Take a sugary tour through town with the annual Okotoks Hot Chocolate Festival.
The 11-day festival, which runs from Feb. 5 to 15, brings together Okotoks businesses and organizations as they compete to see who's got the best beverage.
"It's a friendly competition between the local businesses to create the most unique hot chocolate," explained organizer Katie Fournell. "The participant's job is to go and try all of the hot chocolates."
All of this year's businesses are bringing creative new designs to the table, and with options like the "Golden Fluffy Buttercup" and "Raspberry Chocolate Truffle" on the menu, the 2025 festival promises to be as delicious as it is delightful.
"Businesses are creating masterpiece hot chocolates, trying to come up with the most creative, unique hot chocolates," said Fournell. "Each one is supposed to be kind of a little bit of an event in itself."
Take part in the Okotoks Hot Chocolate Festival at the following locations:
94 Take the Cake (Extreme Butterscotch PB Jewels)
Bone & Biscuit (Puppy Hot Chocolate)
Brown Sugar Bake Shop (Raspberry Chocolate Truffle)
Covet Sips and Sweets (Gingerbread Iced Hot Chocolate)
French 50 (Cabane à Sucre Hot Chocolate)
Home Ground (Strawberries & Cream White Hot Chocolate)
Hub Town Brewing Company (Golden Fluffy Buttercup)
Okotoks Natural Foods (Nourish Hot Chocolate)
PFP Canada (Extinguished Chocolate)
Red Rock Pizza (Cocoacloud)
Stacked by Soul Sugar (Bourbon Buster Hot Chocolate)
Supper Studio (Biscoff Hot Chocolate)
Sweetgrass Deli & Eatery (Bonfire Delight)
Tribal Connections (Raspberry Bloom Hot Chocolate)
Customers can submit ratings for the hot chocolates they try on the festival's interactive map, with participants also eligible to win gift cards.
"There's a draw at the end, and I draw the name of somebody to get a gift card to the winning business," said Fournell.
Last year's festival saw 94 Take the Cake take the title of Most Popular Hot Chocolate, while Highest Rated Hot Chocolate was won by the now-closed British Chippy.
The 2025 Okotoks Hot Chocolate Festival is set to warm up Okotoks amid a drop in temperatures this week.