 2007 at 6:20 am
Sorry to hear the festival was lacking. I was so close to coming down for the pie eating contest. Did you get to see that event?
Carole A. Lane
Jun 2, 2007 at 7:37 am
No, Julie, I missed the pie eating contest. When I went by that area, there were just some people sitting around a table with small turtles in containers. I hope this was in no way related to pie eating.
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