What will the 2021 Chocolate Walk Look Like?

Thank you for joining us at The Chocolate Cult, Jane Weatherford, to answer some more questions about the 2021 Chocolate Walk for the Brown County Humane Society. Jane's words will be in italics while mine are in regular font.

Let's begin with the basics. When is the walk this year and are there price differences based on when you buy them as there were in the past?

This year’s Chocolate Walk is on Saturday, November 13, 2021 from 10 am – 5 pm.  Tickets can be purchased through Oct 31 for $25.  From Nov 1-13, they will be $30.  We generally sell out a few weeks before the event, so I recommend buying early.  They are available at (the website) 

How many years will this make for the annual Chocolate Walk for the BCHS?  

This is the 14th annual Chocolate Walk! The Chocolate Cult has been at 11 or 12 of these and they are always fun!

I know that you and I were both praying that with the vaccines, that COVID-19 would be a thing of the past, but it has proven difficult to get to herd immunity in the state of Indiana. With that in mind, will BCHS be offering any cool mask swag for folks to buy at the Chocolate Walk this year?

We do not have any custom masks but are certainly encouraging participants to bring their own. Actually, we’ve not yet purchased Chocolate Walk swag yet, so we will consider masks! Great idea!

Will BCHS require proof of vaccination or discounts for fully vaccinated participation?

We are not asking for proof of vaccination. The logistics would be complicated since we are offering to mail tickets to participants so they will not have to stand in line to get their tickets on Saturday morning. There is an $8 handling fee to mail tickets and so far about 30% of ticket buyers have chosen that option. We provided this mailing option last year and it really helped to decrease the congestion at the headquarters. We hope lots of people take advantage of mailed tickets this year. 

Last year, a new way to eat at the Chocolate Walk was offered with food trucks and vendors outside around the Brown County courthouse as well as at the restaurants in Nashville, Indiana. Will that continue this year? If so, do you know who is participating to help get our tummies ready for their food?

The last three years we had food trucks and vendors on the courthouse providing lunch options. The last two years the vendors were all other non-profits in Brown County. We were hoping to have the event benefit other worthy organizations, but unfortunately not many Chocolate Walkers chose to support the vendors, so we are not having food vendors at the courthouse this year. The humane society will still have their booth on the courthouse lawn with lots of cool t-shirts to sell and we’ll have music and shelter dogs to visit with.

How many stops are currently planned for the Chocolate Walk?

This year is the most shops ever to participate – 39!! That is a lot of walking and a lot of treats, but folks, I know you can do it.

Which business is the one that has been participating the longest with the Chocolate Walk?

There are several wonderful shops that have supported this event from the beginning! They include: Hob Nob Corner, Candy Emporium, Nashville Fudge Kitchen, Carmel Corn Cottage, Touch of Silver, Gold & Old, Heritage Candy Store, Artist Colony Inn, Kiss the Cook, Nashville General Store & Bakery, Bone Appetit Bakery, and Jack & Jill Nut Shop. We are incredibly grateful that they took a chance on the first Chocolate Walk and have been with us ever since!

Are there any businesses making their first appearance in the Chocolate Walk in 2021?

We are delighted to have seven new shops as first time participants this year. They are Healing Hearts & Memory Making, Ferguson House Bistro, The Nashville House, Acorn Cottage Gallery, At Home with Heartland, Scentual Journeys and Sugar Creek Barbeque Company. It’s so much fun for veteran Chocolate Walkers to be able to visit new shops, that they otherwise might not know about. 

Will you have pets that can be adopted at the event?

Adoptable cats will be showcased at the Brown County Visitors Center. Adoptable dogs will be rotated throughout the day at the Courthouse lawn. 

If you had one or two pieces of advice to give to newbie chocolate walkers, what would that be?

Number One – don’t go in the order of the shops! It’s really busy in the mornings at the first several shops. If you have your tickets mailed to you then you can begin your walking extravaganza at any of the shops. Or you can plan to pick up tickets the day before from 3-5 pm at the Salvation Army. Number Two – don’t try to eat all the chocolate that day! My husband has done that a few times and always regrets it!! Bring a bag for the extra chocolates, that's we do!

Thank you, Jane, for helping us learn more about this year's Brown County Humane Society's Annual Chocolate Walk. I'm going to remind folks that if you attend, please remember to vote for your favorite stop along the tour. In the past you can do that by filling out the booklet's pack section and dropping it off or by sending in an email.

2020 Chocolate Walk Winners