The first O.C. Chocolate Festival presented by http://www.fountainvalleylivingmagazine.com, held over the weekend was a smashing success! It was amazing how they transformed the recreation center into a posh venue complete with a red carpet (and paparazzi!) and a VIP room. There were tons of samples from chocolatiers, cupcake bakers, caterers and chocolate gift vendors. There were wineries offering tastings and other holiday gift vendors like Scentsy, Silpada, Tupperware, and Zen’s Purple Garden. The event was also a great way to discover new area businesses like http://www.rosydental.com, http://www.anytimefitness.com and http://www.thechocolatedayspa.com

I really liked how well organized the event was — basically they gave you tickets to exchange for the chocolate samplings and wine tastings. There were great prizes in the silent auction too. And best of all, part of the proceeds went to the Fountain Valley Community Foundation (http://www.fvcommunityfoundation.org/) and the Boys and Girls Club (http://www.bgchv.com)