By Jason Wesseldyk
Sports Editor
PLAINWELL—Calling all chocolate lovers.
The City of Plainwell is hosting its second annual Chocolate Stroll throughout the downtown area on Saturday, Feb. 9, with sweet deals being combined with sweet treats just in time for Valentine’s Day.
City of Plainwell community development manager Denise Siegel is one of the organizers of the event.
“This is a wonderful, fun day in downtown Plainwell filled with shopping, dining and chocolate,” Siegel said. “We created this event to happen around Valentine’s Day and to bring people back downtown after the holidays.”
The timing of the Chocolate Stroll couldn’t be better for local business owners.
“January is always a slow month for our business owners,” Siegel said. “Creating this event helps bring shoppers back downtown, provides an opportunity for shopping for that special Valentine and makes for a fun day out with friends or family.
“Everyone attending can enjoy some sweet chocolate treats.”
Siegel called last year’s inaugural event a “huge success.”
“Last year we had a great response from both business owners and shoppers,” she said. “Everyone had fun with it and many posted photos from different locations around town.”
As of Monday, Jan. 30, shops that have committed to participating in the Chocolate Stroll include: Bridge St. Gallery/Island City Tea & Spice; Passiflora; Dragonfly Quilts; Envy; Bushel & A Peck; Hart’s Jewelry; The Sugar Palace; Fortress of Solitude; Bridge Street Deli & Health Goods; and the Friends of Ransom District Library.
All shops are scheduled to open at 10 a.m. with the exception of Fortress of Solitude, which opens at 1 p.m.
Restaurants scheduled to participate include Barbed Wire Café (open 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.), Old Mill Brewpub & Grill (open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.) and Around the Board Game Café (open 10 a.m. to midnight).
Additional shops and restaurants could be added to the list prior to the day of stroll.
“More are coming in every day,” Siegel said.
Along with the shops and restaurants, shoppers will have the opportunity to stop in at the indoor pop-up market located at Plainwell City Hall (211 N. Main St.).
The indoor market is slated to run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“Many vendors from our winter market will be back,” Siegel said.
Shoppers can also stop by the balloon photo station in front of Passiflora to take some selfies. Siegel encourages those photos to be shared on Instagram with #plainwell.
“Bring a friend, dress for the weather and be ready to enjoy a variety of chocolate treats and shopping experiences,” Siegel said. “And don’t forget to grab breakfast, lunch or dinner while you are out.”
More information—including any additional shops or restaurants as they are added—can be found on the Chocolate Stroll Facebook page at https://fb.me/e/3mmGM4mWQ.
“The Chocolate Stroll is just one of several events the city hosts in our community,” Siegel said. “We love visitors from outside the area and hope to make this an annual event that brings in people from all over Southwest Michigan.”