Spruce's Evergreen Cocoa Trail

Spruce's Evergreen Cocoa Trail is a holiday-themed event as part of the Evergreen Festival, where local cafés and restaurants offer specialty hot chocolates and drinks to celebrate the holiday season. This year, the Evergreen Festival takes place from November 21 to December 14, 2025.

Businesses from the Downtown Halifax and Spring Garden areas are now being invited to participate in Spruce's Evergreen Cocoa Trail by offering a special hot chocolate or drink made with milk during the Festival.

NEW THIS YEAR!

Spruce is pleased to announce a partnership with Dairy Farmers of Nova Scotia and Dairy Farmers of Canada for this year’s Evergreen Cocoa Trail:

"Dairy Farmers of Nova Scotia and Dairy Farmers of Canada are proud to partner with Spruce’s Evergreen Cocoa Trail, celebrating rich, indulgent hot chocolate starting with dairy made with 100% Canadian milk. The creamiest, most delicious cups start with the best milk from our local farms."

As part of this partnership, participating businesses must use milk sourced from a Dairy Farmers of Canada member* in their hot chocolate or other hot beverages. In return, they will receive an honorarium of up to $200.00* to help cover the cost of purchasing the milk.

In addition to being featured on the Evergreen Festival website and recognized on Evergreen’s social media channels, participating businesses will receive a special Evergreen Gonk — a festive gnome to display in your business — along with Spruce-themed stickers and decals, Spruce colouring pages, and new this year, Cocoa Trail Passports. The new passport will encourage customers to collect up to five stickers from participating businesses for a chance to win a special festive prize package (more details coming soon!).

Not a restaurant or cafe? No problem! You can offer hot chocolate even just one weekend of the Evergreen Festival to participate.

Get in on the Evergreen fun with Spruce and his cocoa trail!

👉Sign up here.

*For more information about Spruce's Evergreen Cocoa Trail presented by the Dairy Farmers of Canada, read the terms and conditions below.

Terms & Conditions

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Spruce's Evergreen Cocoa Trail, presented by Dairy Farmers of Nova Scotia and Dairy Farmers of Canada and in partnership with Downtown Halifax Business Commission (DHBC), Spring Garden Area Business Association (SGABA), Build Nova Scotia, and Discover Halifax, will offer honorariums of up to $200.00 to participating businesses. This funding is intended to help participating businesses cover the cost of purchasing milk from a local Dairy Farmers of Canada member.
Participating businesses will be required to prepare their hot beverages using milk products from Dairy Farmers of Canada. Eligible drinks may include hot teas, tea lattes, hot cocoa, hot chocolate, and other hot beverages that include milk products.
Businesses participating in the Cocoa Trail agree to use Dairy Farmers of Canada products in their hot beverage offerings and to display Spruce’s Evergreen Cocoa Trail materials in their establishment. These materials will include the Cocoa Trail Passports, Spruce's colouring pages, and a festive gonk.
To receive the honorarium, participating businesses MUST be located in the Downtown Halifax and Spring Garden areas.
Businesses will be approved to participate on a first-come, first-served basis, with final approval provided at the discretion of DHBC and SGABA.
Once registered for the Cocoa Trail, businesses will be contacted by email from DHBC. They will be required to invoice DHBC for an amount of up to $200.00. The final amount awarded will be based on the number of weekends the business participates in the Cocoa Trail: $25 for one weekend, increasing incrementally up to $200 for participation across all four weekends of the Evergreen Festival. Once approved, invoices should be sent to Kimberly Dossett, Director of Finance and Operations at DHBC, at kimberly@downtownhalifax.ca.
Participation and receipt of the honorarium are contingent on the availability of funds and will be offered only while funds remain.

For more information, please contact Allana MacDonald Mills, Director of Marketing at DHBC, at allana@downtownhalifax.ca