It’s been 31 years since the first Chocolate Festival was held. In 1988, Tim and Tina Carter became the new owners of the Intervale Nordic Learning Center operating at New England Inn. The next year, Tim decided to expand the network, but he needed help. He asked local inn owners to help him get landowner permissions, develop trails, and “loan” money for an extensive trail network that connected local inns, restaurants and businesses from Intervale to North Conway. With their support, the Mount Washington Valley Ski Touring Association was formed.
To promote this new network along with the inns, restaurants and businesses involved, Tim created the first Chocolate Festival in 1989 to raise money and awareness for the venture. His idea was to have the participating businesses create chocolate concoctions to entice skiers to ski from one stop on the tour to another. A festival ticket guaranteed access to all kinds of sweet delights.
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