Indulge in The Chocolate Expo at Hofstra

Get ready to participate in a day filled with chocolate, sweets and fun when The Chocolate Expo comes to Hofstra University’s David S. Mack Sports & Exhibition Complex in Hempstead on April 14. The experience may have some feeling like they've won a golden ticket to Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. 

From delicious duos like chocolate-covered waffles to some odd pairings like chocolate-infused vegetables, this Long Island candy land will have you yearning for a sweet treat or daring to try an unconventional snack.

“People come ready to indulge,” says Wicked Waffles LI of Levittown owner Robert Neumann, one of the event vendors. “No one eats breakfast or lunch before arriving at the Expo. Instead, they load up on sweets. It’s mayhem for eight hours.”

Attendees should come prepared to eat and take selfies because there are plenty of Instagram-worthy foods to snap before you take a bite. Gooseberry Grove of Bayville's 16-ounce deluxe frozen hot chocolate is just one potential photo-op: It's a large shake-like treat topped with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, chocolate sprinkles with a full-size frozen hot chocolate-flavored doughnut on top ($13).

“It’s like our version of the Serendipity frozen hot chocolate from Manhattan,” says owner Bob Liebold. “They make people smile.”

For those who can't make the expo when it starts, head over at 4 p.m. when late day special entry is in effect for $13.26. 

Here are delectable treats to try and activities for the whole family to enjoy:

CHOCOLATE COVERED BACON 

The odd pairing of bacon and chocolate has become a expo favorite as Bacon Bites from Edgewater, New Jersey, brings its line of candy to Long Islanders.

“People seem to like the sweet and salty mix,” says owner Larry Rosenberg. “Plus, the bacon adds a bit of a smoke and crunch to it.”

Bacon Bites sells packs of three strips in 4-ounce boxes for $20 and come in four flavors (milk chocolate, dark chocolate, dark chocolate and peanut butter, peanut butter and milk chocolate). There are also 3-ounce bacon crunch bars, milk and dark chocolate for $10.

Kids can take a rubber mallet and participate in Bacon Bites’ “Chocolate Smash” at noon where they can break up a 19-inch, 9-pound chocolate pig. Participants will get a goodie bag of Granite State Freeze Dried Candy from New Hampshire and onlookers can sample the broken pieces of chocolate.

DESSERT WAFFLES

Wicked Waffles LI will be serving up five flavors of dessert waffles ($10 each) ranging from cannoli to Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup to rainbow cookie to cookies and cream to the churros waffle, which is served warm in quarter-wedges with a chocolate or caramel dipping sauce.

DARK CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO POPCORN

Grab a bag of gourmet popcorn (2.5 ounce, $8) like the popular flavor Dark Chocolate Espresso from Popcorn for the People, a nonprofit organization that employs adults with autism and developmental disabilities, from Piscataway, New Jersey.

“If you are a fan of cereal, it tastes like Cocoa Puffs,” says representative Steve Frank. “It’s popcorn with a purpose. Not only is the popcorn tasty but it’s for a great cause.”

Other flavors include caramel, kettle, butter, French toast and Chicago baked Cheddar.

CHOCOLATE-INFUSED BRUSSELS SPROUTS

Try a bowl of chocolate infused Brussels sprouts ($12) from An Artistic Taste of Harriman, New York, which gets dehydrated, seasoned with Mediterranean spices and cocoa powder then roasted in the oven. Each bowl is made to order and is garnished with mint yogurt, cherry grapes, vinegar, roasted walnuts and fig jam.

“It’s like a party in your mouth blending sweet, savory and sour flavors together,” says owner Andre Robinson. “There’s also a crunch to them and they are healthy.”

OAT MILK CHOCOLATE

Those who are vegan but want to enjoy chocolate can look to 7th Heaven Chocolate of Delaware, which sells five flavors of chocolate bars (3.5 oz, $6.50 each), four snack bars (1.6 oz, $3 each) or a two-pack of peanut butter cups (1.5 ounce, $3 each pack), all made with oat milk.

“We offer dairy-free chocolate that gives the experience of milk chocolate,” says manager Zvika Bendet. “When people eat chocolate, they don’t want to compromise. Our goal was to make this taste like it’s not dairy free.”

ALCOHOL-INFUSED ICE CREAM

Get some homemade premium ice cream infused with alcohol from Swizzled Desserts, run by the father-daughter team of Steve and Karli Mills from Massapequa.

The most popular flavor is Chocolate Trifecta, which contains “rich dark chocolate ice cream with chocolate chunks blended with Belgian chocolate whiskey,” says Karli, who proofs everybody as all consumers must be 21 or over (with valid ID).

Single scoop cups are $6 while double scoop cups are $10 and take out pints sell for $12.99. Other flavors include: My Godfather’s Cannoli, Raspberry Lemon Agave Sorbet, Kentucky Maple Pecan, Citrus Sunset Sorbet and Spice Island Vanilla.

ENTERTAINMENT AND ACTIVITIES

There will be a “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” reunion happening as three actors, Julie Dawn Cole (Veruca Salt), Rusty Goffe (Oompa Loompa) and Paris Themmen (Mike Teevee), from the 1971 film come together for a panel discussion at 11 a.m. as well as taking photos and signing autographs for a fee.

“None of us had any idea that the film would go on to become a cult classic,” says Themmen, 64. “It functions as a children’s film, but there’s also plenty in there for adults to enjoy so as people grow up from childhood, they look forward to watching it with their own children.”

Children can get active in the Kidz Zone where there will be face painting, balloon-twisting artists and photo-ops with “Star Wars” characters from The 501st Legion’s Empire City Garrison and Rebel Legion-Echo Base.

DJ Chef Marc Weiss, who was a winner of The Food Network’s “Cutthroat Kitchen,” will conduct demos at 1 and 3 p.m. where he will cook up his famous Chocolate-Banana Dream dessert.

“I DJ and cook at the same time,” says Weiss, of Long Beach. “I’ll pull up a volunteer from the crowd to work with me and get people out of their seats dancing. We try to keep the energy up. At the end I answer questions and hand out samples.”

By David J. Criblez

david.criblez@newsday.comDavidJCriblez

David J. Criblez is a reporter for Newsday's exploreLI, covering entertainment-related events from local music to stand-up comedy to festivals.