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Saturday and Sunday, February 17–18, 10:30 AM–5 PM
National Mall
The story of chocolate begins with a small cacao tree rooted deep in the history of Mesoamerican culture. Learn the symbolism and history of this beloved and storied ingredient through art making and other hands-on activities at the National Museum of the American Indian.
• Create your own cacao-inspired codex book with Evelyn Orantes (Maya)
Visitors are invited to make a pre-Columbian-style codex book to fill with Mesoamerican symbols and images that represent cacao using stamps, collages, and drawings.
• Cacao-inspired mural painting with Joaquin Alejandro Newman (Yaqui/Mexica)
This interactive mural project allows visitors to collaborate with artist Joaquin Alejandro Newman to paint a mural that illustrates chocolate in Mesoamerican art.
• Blossom to beverage with Jose Reyes and family (Mixtec)
From budding blooms to ripened cacao pods to the dark liquid that forms delightful confections and beverages, learn the process of harvesting and turning cacao beans into chocolate.
1 PM each day
• Food and drink demonstration with Executive Chef Alex Strong (Taíno)
Chef Alex demonstrates her version of hot chocolate, using three different types of milk, as well as a chocolate guava bread pudding. Limited tastings to follow while supplies last, first come, first served.
Credit: Courtesy of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian
