Visitors from far and wide are snatching up their tickets for the second annual Coupeville Chocolate Walk.

With the Whidbey News-Times and Coupeville Chamber of Commerce co-sponsoring, this year’s walk is Saturday, Feb. 11.

Tickets are nearly sold out.

The walk, an idea brought to the chamber by the News-Times, is intended to generate interest in local businesses during a traditionally slow time of year.

On the day of the walk, participants will check in at the News-Times table at the Coupeville Wharf between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. The walk is 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The News-Times contributes print and online marketing for the event, the chamber receives all of the proceeds from the advance ticket sales.

“Basically, Chocolate Walk is about supporting our local businesses,” said Lynda Eccles, the chamber’s executive director.

Participantsreceive a “very attractive box and a map, and they will go through Coupeville to the participating businesses and pick up a chocolate,” said Eccles.

“It’s fun. Their box gets really full.”

The map will also be published in the News-Times prior to the walk.

Restaurants are not stops along the walk, but some, including The Oystercatcher, are providing chocolates to be handed out elsewhere.

The Honey Bear in Coupeville and Sweet Mona’s Chocolates in Langley are providing many of the chocolatey treats for participating businesses to hand out.

“Some businesses provide their own chocolate treat,” Eccles said. “It could be in the form of a cookie, or a cupcake, or a truffle or whatever they decide to do.”

“They can sort of build up a really healthy chocolate box, which is fun.”

Last year, the first walk had 24 participating businesses and sold out before the event. This year, 26 businesses are participating and ticket holders will be collecting chocolates from the waterfront to South Main Street.

“Any money that we raise from this event goes towards tourism, it goes towards the promotion of Coupeville through our marketing,” she said. “Because the majority of our business are very tourism-related … every business benefits from tourism in some way.”

Tickets for the Chocolate Walk are $20 and are available at: The Coupeville Chamber of Commerce; 904 NW Alexander St.; Cascade Insurance at 405 S. Main St.; Whidbey Island Bank, 401 N. Main St.; and online at EventBrite.com

“It’s a little bit like a scavenger hunt, because while the map information is right in front of you, if you’re new to Coupeville, you’ve got to find these places,” Eccles said.

“This year, Penn Cove Brewing Company will be final stop, and we’re going to have the drawing in there.”