Lineup announced for 10th Annual Alabama Chocolate Festival

Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers will headline Rainbow City's 10^th annual Alabama Chocolate Festival April 11.

The festival, will feature a Chocolate Taste-Off, a Chug-a-lug Chocolate Milk contest, an egg toss and a 5-foot chocolate fountain with dipping items.

The festival will begin at 10 a.m., with the chocolate fountain open from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. or until the chocolate is gone. All events are free.

Mayor Terry John Calhoun said the festival is expected to draw between 8,000 and 10,000. The Gatlins will perform at 6:30 p.m. Other groups performing at the festival are the Florida Boys at 12:30 p.m., Wise Choice Entertainment and Vocal Academy at 1:45 p.m., Vintage Gray at 2:30 p.m. and the JSU Steel Band at 5 p.m.

Rainbow City will be giving away chocolate. Last year the city gave away about 2,000 candy bars.

The festival's theme is a “A Decade of Chocolate,” and the winning drawing was submitted by Cole Chastain, a fourth-grader at John Jones Elementary School.

His drawing, which will be featured on T-shirts sold at the festival, has a drawing of the map of Etowah County with Rainbow City marked by a Hershey Kiss.