HDM hosting annual Chocolate Walk and Merry Millersburg
The HDM Chocolate Walk on Nov. 23 invites participants to visit Millersburg businesses while picking up a piece of Troyer’s Sweet Shoppe candy along the way.
Historic Downtown Millersburg will host an event soon that is sure to enhance the Christmas season for all who participate.
HDM’s annual Chocolate Walk and Merry Millersburg will take place Saturday, Nov. 23, promising plenty of holiday spirit, sweet treats and savings to those who join.
Stores will be decorated for the holidays, where there will be plenty of pre-Christmas sales and many more festive events taking place.
From 1-7 p.m. visitors can explore Historic Downtown Millersburg and collect chocolate treats from local businesses. While out and about, they also can view the window displays and vote for their favorite.
The Chocolate Walk has grown into a holiday-season favorite for both locals and out-of-towners. According to Taylor Sigler, Historic Downtown Millersburg executive director, they have already received ticket requests from all over Ohio and even Pennsylvania.
“This has grown into such a wonderful tradition,” Sigler said. “People really enjoy the aura of Historic Downtown Millersburg during the holidays, and the Chocolate Walk is a fun way to invite people to explore all of our participating stores. There’s this really neat, festive spirit throughout the day, and we’re excited because we think we’ve made this one even bigger and better than ever.”
New to the Chocolate Walk event this year is Merry Millersburg from 4-7 p.m., featuring Victorian Era characters sharing Millersburg’s history in partnership with the Holmes County Historical Society.
Presale tickets are $20 online or $25 the day of the event (limited quantity). Online ticket sales close Nov. 19 at midnight.
Sigler said on the day of the event, participants can stop by the Hotel Millersburg to purchase tickets and get started on the walk, or if they’ve preordered, they can pick up their gift bag and map and get started on their tour to find chocolates made by Troyer’s Sweet Shoppe right in the heart of HDM.
Millersburg Mayor Kelly Hoffee said she is excited for the upcoming event because it continues the trend of promotional activities taking place in HDM. That includes an addition in the HDM window decoration contest, which will invite participants to vote for their favorite window décor and also will include a Judge’s Choice award.
“We’re going to have all of the downtown businesses decorated for the holidays. There’s going to be some fun contests, and we’ll have people dressed up in old-fashioned Victorian Era Christmas outfits parading around the streets, talking to people about the history of some of the buildings,” Hoffee said. “I think it’s going to be a really fun event.”
Hoffee has joined Mark Boley, Holmes County Historical Society director, and Sigler, and the trio has been working on this event since spring.
“We know what this is going to look like, and it’s going to be really awesome, but we also know that we can grow it into something even more special with each year,” Hoffee said.
She said they have plenty of big ideas for future years including the addition of an ice-skating rink and horse-drawn carriage rides.
She said when organizations come together, it opens the door for more creativity and bigger and better ideas that only enhance what the village hopes to inspire through this event.
Sigler said the event is one that is highly anticipated, not only by those who participate, but also by the merchants who pour themselves into making sure the village is decked out in holiday style.
“All of these new additions to the already popular Chocolate Walk create an entirely new level of holiday fun and excitement throughout the village, and Christmas will be on full display,” Sigler said.
In addition, at 7 p.m. HDM will light up in a glorious way when the Millersburg Lions Club will host its annual tree lighting ceremony to kick off the Christmas holiday season.
For more information visit www.historicdowntownmillersburg.com/event/chocolate-walk-merry-millersburg/.