Famed Peanuts creator Charles M. Schultz would have been sweet on The Chocolate Trail in historic downtown Bethlehem, as it was Schultz who said, \u201cAll you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn\u2019t hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n
And the Christmas City offered chocolate galore, perfectly timed with Valentine\u2019s Day, serving up the oodles of savory sweetness Feb. 7 and Feb. 14 courtesy of the Historic Downtown Bethlehem Chocolate Trail 2026.<\/p>\n
A $40 passport was the golden ticket for chocolate aficionados to traverse the trail at the annual event presented by the Downtown Bethlehem Association. Participants could sample chocolate treats at each stop listed on their map, and had the chance to vote for their favorite bite to help crown this year\u2019s Chocolate Champion and be entered for a chance to win some extra-sweet prizes.<\/p>\n
Chocolate trailblazers weathered frigid temperatures Feb. 7, popping into their favorite merchants to sample delectable sweetness.<\/p>\n
Things were bustling at Fegley\u2019s Bethlehem Brew Works in The Main Street Commons, where staff members Megan and Christine were serving up Chocolate Espresso Ravioli with Bailey\u2019s Cr\u00e8me Anglaise and fresh strawberries, a treat created by Executive Chef Jill Oman.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve had more than 200 people so far today,\u201d Megan said. \u201cThis is so much fun. There are so many great events downtown. It\u2019s an enjoyable day.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cChef Jill does beautiful work,\u201d Megan said, noting it took Oman at least eight hours to hand press the hearts and circles on the raviolis. \u201cShe does really thoughtful things and executions.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re just the personality. She does all the hard work,\u201d Megan said.<\/p>\n
Oman was also enthusiastic about the event. \u201cIt\u2019s free advertising \u2013 it lets people know we do more than burgers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Oman said the DBA does a good job of getting people downtown on weekends that would not normally be busy through the various events it sponsors. The Brew Works participates in other fun DBA happenings including The Cocktail Trail and Soup Saunter, in which The Brew Works earned third place in January.<\/p>\n
Gina Passerman, owner of Le Macaron French Pastries, said a lot of people were out that day as she poured French Drinking Chocolate, a delectable delight enjoyed by many who came in from the cold.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe do a lot of DBA events. The community is awesome, and groups enjoy the day. It\u2019s a great alternative to being home\u201d on such a cold day, Passerman said.<\/p>\n
Le Macaron French Pastries, which opened in October 2024, offers a slice of Paris in Bethlehem with a selection including authentic French macarons, French pastries, fine chocolates and house-made Gelato.<\/p>\n
Mary Mulder, staff member at Schropp Dry Goods Shoppe, was busy pouring three flavors \u2013 peppermint, dark and caramel \u2013 of hot chocolate to chocolate lovers who popped into the shoppe.<\/p>\n
She noted the shoppe sells the hot chocolate all winter, and planned to offer Uncle Henry\u2019s Pretzels dipped in Wilbur Chocolate on Feb. 14.<\/p>\n
Recounting the shoppe\u2019s history, Mulder said, \u201cThis was a dry goods store in the mid-1800s. The first mayor of Bethlehem lived next door at the Goundie House and had a brewery.\u201d<\/p>\n
A sign in the shoppe details its history of being inspired by the original 19th-century Schropp Shoppe.<\/p>\n
Mulder said the shoppe offers a lot of locally handcrafted items. The inventory includes soaps, charcuterie supplies, Moravian stars, jewelry, jar candles, pottery, coffee, granola and items from Tate Farms.<\/p>\n
The shoppe is under the umbrella of Historic Bethlehem Museums and Sites. \u201cThe shoppe supports their work,\u201d Mulder said. \u201cAll profits go to historic Bethlehem sites.\u201d<\/p>\n
Participating Chocolate Trail merchants included A Couple Craves, Bitty and Beau\u2019s Coffee, Christmas City Spirits, Crave Nutrition, Dear Santa, Edge Restaurant, Fegley\u2019s Bethlehem Brew Works, Schropp Dry Goods Shop, The Gem Shop, Clusters Handcrafted Popcorn, Franklin Hill Vineyards, Kaleidoscope Collective, Knobs \u2018N Knockers, Le Macaron French Pastries, Manga Lane, McCarthy\u2019s Red Stag Pub and Whiskey Bar, Seasons Olive Oil and Vinegar Taproom, Lovely by Brianna, Bethlehem Christmas Shoppe and Hand Cut Crystal, Grandpa Joe\u2019s Candy Shop, La Petite Provence and 515 Main Sports Bar.<\/p>\n
Press photos by Tami QuigleyChocolate trailblazers brave frigid temperatures on Main Street Feb. 7 while traversing The Historic Downtown Bethlehem Chocolate Trail 2026.<\/p>\n
Megan, staff member at Fegley\u2019s Bethlehem Brew Works, left, enjoys watching Pam of North Whitehall Township savor a Chocolate Espresso Ravioli with Bailey\u2019s Cr\u00e8me Anglaise and fresh strawberries, a delectable treat created by Executive Chef Jill Oman.<\/p>\n
Mary Mulder of Schropp Dry Goods Shoppe, left, serves tasty peppermint hot chocolate to Dave Bussiere Jr. of Easton and Melissa Curtis of Bushkill Township, who were on a date on The Chocolate Trail.<\/p>\n
Gina Passerman, owner of Le Macaron French Pastries, pours some French Drinking Chocolate, a decadent delight on a cold winter afternoon.<\/p>\n
Jill Oman, executive chef at Fegley\u2019s Bethlehem Brew Works, left, and Megan, staff member, have fun sampling the Chocolate Espresso Ravioli with Bailey\u2019s Cr\u00e8me Anglaise and fresh strawberries, created by Oman.<\/p>\n
Outdoor tables with umbrellas near The Main Street Commons bring to mind thoughts of summer days to come.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Famed Peanuts creator Charles M. Schultz would have been sweet on The Chocolate Trail in historic downtown Bethlehem,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":116548,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[153,155,154],"class_list":["post-116547","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-bethlehem","tag-bethlehem","tag-bethlehem-headlines","tag-bethlehem-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116547","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=116547"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116547\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/116548"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=116547"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=116547"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=116547"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}