There was chocolate, chocolate everywhere and quite a bit to drink.

On Saturday night, 350 people packed into the UAF Museum of the North in order to eat and drink chocolate and alcohol at the museum's annual chocolate bash.

"It's a right of passage for spring in Fairbanks," said Kerynn Fisher, the museum's communication coordinator. "It's for people who like chocolate and want a chance to get dressed up."

The bash was the 21st annual tasty fundraiser for the Museum Endowment Fund. Tickets were $50. The net profits, around $17,500, will be used to support exhibits, research and education programs.

Last year's event had a chocolate fountain with heaping tables of fruits. This year the chocolate was slightly more demure but just as delicious.

The unique architecture of the museum lent itself to strange acoustics, catching bits of conversations about anything from apartment leasing to neuroscience.The jazzy sounds of the Ron Veliz Duo echoed throughout the area.

People came attired in everything from T-shirts and denim to tuxes and glamorous evening gowns. The only people turned away at the door were guests who arrived expecting to be able to purchase tickets at the event, which was completely sold out by Wednesday.

Junior history student Emily Hemenway bought tickets in advance when she discovered the event came the weekend after she turned 21. She was disappointed by the lack of non-desert foods available, but she found a way to avoid a tummy ache.

"If I'm paying $50 for the ticket, I don't mind taking a bite and throwing the rest of it away," Hemenway said.

The event featured an infinite amount of chocolate as well as flowers and drinks donated by 25 Fairbanks businesses.

"I've been selling baked goods around town for years and I just recently opened a little restaurant," said Marty Wilson of Marty's Bakery, which donated baked goods for the bash. "I thought the exposure would be good."

The university contributed to the fundraiser as well with a table filled with delicacies created by NANA pastry chief Laura Armstrong. Another table featured chocolate and caramels entirely made by culinary arts students.

Non-local business like the Alaska Silk Pie Company and Cold Stone Creamery turned out in a different fashion, sending pies and ice cream but not representatives. The task of serving of their delicacies was left to museum volunteers and attendants like Mairi Fraser.

"We started setting up for the event on Thursday, and it's a lot of fun, but I've been working 11 hours already today," Fraser said while dishing up Cold Stone Ice Cream.

Aldona Jonaitis, director of the museum, had a table of her own at the bash called Sweet Dreams. She slaved away about a week on her delicious cakes. By the time the bash came around, Jonaitis said the smell of chocolate was enough to make her sick.

In addition to tables filled with pies, cakes, ice cream and cookies, there were coffee roasters and Coca Cola. The event also featured an endless supply of alcohol.

One of the local alcohol distributors, the Odom Company, has been involved with the chocolate bash for all 21 years.

On Saturday night, Odom donated bartenders and about $1,200 in booze at two strategically placed tables at opposite ends of the event.

"We're here to give our brands exposure, so people place orders at the event but others keep us in mind for later and grab our brands when they see them on the shelves," said Jaime Caudy, Odom's sales center manager.

Claudia Pierson, a local teacher, said she had a good time.

"It's a real fun way to give some money to the museum," she said. "It's not good for your weight but oh well."