McLean's First Chocolate Festival Draws Thousands

Mix chocolate and a warm Sunday afternoon and you get an estimated 3,000 people attending McLean Rotary's first Chocolate Festival.

At times Sunday afternoon more than 60 people stood in line waiting to get into the McLean Community Center to attend the gooey gathering of everything chocolate including a fountain of flowing molten chocolate delight. A Rotary official estimated the size of the crow at 3,000.

"I'm overwhelmed just overjoyed," said incoming Rotary president Jan Auerbach, who created the chocolate confection that filled the community center. "I was hoping we'd get a good crowd but I never expected this many people."

McLean Rotary president Cherry Baumbusch: "We're so glad the community came by to support our service projects. This was great. We are so excited."

Here are 5 things you need to know:

1. McLean resident George Swygert and daughter Julianna, 9, attended  because "we like chocolate. I think we'll have a new annual tradition in McLean," said Swygert, who waited in line with Julianna. "There are no ballgames and people are looking for something to do."

2. Katherine Quinn with her daughter and three of her friends: "Who doesn't love chocolate. It's within walking distance for us so we just thought it was a great way to get out in the community and have some treats."

3. Andrea Carter, of Centreville came with several friends: "A chocolate festival is a great idea. Who doesn't like chocolate? Cover anything in chocolate and it's better than it was before."

4. Loan Hoang of Great Falls watched as the faces of her three young sons became smeared with gooey chocolate: "When we saw the chocolate signs, it was a no brainer. We knew it was a way to get smiles on their faces and cheeks," she laughed.

5. The Chocolate Festival was really a fundraiser to raise money for organizations supported by Rotary including: the Timber Lane Elementary School Reading Program, Homestretch, a Falls Church organization that helps the homeless, and Alternative House,