'Chocolate Walk' Tries to get Shoppers into Kent Stores

More than half of the 100 tickets available to Main Street Kent's new event, , have been sold since going on sale Monday.

The event, Main Street's latest effort to drive shoppers downtown, is set for May 12 from 1 p.m. 5 p.m. Participants will be have to visit several downtown businesses that day to collect their chocolate prizes.

Heather Malarcik, interim executive director of Main Street Kent, said the group plans to host the chocolate walk annually as a spring, pre-Mother's Day event.

"Other Main Street communities do it with much success, so we thought we'd give it a shot," she said. "The idea is to get people into our local businesses and raise (money) for Main Street Kent since we're a non-profit."

Tickets are $10 and proceeds benefit Main Street Kent, a non-profit organization dedicated to the revitalization of downtown Kent. Tickets are available at Off the Wagon and McKay Bricker Framing & Gallery.

Participating businesses include:

• 157 Lounge
• Dr. GreenBee
• Empire
• FJKluth Art Gallery
• McKay Bricker Framing & Gallery
• Off the Wagon
• Ohio Music
• Pita Pit
• Pufferbelly
• Taco Tonto's
• Tree City Coffee & Pastry
• Wild Earth Outfitters
• Zoupwerks