Bariloche and its Chocolate Festival

San Carlos de Bariloche is famous for producing the purest most hadncrafted chocolates in the country. Confectioners and recipes contribute to this fact. The first issues of the Chocolate Festival turned out to be amazing, presenting brilliant ideas that will grow up in the years to come. Its celebration is related to the recovery of the city after the ashes from the Puyehue Volcano left their track.

The Civic Center becomes the epicenter of all celebrations and a traditional Easter egg measuring over 8 meters of height and with a 5-meter diameter stands in a strategic location. Made by famed chocolatiers, this masterpiece is observed and eaten by all attendants, who obviously rejoice in this action.

On Easter Sunday morning, this experience comes to an end when the egg is broken after a countdown by the audience gathered at the square. Silver papers, music, balloons and tons of joy ornament this moment and children are the ones to enjoy it the most. In the 2016 edition the giant egg is replaced by the so-called Solidarity Easter surprise activities.

But that is not all, as other cunning attractions catch the eye during the days prior to this event. The longest chocolate bar in the world is displayed along two blocks on Mitre Street. It is also shared by all attendants. At the same time, the National Wood Sculptors Meeting and the Easter Table Exhibition including different countries take place during the weekend.

Local and guest artists offer their performances on the main stage. These include folklore and modern rhythms and they play until very late at night. The great closing takes place on Sunday after 11pm, when the sky of Bariloche is lit with fireworks and the magic of colors bids farewell both to the festival and the guests.

Walking along the downtown streets implies getting immersed in the aromas of chocolate in all its shapes. The chocolate shops located on the main arteries make a big effort to decorate their shop-windows and offer special discounts and packages. All visitors return home carrying this exquisite product in their suitcases. Bariloche usually provides a wide range of cocoa delicacies but it is in Easter and during this festival that the chocolate comes out to play.