When is the Los Angeles Chocolate Salon 2026?

Sunday, October 4, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. It runs as a single session, so there is no schedule to plan around, though demonstrations and talks happen at set times through the day.

Where is the Los Angeles Chocolate Salon held?

At the Pasadena Convention Center, 300 E. Green Street, Pasadena, CA 91101. The venue line is (626) 793-2122. Note that the organizers list the address as 300 Green Street with a 91109 zip, which is a mailing zip rather than the building's, so use 91101 in a map app.

Are chocolate tastings included in the Salon ticket?

Yes. Salon entry includes all chocolate tastings, along with the cooking demonstrations and the chef and author talks.

Where do you park for the Los Angeles Chocolate Salon?

On-site parking garages are available at Green Street and Marengo Avenue, with additional public lots throughout Old Pasadena. Sunday street parking in the surrounding blocks is generally free. The Convention Center is also a short walk from the Metro A Line at Memorial Park or Del Mar.

Who organizes the Los Angeles Chocolate Salon?

The International Chocolate Salon, operated by TCB Cafe Publishing and Media LLC, which also runs the Artisan Chocolate Awards naming the Best Chocolatiers and Confectioners in America each year, plus regional competitions and a Best Vegan Chocolate category.

Is the Chocolate Salon a public event or a trade show?

Both. The organizers pitch it at aficionados, buyers and journalists. It is a public tasting that also works as a trade floor, so the people behind the tables are often the makers themselves.

How much are Los Angeles Chocolate Salon tickets?

Adult admission is $22.50 in advance or $25 at the door, with door tickets limited in quantity. Children 6 to 12 are $10, and children under 6 are free for up to two per adult, with each additional child under 6 at $10. All tastings, presentations and events are included with entry.

How do I pick up advance Chocolate Salon tickets?

Bring your ticket confirmation sheet and a photo ID to Will Call. Tickets are issued under the purchaser's name only, so if you bought more than one, every attendee must be present at Will Call to collect them. Each ticket is good for one day at the Salon.

The Los Angeles Chocolate Salon Returns to Pasadena October 4 for Its 18th Year

Q: Which chocolate makers attend the LA Chocolate Salon?

The roster is curated by the organizers rather than open. Recent lists have included Mignon Chocolate, Letterpress Chocolate, Amano Artisan Chocolate, Truffles N Toffee, Kate's Single Batch Toffee, VeneCacao, COBA, Cocotutti and Blue Canary Sweets, alongside beverage vendors and authors.

Aug 15
5 min read

Eighteen years of artisan chocolate, one Sunday afternoon, and every tasting included in the price of entry.

The Los Angeles Chocolate Salon and Festival returns on Sunday, October 4, 2026, running 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Pasadena Center. It is the 18th edition of what the organizers call the original and premier artisan chocolate show in Southern California.

What entry covers

Salon entry includes all chocolate tastings, which is the detail worth confirming before you buy, along with the demonstrations and talks. Beyond sampling, the day runs cooking demonstrations, chef and author talks, and ongoing interviews filmed on the floor by TasteTV's Chocolate Television program.

The vendor roster is curated rather than open, selected by the organizers, and has historically spanned master chocolatiers, confectioners and other culinary artisans. Past participants have included Amano Artisan Chocolate, Letterpress Chocolate, Mignon Chocolate, Venecacao Chocolateria, Phillip Ashley Chocolates, Codinha Chocolate, Truffles N Toffee and Melting Pot Candy.

The awards behind the event

The part most attendees miss is that the Salon is the public face of a judging operation. The same organization runs the Artisan Chocolate Awards, which name the Best Chocolatiers and Confectioners in America each year across dozens of categories, from best dark chocolate and best truffle to best caramels and best packaging. There are regional award competitions as well, and a dedicated Best Vegan Chocolate category that has grown considerably.

That matters for how you walk the floor. Many of the makers pouring samples on October 4 are carrying award recognition from those competitions, so the tables are not a random assortment. If you want a shortcut, read the current winners list before you go and mark the names you want to find.

Who it is actually for

The organizers pitch the Salon at four groups: chocolate aficionados, outright fanatics, buyers and journalists. That mix is worth knowing. It is a public tasting event, but it also functions as a trade floor, which means the people behind the tables are often the makers themselves rather than hired staff. Asking about origin, percentage or process tends to get a real answer.

A note on Letterpress

Letterpress Chocolate is worth flagging for anyone who has not come across it. It is a Los Angeles bean-to-bar maker, meaning the chocolate is produced here from sourced cacao rather than remelted from someone else's couverture. Events like this are one of the few places to taste that work side by side with a dozen other makers in a single afternoon.

Tickets and pricing

Entry covers everything on the floor. Every tasting, presentation and event is included in the ticket price, so there is no per-sample charge and no separate fee for the demos or talks.

Adults, advance purchase: $22.50
Adults at the door: $25, limited quantity available
Children 6 to 12: $10
Children under 6: free, for up to two children per adult. Each additional child under 6 is $10.

The $2.50 gap between advance and door pricing is small, but door tickets are capped, so buying ahead is the safer move. Tickets are sold through Eventbrite and linked from the Salon's ticket page.

How advance tickets work at the door

This part trips people up, so it is worth spelling out. Advance tickets are not scanned at a turnstile. You bring your ticket confirmation sheet to Will Call along with a photo ID, and the tickets are issued under the purchaser's name only.

That last detail matters if you are buying for a group. If you purchase more than one ticket, every attendee has to be present at Will Call to collect them. You cannot forward a ticket to a friend and meet them inside. Each ticket is good for one day at the Salon.

Who is on the floor

The roster runs well past chocolate bars. Alongside chocolatiers and bean-to-bar makers, the floor has included wine and beverage vendors, food experts, authors, and chef and lifestyle presenters, plus TasteTV and Chocolate Television filming throughout the day.

Recent participant lists have included Mignon Chocolate, Letterpress Chocolate, Amano Artisan Chocolate, Truffles N Toffee, Kate's Single Batch Toffee, MomYvonne's Candy Co., Brigadeiro Sprinkles, VeneCacao, Goufrais from Angelic Imports, P.O.P Candy Co., Good Karma Artisan Dark Chocolate, CAR Artisan Chocolate, Godavari and Bon Fiction, By Three Bears, COBA, Cocotutti, Rayluca, Savana Lilly, Blue Canary Sweets, alberts petit sweets, Gourmet Blends and Polar Beverages. The current lineup is posted on the participants page, which also carries a floor layout map so you can plan a route before you walk in.

A schedule of talks and presentations and a list of speakers and panelists go up closer to the date. Both are marked subject to change, so check the morning of.

Eighteen years of it

The Salon started in 2007 and has drawn more than 20,000 visitors across its run. It went on a two-year hiatus and returned in 2024, so the 2026 edition is the third since it came back. Attendees and judges vote on top picks each year, and those results are published as the Salon's annual awards, which is a useful list to read before you go.

If you go

The Salon takes place at the Pasadena Convention Center, 300 E. Green Street, Pasadena, CA 91101.

The venue's main line is (626) 793-2122. Note that the organizers list the address simply as 300 Green Street with a 91109 zip, which is a mailing zip rather than the building's, so 91101 is the one to use in a map app.

Doors run a single session from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., so there is no schedule to plan around, though demonstrations and talks happen at set times through the day. Tickets and the current participant roster are posted at LAChocolateSalon.com, and the organizers publish a newsletter for lineup updates.

Getting there is easier than most Pasadena events. The Convention Center sits between Green and Colorado, one block south of Colorado Boulevard and a short walk from the Metro A Line at Memorial Park or Del Mar. On-site parking garages are available at Green Street and Marengo Avenue, with additional public lots throughout Old Pasadena, and Sunday street parking in the surrounding blocks is generally free. Plan on a walk of a block or two on a busy weekend.

Chocolate is a fall and winter business, and the Salon sits at the front of that run. If you are the person who buys holiday gifts early, this is the efficient way to taste twenty makers before committing to any of them.

The same organization also runs San Francisco Chocolate Week from September 17 to 27, for anyone heading north before the Pasadena date.

For more of what is happening around town, browse food events in Los Angeles, catch up on Los Angeles restaurant news, or see our picks for the best food in Los Angeles.