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Festive weekend ahead

Sample the holiday fun at Central Park with the annual Death by Chocolate event, the Holiday Stroll and visits with Santa.

By LORRI HELFAND
Published December 1, 2005

LARGO - Three Central Park events promise to satisfy cravings for holiday glee.

This weekend, you can sample decadent chocolate treats, roam through dazzling holiday displays and hang out with Santa.

Visitors to the 10th annual Death by Chocolate event can treat themselves to truffles that look like snowballs, brownies soaked in coffee liqueur and other chocolate goodies while helping out local children.

The event, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Largo, features chocolate desserts from about 20 of the area's top chefs, caterers and confectioners.

All of the proceeds from Death by Chocolate, the club's sole fundraiser, benefit children in and around Largo. The event raised $22,000 last year and Rotary hopes to raise $25,000 at this year's event, said Terry Moore, who was chairman of the event last year.

The event is usually packed, so event planners limited attendance to 1,000 people this time around.

Each year chefs outdo themselves. Jean Beach, vice president of Black Cat Gourmet To Go, said one of her all-time favorite chocolate displays was an edible replica of Largo Central Park with a fountain of Yoo-hoo chocolate drink. Beach, whose company has participated in the event for years, said her Kahlua fudgies will be back by popular demand.

Celebration Cakes plans to whip up chocolate cake truffles, coconut cake truffles and white-chocolate cake with raspberry filling and fudge topping. And West Bay Village's Hershey's Ice Cream will scoop out Chocolate Chaos ice cream.

Other participants include E&E Stakeout Grill, the Heron House and Sun Coast Hospital.

The Rotary's chocolate extravaganza ties into the city's signature seasonal sensation, the Holiday Stroll.

"You can come in and load up on chocolate, get all happy and go out into the park and see the lights," said Moore, who is also the city's special events coordinator.

The theme of the 11th Annual Holiday Stroll is "Around the World." The event will feature a wonderland of 250,000 lights with a sprinkling of scenes from all over the globe.

The city plans to incorporate international features and traditions into the display, and add more of them each year, Moore said.

The South of the Border area, for example, will include a light display shaped like a tropical bird and the Asian section will include a dragon display, Moore said.

An Italian singer and mariachi band will serenade strollers and holiday recipes from around the world will be distributed.

The Holiday Stroll is sponsored by Target, Publix Charities, th e St. Petersburg Times , Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Oak Manor Senior Living Community and the Optical Factory and Showroom.

The holiday wouldn't be complete without a visit to Santa. On Saturday and Sunday, kids will get a chance to share their Christmas wish with St. Nick, enjoy holiday crafts, frolic on the playground and ride the Largo Central Park railroad.

--Lorri Helfand can be reached at 445-4155 or at lorri@sptimes.com

[Last modified December 1, 2005, 01:07:16]