Fairbanks home to Chocolate Bash: this sumptuous event, held April 2, draws those with a sweet tooth and love of art.

Chocolate lovers may not be the most outspoken advocacy group-their mouths, afterall, are occupied with other pursuits. It is, however, a sure bet when they get together to celebrate, the words indulgence, sumptuous and sweet are heard often and openly. Just ask anyone who has sampled the wares of the annual Chocolate Bash in Fairbanks.

"The evening is a two-and-a-half- to three hour chocolate lest," said Kerynn Fisher, communications coordinator for the University of Alaska Museum of the North. "This will be the 19th year we've done it. It has become immensely popular."

If you happen to be a chocoholic and an art lover, the annual Chocolate Bash is a rare treat indeed. There are special drinks, entertainment and wonders to see all surrounded by treats like liqueur-injected strawberries, white chocolate mousse tarts and mini-cheesecakes. Local restaurants and caterers provide the culinary delights.

All proceeds from the evening benefit the Museum Endowment Fund, which supports acquisitions, field research, exhibits and educational programs, and provides matching funds to secure outside grants for the museum. The event in the past has drawn more than 300 guests and has annually raised more than $20,000 for the endowment fund. Normally, the bash takes place inside the museum, offering indulgences for the eyes and mind as well as the palate. But since the museum has been undergoing a lengthy expansion, the bash has had to adapt.

This year, the Chocolate Bash is scheduled April 2 and will run from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Tanana Valley Campus Center under the theme "Sparkle and Shine-A Chocolate Skyline." When the new wing is opened this September, the bash will return to its home and again bring art and chocolate lovers under its roof.

"It's a great, fun evening to bring people into the galleries," Fisher said. "We can't wait to get back into the museum."

Nationally recognized architect Joan Soranno and the GDM/HGA architectural team have designed the expansion project for the Museum of the North. A second-floor art gallery will bring many of the fine arts, archaeology and ethnology collections out of storage and into public view. Museum officials said a new, 125-seat multimedia auditorium will allow them to offer enhanced presentations of Dynamic Aurora and Northern Inua. The museum also will offer expanded summer hours after the new wing opens. The new Rose Berry Alaska Art Gallery will offer ancient ivory carvings, coiled-grass baskets and other Alaska Native artworks side by side with creations from Alaska's best-loved landscape artists.

As for the bash, Fisher said it will have plenty to offer museum supporters and chocolate lovers this year. "We will have music, possibly jazz," she said. And organizers, as usual, are planning a few special treats to enliven the evening.

Tickets for the event are $50 in advance and $60 at the door. Fisher said visitors must be at least 21 years old to attend. For more information about the University of Alaska Museum of the North or the annual Chocolate Bash, contact organizers at 474-6941 or check online at www.uaf.edu/museum.