Annual event brings warmth to winter
The coffee and cocoa crawl was only $15 for over 25 samples.
From the farmer’s market to the street fair, downtown Fargo always has something going on. Though each year the winter weather creates more of a problem for those who don’t want to brace the cold and freeze outside, the Coffee and Cocoa Crawl acts as the perfect solution to this problem.
Every year, local businesses across and off Broadway open their doors and offer free coffee or hot chocolate to those participating in the crawl.
For $15 per person online, attendees were guaranteed a commemorative mug, a map of all the locations and a wristband to get free samples of the coffee and cocoa. This year, there were 25 locations across downtown Fargo that participated, and some even went so far as to offer cookies or other treats in addition to the coffee and cocoa.
One thing that was surprising with the event was its setup. Initially, it would be easy to assume that the event would just include coffee shops and would be an event orientated toward time spent sitting and talking with friends. However, it turned out that more than just coffee shops participated in the event.
It was surprising to see clothing and gift shops offer coffee or cocoa to people as they window shopped. Puzzled Escape Rooms, Salon Duo, Others and Pink Thread Boutique were some of the surprising storefronts that offered coffee. Clothing store Boots & Heels and Swanson Health Products both participated by offering hot cocoa.
Some of the more memorable offerings ranged from Nutella hot chocolate offered by Twenty Below Coffee to the chocolate covered cherry hot chocolate given out by Boots & Heels, who also gave 20 percent off coupons to those in attendance.
Other samplings included gluten-free brownies from Swanson Health Products and free cookies and homemade hot chocolate from Stabo Scandinavian Imports. The Silver Lining Creamery also offered a frozen hot chocolate ice cream for people to enjoy.
The Coffee and Cocoa Crawl was a community focused event that brought focus to small businesses. Walking up and down the streets of Fargo, seeing others with the mugs matching yours, created an environment that not only had the aesthetic of the event, but also brought a sense of unity. Talking with people and business owners in passing brought the true North Dakotan spirit to the event.
The participating shops were perfectly spaced to ensure that if you got too cold walking, there was a stop nearby. A free trolley was also offered to each end of downtown as well as to the farther locations.
Not only was the crawl priced reasonably, even for college students, but it also proved to be worth the money and time spent. The Coffee and Cocoa Crawl was the perfect event for enjoying the winter weather with friends on a nice Saturday afternoon.