When it’s so cold outside, many people find it comforting to stay indoors and sip on a hot drink. The best comforting beverage to consume when you must deal with the crappy weather, is a nice, warm cup of hot chocolate. Luckily, people living in Vancouver have many options to satisfy their hot chocolate cravings. The annual Greater Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival is back and it’s going to end on February 14th. It’s not too late to participate in the festivities. Some of Vancouver’s best bakeries, cafes and dessert spots are participating in the hot chocolate festival. This is the perfect opportunity to visit your favorite spots and to explore a new spot with some friends or family.

This is the 13^th year of this amazing festival and this year, a new project is being launched to help make the festival more accessible to disadvantaged children. The project is called, “The Marshmallow Dreams Project.” In this project, coupons are distributed through charitable organizations like shelters, church groups and other organizations that are dedicated to helping low-income families. A coupon can be redeemed for free hot chocolate drinks for children that are accompanied by a guardian.

Some of the participating vendors are Bel Café, Bella Gelateria, 49^th Parallel Coffee + Lucky’s Doughnuts, Aperitivo Truck, Casa Mia, Doughgirls, Fife Bakery, Pie Hole and so many more! The gloomy winter days don’t have to be so gloomy anymore when you can relish a delicious cup of hot chocolate at any of the participating vendors. The motto of the festival is simple and true, “Hot Chocolate Makes You Happy!” The whole concept of the festival is to help those in need and to do it by making them happy. Initiatives like this are important because it brings people together and it reinforces the idea of helping people going through tough times and letting them know that they are not alone.