One of Connecticut’s top attractions gets even sweeter on Sun., Jan. 29 when The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk offers sea turtles and chocolate turtles – plus a great admission deal – with the return of The Chocolate Expo.
About 40 local and regional vendors – including top area chocolatiers – will fill the Aquarium galleries, offering samples and sales of their gourmet chocolates, baked goods and specialty foods. In addition, guests can meet “Willy Wonka’s” original Mike TeeVee and sit in on free presentations by celebrity chefs Barret Beyer, Tony Albanese and Larry Rosenberg, as well as famed mentalist The Amazing Kreskin.
To pack it all in, the Aquarium will stay open two hours longer than normal – until 7 p.m.
The sweetest part of the day, however, is that admission on Jan. 29 costs less than a regular Aquarium ticket. For one day only, guests can enjoy jellyfish and gelato, tree frogs and truffles, crabs and caramels – all at discounted prices, especially with advance online purchase.
Buy your tickets online – even on the day of The Chocolate Expo – for the deliciously discounted prices of $15 for adults and $10 for children 3-12. (Under 3, free.) Tickets purchased at the door will be $20 for adults and $15 for children. Paid admission on Jan. 29 is required of Maritime Aquarium members: $13 for adults and $8 for children.
(Regular admission to The Maritime Aquarium is $22.95 for adults and $15.95 for children.)
“It’s a recipe you can’t beat: take all of the animals and exhibits of The Maritime Aquarium – at a substantial discount – blended with decadent chocolates and specialty foods, and topped with celebrity chefs and other free bonus guests and activities,” said Dave Sigworth, the Aquarium’s publicist. “You might find some other chocolate show somewhere, but it won’t also offer sharks, seals, sea turtles and other marine life. As we say every year, you’d have to be dipped in nuts not to enjoy this special day and this great deal.”
This year, for the first time, an off-peak ticket for admission between 5 & 7 p.m. is available for $10 per person; an even greater discount.
Expo producer Marvin Baum said The Chocolate Expo is for people who are serious about chocolate and who love unique specialty foods.
“Vendors at the Expo typically offer small tasting-sized portions of their products,” Baum said. “Think of the chocolate tastings in the way you might think of a wine tasting at a winery: you get a small sample to try and you often get to talk with the person who made the product. If you like what you’ve tasted, you can purchase that product for yourself or to give as gifts.”
Expo/Aquarium visitors will find not only traditional and gourmet chocolates, but also specialty offerings like chocolate-covered bacon, chocolate tarts, candy apples, fudge, chocolate-covered pretzels, chocolate vinaigrettes, and even chocolate-infused Brussels sprouts and chocolate-scented candles.
For ready-to-eat treats, Aurora Gourmet will have their chocolate fountains flowing, while Crazy Crepe Café will be making delicious crepes and Pika’s Farm Table will serve authentic Belgian-style waffles dipped in a choice of white, dark or milk chocolate. Screme Gelato will scoop a variety of unique flavors.
Non-chocolate goodies to be sampled and sold include gourmet tomato sauces, hot sauces, empanadas, nut butters, jams, syrups, sodas, pickles, coffees, horseradish, honey, popcorn, cannolis, cakes, pies, tarts and more. You can even bring home specialty treats for your dog!
There will be no IMAX® movie presentations on Jan. 29, so the theater can be used for special presentations, including free 30-minute demonstrations by three celebrity chefs:
– Tony Albanese, pastry designer and former assistant to Buddy Valastro of TV’s “Cake Boss,” at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
– Barret Beyer of Fox TV’s “Hell’s Kitchen” at 2 and 4 p.m.
– and Larry Rosenberg, recipe-book author, owner of Bacon Bites and soon-to-be-seen on Food Network, at 1 & 5 p.m.
Plus, at noon, be astounded by The Amazing Kreskin. With a showman’s flair, a comedian’s wit and the capacities of a bona fide mentalist or thought-reader, The Amazing Kreskin dramatizes the unique facets of the human mind. For six decades, he has been wow-ing audiences and talk-show hosts – including Carson, Letterman, Stern and Fallon – with his unknowable insights and answers.
Seating of 310 for the chef demonstrations and The Amazing Kreskin will be on a first-come, first-seated basis. The chefs will be available throughout the day for pictures and autographs.
This year’s Chocolate Expo also celebrates cinematic chocolate history by welcoming Paris Themmen, who played Mike TeeVee – the boy in the cowboy outfit – opposite Gene Wilder in “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.” Themmen will sign autographs and pose for photographs throughout the day.
Kids can take part in art activities at 11 a.m., noon and 1 & 2 p.m., and also be transformed by a face-painter between 11 a.m. & 3 p.m. These are free with admission.
Enjoy all the decadent treats and special guests while exploring The Maritime Aquarium, a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to educate visitors about – and to create stewards for – Long Island Sound. The Aquarium accomplishes this by allowing visitors to get close to more than 300 species native to the Sound and its watershed, including sharks, seals, sea turtles, river otters, jellyfish and other animals. Except for “Jiggle A Jelly,” all exhibits will be open during The Chocolate Expo.
“Valentine’s Day will be here soon, so The Chocolate Expo is the perfect opportunity to buy some sweets for your sweetie,” Sigworth said. “Plus, there are no NFL playoff games on the 29th, so there’s no reason for anyone to stay home. In fact, with no football to watch, The Chocolate Expo gives football fans something to do!”
Parking is available in the Maritime Garage (across from the Aquarium’s main entrance) and a short walk away in the city’s Webster Lot. Find an open parking space by using a smart-phone app called Parker that displays “real-time” parking availabilities in South Norwalk.
For more information about The Chocolate Expo, go to thechocolateexpo.com or maritimeaquarium.org.