Chocolate obsession is just around the corner — with a Venetian Carnival, edible costumes, celebrity chefs, human candy canes, a chocolate river Styx, and, of course, a plethora of gourmet chocolates coming to Chicago this weekend.

The French Pastry School’s annual For the Love of Chocolate charity event will be held Feb. 25 from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Merchandise Mart, 222 West Merchandise Mart Plaza, Chicago.

This year’s highlights include:

• Cocoa Cusine: A complete dinner menu prepared by top celebrity chefs from Chicago, Las Vegas and California.
• Cocoa Carnival!: A Venetian Carnival will feature Venetian masks and full costumes, Venetian gondoliers, and models sporting elaborate cotton candy wigs. Guests will even receive their own Venetian mask upon entering the carnival.
• Fashion Show Carnival: Men and women models will walk down the aisle wearing elaborate edible Venetian costumes made by Chicago pastry chefs.
• Cocoa Candy Land: Human candy canes, lollipops, jelly beans and chocolate bars will dance among the guests, while cocoa cotton candy clouds drift overhead and Marie Antoinette serves chocolate cake. Guests also will be able to listen to a roaming jazz band and go to new heights along the “Milky Way”.
• Sweet as Sin: Hades will be on display as never before, with chocolate and culinary creations representing the seven deadly sins, a chocolate river Styx and concoctions of a full chocolate bar. Guests can dance the night away with a devilish DJ.

General admission tickets are $200 each and can be purchased online at www.fortheloveofchocolatefoundation.org.

Money raised from the event goes to the For the Love of Chocolate Foundation, which awards scholarships to students in the full-time programs taught by The French Pastry School at City Colleges of Chicago.

For more information about the school, visit www.frenchpastryschool.com.