Chocolate Meltdown set to return in January with new chocolate crawl event

The Oxford Community Arts Center (OCAC) and other local organizations are once again preparing for the Chocolate Meltdown, one of the city’s biggest January events each year.

This year’s Meltdown, held at the Arts Center, is set to run 1-5 p.m. on Jan. 11. The evening will feature games, artwork and, of course, plenty of chocolate.

“It is truly an Oxford-wide event, as we’re bringing in, hopefully, a whole bunch of people into Oxford in January,” said Heidi Schiller, executive director of OCAC. The event is a collaboration between OCAC, the City of Oxford, Enjoy Oxford, the Oxford Chamber of Commerce and the Richard and Carole Cocks Art Museum at Miami University.

This year’s Meltdown will feature more than a dozen chocolate vendors, face painting, a magician and a life-sized Candy Land game. The event is free to attend, but patrons are encouraged to buy the chocolate products on sale from vendors or purchase tasting tickets to try samples at each table. And while there will be free s’mores for kids, Schiller said, adults will need to use their tickets to get a taste.

New this year, Enjoy Oxford is also hosting a “Chocolate Crawl” all day Jan. 10 in the leadup to the meltdown. Schiller said the event planners hope to turn it into a weekend full of chocolate-themed fun rather than a one-day affair.

Sally Roi, operations manager for Enjoy Oxford, said the visitors’ bureau put out a call to businesses to participate in the Chocolate Crawl in November. Businesses are encouraged to serve anything chocolate-related, including alcoholic drinks, pastries, candy and more, to be a part of the event.

So far, Roi says many of the participating businesses are restaurants. Others who want to participate should email sallyroi@enjoyoxford.org by Tuesday, Dec. 17, to share what they plan to offer for the chocolate crawl.

“Even if it just gets somebody to think, ‘I’ve never actually been into that business; let me go and see what they’re offering for the chocolate crawl and take a look around’ … that’s our whole goal,” Roi said.

The event’s January date is strategic, Schiller said. While Miami students are away until the start of the spring semester on Jan. 27, the city and its partners look for creative ways to bring people Uptown and support local businesses.

“We want people to come into town on Friday, grab a hotel, go to get a meal, grab some gas on the way home the next day,” Schiller said. “Having the chocolate crawl on Friday night is a way to extend the experience beyond just the four hours on Saturday.”

Last year’s event attracted more than 800 residents on one of the coldest days of the year, and OCAC sold almost 5,000 tasting tickets.