The sixth annual Hot Cocoa Trail is back at downtown Barrie establishments, with 18 locations serving up hot specialty drinks for a good cause.
The Downtown Barrie BIA kicked off this year's event with an announcement at Homestead Artisan Bakery on Dunlop Street East.
The business association partners with a charity for each event and this year it's Seasons Centre for Grieving Children, which provides peer-to-peer support groups for children, teens, young adults and caregivers grieving the terminal illness or death of a loved one.
Donation boxes are set up at the participating shops, with Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery donating $2 for every one of their Ginger Belle beers that are sold.
BIA events administrator Stacey Zubcyzk told BarrieToday that every Hot Cocoa Trail is fun to participate in, but with the construction that has been going on along Dunlop Street, it means that much more this year.
“We want people to come down to see the new streetscape that is starting to take shape,” she said. “This is a little reminder that downtown is open and will be open while construction is happening. Now you can grab a specialty hot chocolate and enjoy the walk.”
The Five Points Theatre will have a pop-up day on Saturday, Feb. 8 with two drinks being served, Charlie and the Hot Chocolate Factory as well as Curious George Discovers Alcohol, which is 19-plus and dine-in only.
The Hot Cocoa Trail runs every Saturday and Sunday in the month of February.
For a full listing of participating locations and flavours of hot chocolate drinks, head to the BIA website.
