Holiday Haze 2020

In normal years, our holiday season is packed with off-site events that keep us scrambling to meet demand. Last year we participated in these events between September and December:

Solano Stroll

Good Food Award Mercantile

June Taylor Holiday Fair

Autumn Lights Festival

Berkeley City Club Chocolate and Coffee Faire

Renegade Fair

Dance Palace Holiday Fair

Bolinas Holiday Fair

Facebook Holiday Fair

Sipping Chocolate Giveaway at Marin Country Mart

Richmond Art Center Holiday Fair

Bedford Gallery Holiday Fair

KPFA Craneway Craft Fair

In addition to that, we hosted tastings at the shop every weekend.

This year, everything is canceled. Looking at the list, part of me feels relieved. I always secretly wished we didn’t have to do so many off site shows to make ends meet. Schlepping delicate merchandise gets more exhausting with each gray hair. But the toil was worth it to be able to have an A Team of helpers making the magic happen.

This year every day feels like a slow progression towards the apocalypse. Seasonal festivals are replaced with virtual events, sheltering in place, orange skies and hazardous air. December has been a retail juggernaut for our entire lives. We are left wondering, can we really count on it this year?

I typically base my supply orders on the previous year’s figures. But this year is as nebulous as the ominous ash cloud coating the bay. That’s why we need your help. If you know you will be giving chocolate as gifts this year, please shop our holiday pre-sale. Not only will you get a discount for getting your order in before 9/30/2020, but you will also help us paint a clearer picture of what December will look like. You will help us figure out how many supplies to order and whether we can afford to hire help this year. It’s up to all of us to decide we want Winter Magic instead of Groundhog Day for the rest of 2020.