Chocolate Explorers Update: New Partners, Hands-On Fun, and a Sweet Finish
The adventure is growing
When we first announced Chocolate Explorers, we invited Gwinnett families to discover where chocolate comes from through reading, culture, and the five senses. Since then, our community has stepped up in sweet ways, and we can't wait to share what's new!
We're thrilled to welcome two partners from the University of Georgia:
UGA Extension will host our Touch Station with a fun hands-on surprise for young explorers.
The State Botanical Garden of Georgia has generously shared teaching resources from its curriculum on forests and the plants we depend on, including activities about where chocolate and other everyday foods come from.
Their support helps families connect chocolate's story to real plants, real places, and the people who grow our food.
More than a sweet treat
Chocolate has a story that spans thousands of years and many cultures. At Chocolate Explorers, families travel through that story together: from the first people who grew cacao in present-day Ecuador, to the Olmec, Maya, and Aztec peoples who prized it, to Georgia's own Etowah site, where cacao was found in pottery about 1,000 years old and studied with permission from the Muscogee people. Along the way, families read together, ask big questions, and share their own food memories, discovering that every family's table is part of history too.
What kids will do
We'll begin at noon with a fun choral reading led by Dr. Christine Reilly of Georgia Gwinnett College. Then every family receives a Chocolate Explorer Passport and explores five hands-on stations at their own pace:
Touch: Meet a live cacao plant, plus a hands-on surprise!
See: Follow chocolate's journey and uncover a secret word.
Smell: Sniff mystery scent jars and discover how smells carry memories.
Hear: Read stories about chocolate together.
Remember: Recall the taste of home and share a family food story.
A sweet finish
We're excited to add a brand-new Finish Station! Once families complete their passport, they'll celebrate with a sweet chocolate taste and share a few quick thoughts about their experience. Your feedback helps us make future family events even better.
A community effort
Chocolate Explorers is truly a community celebration. A local elementary school is sharing the event with its families, and United Bankshares is sponsoring our Remember Station. We're also finalizing in-kind support from local businesses, and we can't wait to introduce them soon!
Join us
When: Saturday, December 5, 2026, 12:00–1:30 p.m.
Where: Gwinnett Community Resource Center at Bethany Church Road, 3025 Bethany Church Rd, Snellville, GA 30039
Cost: Free and open to all ages
Registration: Details coming soon. Stay tuned!
Gather your little explorers and come discover the story of chocolate with us. We'll see you December 5!
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