
Advancing the educational, scientific, and cultural programs of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science by raising funds and generating community support.
Chocolate Fantasy



KPMG Presents
Lights, Camera, Action:
A Red Carpet Chocolate Fantasy
The 33rd Annual Chocolate Fantasy
The 33rd Annual Chocolate Fantasy, presented by KPMG:
Saturday, March 8, 2025 from 6:00 p.m. - Midnight
at Sandia Resort & Casino.
The evening will include a welcome champagne, entertainment, a silent auction (live viewing with online bidding), a plated sit-down dinner, dancing, and of course, we can’t forget, CHOCOLATE! New Mexico's leading chocolatiers will be preparing chocolate sculptures based on the gala’s theme for our guest's visual enjoyment, along with bonbons for culinary enjoyment!
Black tie or cocktail attire is recommended.
Tickets are $250 per person, plus a processing fee, and a portion of your ticket may be tax deductible.
This gala fundraiser benefits the New Mexico Museum of Natural History Foundation, and supports our mission of advancing the educational, scientific, and cultural programs of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science.
Chocolate Fantasy sells out every year, and tickets are limited - get yours today!

Dinner Menu
Starter
California Organic Garden Greens Salad
watercress, house candied cinnamon pecans, fresh figs, goat cheese, sun-dried apricots
Prickly Pear Vinaigrette
Main
Grilled Filet Mignon Au Poivre and Buttered Lobster Tail
truffle mashed potatoes, steamed Brussels sprouts with smoked bacon
- or -
Quinoa and Roasted Baby Vegetable
Stuffed Acorn Squash
Red pepper coulis
vegetarian and vegan
Dessert
White Chocolate and Vanilla Bean Mousse
mango filling, dark cocoa sponge cake, candied lime peel
Menu created exclusively for the 33RD Annual Chocolate Fantasy by:
Executive Chef Tony Trujillo
Banquet Chef Kaitlin Lange-Armstrong
Pastry Chef Bruno Gras
Support Chocolate Fantasy
Sponsorships
Chocolate Fantasy sponsorships are available at $10,000, $7,500, $5,000, and $2,500 levels. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor for Chocolate Fantasy in 2025, please use the buttons below, or contact aeaton@naturalhistoryfoundation.org.
Donations
Donations are always welcome to help support our efforts. Please consider a contribution to the New Mexico Museum of Natural History Foundation. To donate now, use the button below.

Chocolate Fantasy Auction
The 2025 online auction will open at 4:00 p.m. MST on Friday, February 21.
A live auction will take place at Chocolate Fantasy after the silent auction closes, and will feature exclusive items which can be previewed in the online auction, but can only be bid on in-person at the event.
Diamond Dig
Your chance to win a one-carat round diamond!
Participate in the Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry Diamond Dig the night of the event for your chance to win a dazzling diamond.
Sift through sand and select your gemstone of choice. You may end up with a quartz crystal... or you may find one of three genuine diamonds! A professional jeweler will be on-hand to determine the authenticity of each gem.
Three Diamond Winners!
Grand Prize - 1.12ct Round Diamond
0.50c Marquis Diamond
0.61c Round Diamond
Diamond Dig Tickets
Diamond Dig will be a live event the evening of Chocolate Fantasy. You must be present to purchase dig chances.
$40 a chance
$60 for 2 chances
$100 for 3 chances*
*receive a complimentary specialty cocktail at the $100 level

Chocolatiers
Sculpture & Bonbons
Breadhead Bakery - Stephanie Valerio & Brian Lipps
Fram's Desserts - Michael Fram
Heavenly Chocolates - Dolores Aragon & Ali Maes
Tatsuki Hewson & Tracy Aragon
Navajo Technical University - Sheila Begay & Melvina Jones
Navajo Technical University - Walter Cloud & Lorena Giesbrecht
Cameron Owens & Monica Saavedra
Sandia Resort & Casino - Alfonso B. White, Jaden Ortiz,
Michelle Lente, Megan Vallo, and Carlos Diaz Campos
Fawn Saicawalo
Santa Fe Community College - Jack Hargraves & Sandra Nitschke
Snow Heights Productions - Austin Phillip
Sculpture Only
Ashley Briand, Tori Briand, & Stephanie Briand
Cake Ingenuity - Joe & Amber Torres
Kristine Mills & Adrienne Toubbeh
Southwest Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI) - Culinary Program
James Yoo, Eamon Quigley, & Cody Limaby
Bonbons
DebbieRae's Cakes & Treats - Yvonne Maes, Debra Maestas, and Marisa Maes
Darren Maes & Sierra Hanson
Ms. Bea's Sweet Treats - Malina Sangre, Kaylynn Gallegos, and Arienne Tenorio
Jamie Semarge, Emma Wolverton, and Myra Williams
Shamrock Foods USA - Dan Gilpatrick and Rodney Estrada
Raquela Trujillo
Joseph G. Valles
Judges

Charity Teague
Charity Teague is the owner of Charity Teague Confections in San Antonio,
Texas. She specializes in small batch, hand-painted artisan chocolate and
crafted bars. She’s an award-winning Pastry Chef and Chocolatier, attending
Culinary School in New Mexico. She’s furthered her studies with the French
Pastry School in Chicago, and Melissa Coppel Chocolate and Pastry School
in Las Vegas. She’s competed locally and nationally, winning Best Dessert
Course, People’s Choice, Best in Show, and is a two-time winner of the
Chocolate Fantasy competition.
Charity uses colorful cocoa butter to hand paint each bon bon and focuses
on using local and organic ingredients. She continues to widen the eyes of
chocolate lovers with her innovation and artful execution of her crafted
chocolate bars.

Kim Rothrock
Kim Rothrock is the East Account Manager for the Blommer Chocolate Company, who is the largest bean to bar chocolate manufacturer in North America, and the maker of Founder’s Reserve fine chocolate couvertures.
Kim has been a buyer for Balducci’s and Dean & LeLuca specialty food retailers in New York City, built a pastry & chocolate ingredient division for Chefswarehouse, a leading national specialty foodservice importer-distributor, spent four years as a consultant to a chocolate-focused marketing & innovation company, and been a key account manager with ADM Cocoa International, and Cargill Cocoa North America.
She has also been a Pastry Chef, holds a BA in Fine Arts, and is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education in NYC. She has completed professional confectionery courses at European chocolate manufacturers in France and Spain.

Paul Edward
Since he can remember as a small boy, Chef Paul Edward was involved with Chocolate and Pastry. He worked in family-run pastry shops then moved into the hotel industry, including San Francisco’s Westin St. Francis, Four Seasons Clift Hotel, and Sheraton Palace; Atlanta’s Ritz Carlton Buckhead; and Beverly Hills’ La Bel Age Hotel and Peninsula Beverly Hills.
Paul trained at various institutions in Europe and Asia and he has been invited guest faculty at many culinary facilities here in the United States.
Currently, Paul runs R&D at Chef Rubber, a manufacturer and distributor of specialty items for World Pastry Champions, Artisan Chefs and Confectioners, and consults on many new innovative products for companies throughout the world.
