Sweet Week to showcase chocolate, coffee scene

Inaugural event looks to draw visitors to Albuquerque ahead of the Southwest Chocolate and Coffee Fest

No one knows the chocolate making process better than Eldora Chocolate owner and founder Steve Prickett, who sources cacao beans from 35 countries, using them to make and sell fine chocolate at his shop. 

The bean-to-bar expert looks to put New Mexico chocolate on the map with the help of Sweet Week, an inaugural city-wide celebration of local sweets. The event, collaboration between the Southwest Chocolate and Coffee Fest, Edible New Mexico and Visit Albuquerque, takes place March 29 through April 6. Sweet Week aims to support local businesses and spotlight the city’s culinary offerings ahead of the 15th annual Southwest Chocolate and Coffee Fest.

“The festival traditionally always has some sort of programming... and we just came up with a concept to take some of that programming at the festival and spread it out throughout Albuquerque,” said Dean Strober, who along with his wife, Lena Armstrong-Strober, created the event. 

The week will attempt to drive traffic to businesses that want to take part in the festival but can’t, oftentimes due to staffing issues. “We ... know that people travel in from all over the country — actually all over the world — to attend the festival, and we really want them to experience so much more of Albuquerque,” he said. The festival brings in roughly 22,000 visitors annually. The couple hopes to draw festival attendees in earlier and give them more to enjoy.