From fudge to hot cocoa, vendors and attendees come together to celebrate all things chocolate
By PIPER AWEEKA — city@theaggie.org
At 2 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 1, a line of chocolate enthusiasts trailed from the front doors of the downtown Davis Odd Fellows Lodge. Once inside, scents of cocoa confectionery and the booming accordion of the local band According to Bazooka filled the air.
Established in 1870, the Davis Odd Fellows Lodge has hosted many of the organization’s charitable gatherings. With all ticket proceeds going toward funding children’s programs, the 2026 Odd Fellows Chocolate Festival marks the seventh annual year of celebration.
Juelie Roggli, appointed secretary for the Odd Fellows, co-hosted this year’s festival alongside her husband, Kurt Roggli. Between running up and down the Lodge’s carpeted stairs, J. Roggli highlighted the immense preparation the event required.
“Oh, we started planning this in late October,” J. Roggli said. “[T]here’s 20 of us on the committee, that’s how much it takes to put this on. Because of that, it’s probably gone more smoothly than ever.”
The lodge’s floors were filled with both returning and new chocolate vendors.
Katey McLachlan, co-owner of The Chocolate Bar Davis and Chocolate Festival first-timer, described what makes her company’s confections unique.
“We started our business last October and joined the Davis Farmers Market in November,” McLachlan said. “[Scott Dardenelle, co-owner] is the chocolatier; we do bean to bar.”
While explaining their business model, McLachlan emphasized the influence that parenting has had on her work.
“What’s better to sell than chocolate,” McLachlan said. “Scott and I have so much fun coming up with new ideas, new flavors, especially as we’re both parents. Part of our goal for this summer […] is that we’re offering kids camps. We really want to be beyond just a store.”
Other vendors, such as Love BB, were also new additions to the festival.
Nich Beebee, co-owner of the local business, was surrounded by his three children helping with the Love BB booth.
“My wife actually started this,” Beebee said. “It’s called Love BB, she’s an incredible gift-giver and she started by making lip balms […]. We love getting to know people so most of our business is at the [Davis] Farmers Market, craft market or just community events.”
Beebee shared the origin of the company’s chocolatiering success.
“We made our [hot] cocoa […] and people started wanting to buy it,” Beebee said. “Juelie [Roggli] actually purchased our cocoa before. She reached out to us and said, ‘Hey, we’d love to have you guys here.’”
- Roggli, continuing her check-ins with Odd Fellow committee members, commented on the projected success of the event prior to the day of the festival.
“Well, I think you can tell by the crowd that we sold out,” Roggli said. “It’s so inexpensive to come to this, and we’re drawing in a lot of university students, which is a great thing […]. We’d like them to know about the Odd Fellows and the things we do.”
Sophie Gelinas, a first-year biochemical engineering major, accompanied by two friends, explained how she discovered the festival.
“There were little billboard things around town,” Gelinas said. “I was walking to drop off a package and I saw [the billboards] and thought, ‘That sounds fun’ and so I invited my friends.”
Other student attendees were not so new. Carson Knox and Tatum Tamura, both fourth-year environmental science majors, explained how they found themselves at the event.
“We came last year just because we saw a ton of flyers around town,” Knox said. “We ended up entering the Cookie Bake Off Contest. We did so-so, but this year we were like, ‘Well now we have to run it back and hone our recipe.”
Upstairs, as According to Bazooka’s tunes continued to fill the room, cookie judging began. Nearby, two Davis Odd Fellows members were busy passing out striped paper bags filled with warm popcorn.
Elizabeth Lasensky, a member of the Davis Odd Fellows, smiled while highlighting the joy the Chocolate Festival has continued to bring the Davis community.
“I’ve been a member here for 10 years,” Lasensky said. “Look at all the people. People are smiling, and they’re happy, and you know what? That’s a great thing these days. If we can provide a little happiness, isn’t that great?”
Though the Davis Odd Fellows have not yet announced whether the festival will return in 2027, the organization’s online calendar is updated frequently with upcoming events.
Written by: Piper Aweeka — city@theaggie.org
