World Chocolate Day may have fallen on July 7, 2026, but for chocolate-loving, tablea-loving Cebuanos, the celebration doesn’t end there.
The festivities continue through July 12 at SM Seaside City Cebu’s Chocolate Fest at the Mountain Wing Atrium, where a simple passport (choco crawl card) becomes an invitation to explore Cebu’s growing community of chocolatiers, cafés, bakers and homegrown entrepreneurs. Instead of simply hopping from booth to booth, visitors collect stamps while meeting the people behind the products, hearing their stories and discovering the many ways chocolate can bring local businesses together.
First stop: Learning chocolate from the source
Before the public filled the atrium, Chef Grace Aquino of Dahlia Chocolates welcomed guests to a guided chocolate appreciation session that peeled back the layers of what goes into every bite.
Aquino shared how she fell in love with Cebu’s cacao industry and the farmers behind it, pointing out that while many countries are globally recognized for chocolate, not all of them actually grow cacao.
‘‘We have cacao here,’’ Aquino said. ‘‘We’re just not known because we lack knowledge, and we need to continue training our farmers.’’
The tasting became a mini masterclass in chocolate. Guests compared compound chocolate, which contains less cocoa butter and has a firmer bite, with couverture chocolate that’s richer in cocoa butter, giving it a smoother, creamier melt. They also sampled single-origin chocolates, including Auro and Dahlia’s own couverture, whose caramel-like notes offered a glimpse into how terroir influences flavor.
Greeting guests near the entrance is Dahlia’s, one of the first booths visitors will encounter, offering locally made tablea, cacao tea and other treats that celebrate Cebu’s rich cacao heritage.
Le Chata
One of the festival’s newer discoveries is Le Chata, a Cebu pop-up introducing horchata through a distinctly local lens.
Its Chocolate Fest-exclusive lineup includes Chocochata, which blends horchata and tablea; Mocha, combining horchata, tablea and coffee; and Chocoberry, which pairs tablea with strawberry.
Only four months into business, the team said joining Chocolate Fest marks their first opportunity to showcase the brand inside a mall.
Because horchata remains unfamiliar to many Filipinos, visitors often ask what it is before taking their first sip.
‘‘Once they learn it’s rice-based, they become curious,’’ said one of the owners, Leeann Baguia. ‘‘People really want to try something new.’’
By adding local tablea to the traditional Mexican drink, Le Chata hopes to introduce horchata to Cebu’s growing café and beverage scene while giving people something familiar yet different.
Token Yarn
Token Yarn offers 3D-printed toys, personalized chunky letter keychains and satisfying fidget clickers that quickly became favorites among children and curious adults alike. Booth owners Tom Vailoces and Apple Nuñez are also on hand to guide visitors through interactive activities, from building their own fidget clickers to choosing colors and designs for personalized chunky letter keychains. Beyond the customizable keepsakes, the booth also showcases handcrafted yarn bags that are as sturdy as they are stylish, proving that local craftsmanship has a place alongside the festival’s sweet offerings.
Ice Ice Baby
Ice Ice Baby serves fried ice cream in crowd-favorite flavors like Oreo and KitKat, pairing a crispy shell with a cold, creamy center. Having only launched this year, the team joined Chocolate Fest to introduce themselves to a wider audience while experimenting with flavors inspired by the celebration.
PLWN Chocolate
For those who have been seeing Dubai chocolate all over social media, PLWN Chocolate brings the trend to the festival.
Its versions come in dark, white and Biscoff-inspired flavors, giving visitors a chance to try one of today’s most talked-about chocolate treats while supporting a local business.
Oh Nata x Tsoko
Few pairings feel more comforting than warm tablea and creamy custard.
Oh Nata x Tsoko brings together two well-loved favorites by serving rich chocolate drinks alongside Portuguese-inspired egg tarts, creating a stop where local flavors meet global influences.
Say Cheese
Say Cheese continues to delight visitors with its signature cheese pulls, but Chocolate Fest gives the brand another chance to shine.
Alongside its cheesy favorites is its take on the viral Dubai chocolate-inspired dessert, blending stretchy indulgence with one of this year’s biggest dessert trends.
More booths, more stories
Beyond the featured stops are even more local names waiting to be discovered such as Celso’s Crib, Elias Home Kitchen, Overly Coconutti, Pina Cressant Phils and more. Cafés, home bakers, dessert makers and small businesses each bring their own interpretation of chocolate. Families, friends and aspiring bakers can also join the Cebu Choco Cake Lab on July 11 at 4 p.m. to decorate their own bento cakes and take home their sweet creations.
Some booths introduce products visitors may have never encountered before, while others put fresh spins on familiar favorites. Together, they create an atmosphere where small businesses don’t compete for attention as much as they share a space to showcase their craft, exchange stories and connect with new customers. That sense of community is what ties the Chocolate Fest together.