VANCOUVER -- An upcoming festival offers Vancouver residents a chance to warm up while sipping a seasonal favourite: hot chocolate.

In its 10th year, the Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival started over the weekend and runs until Feb. 14.

This year's event features 44 vendors and 114 flavours. Hot chocolate enthusiasts are encouraged to visit participating locations and try the unique offerings. 

The festival also includes a social media contest. Sippers should snap a photo of their favourite drink and use #VHCFphotocontest in their caption, or tag @hotchocolatefest in their photo. 

Organizers say there are four prizes, the first of which includes $500 in gift cards from participating vendors.

Partial proceeds from the 2020 festival will go to three charities: the Downtown Eastside Women's Job Training Program, Fresh to Families and Growing Chefs. 

Along with the traditional chocolate, local coffee shops and bakeries are getting creative. The list of unique flavours includes:

  • White hot chocolate infused with black pepper and yuzu, from 1931 Gallery Bistro
  • Lavendar-infused hot chocolate, from 49th Parallel
  • 32 per cent Valrhona Dulcey blonde chocolate, warm spice and carrot whip, from Bel Cafe
  • Raw dark chocolate with "healing mushrooms and a light spice" from Buddha-full + Glow Chocolate
  • Jasmine, milk hot chocolate with grass jelly, from Cadeaux Bakery
  • 34 per cent Zephyr hot chocolate with turmeric and cinnamon, from Chez Christophe
  • Black sesame white hot chocolate and salted rosemary hot chocolate, from Eternal Abundance
  • Star Wars-inspired extra dark hot chocolate with a Darth Vader image from Gem Chocolates
  • Sarsaparilla-infused milk hot chocolate from Glenburn Soda Fountain
  • Vegan wild sage dark chocolate with mint and orange hot chocolate, from Koko Monk
  • Violet-infused white hot chocolate, from La Glace
  • Honey-lavender dark hot chocolate, from Musette Caffé
  • Dark Earl Grey hot chocolate mixed with yuzu blonde hot chocolate, from Origo Club
  • Kumquat and yuzu white hot chocolate, from Perverted Ice Cream
  • Dark chocolate with vanilla vodka, milk, chocolate sauce, scrambled cannoli shell and whipped cream, from Sciue Italian Bakery
  • Strawberry and peach schnapps hot chocolate, from Soirette Pastry Boutique
  • Saffron, honey and milk chocolate, and rose, raspberry and white hot chocolate, from Trafiq Café

Check out full menus on the Hot Chocolate Festival's website.