* Denotes Program with Off-Site Potential
Contact our Historic Outreach & Programs Manager regarding programs, collaborations, & partnerships.
Upcoming Events
2021
Because of the ongoing public health emergency, we've paused in person programming at Shane Confectionery since March 2020. If your interested in virtual tastings or tours with us, reach out to our Programs Manager, Laurel, at Laurel@FranklinFountain.com.
Please check back for more in person programming in September 2021.
2020
Virtual Tour of Shane Confectionery While we may not be open for our in person tours, we will walk you through our historic shop and give context to Philadelphia's 19th century moniker of Confectionery Capital of the Country.
Virtual Beer & Chocolate Pairing (Partnership with Home Brewed Events) Learn about the history and craft of chocolate and beer making, then let experts pair delicious three chocolates and beer.
Virtual Clear Toy Making Workshop Join of confectioner for a live virtual workshop that will teach you how to make historic clear toy candy in your own home. Order a kit from our shop, and follow along as you prepare the vintage molds, cook the sugar, and cast the candy.
Virtual Chocolate Tasting Enjoy a chocolate tasting with friends & family from the comfort of your own home! Order a chocolate tasting kit from our shop. Once you receive you kit, you can sign up for a live tasting, held on a bi-weekly basis, with our expert. Learn the history and process of chocolate making, and taste three single origin varieties.
2019
Decorate Your Own Buttercream Egg This Easter, hop on over to Shane Confectionery to decorate your own classic buttercream egg, all while learning tips and tricks from our confectioner!
Licorice Tasting & Talk Licorice lovers rejoice! Those with the dark and bitter palate are welcomed into Shane’s kitchen for a one night only exploration of America’s most divisive candy. Among kindred spirits, taste a dozen varieties of domestic and imported black licorice confections and learn about their unique histories!
Craft Tea & Chocolate Pairing (partnership with Alexis Simeons of Teaspoons & Petals) Join us for a cuppa to gain insight into healthful and indulgent combinations of fragrant teas, rich cacao, and decadent chocolate this Valentine’s season. Indulge in a little self-care while learning tips and tricks from Tea Consultant Alexis Siemons of Teaspoons and Petals and Chocolate Maker Kevin Paschall when they combine our two favorite pick-me-ups: Chocolate and Tea. From unexpected pairings, to tea & cacao steeps, and indulgent lattes, we’ll cover three dairy-free combinations that you can incorporate into your lifestyle. Explore your own palate as well as the historic rituals associated with cacao and tea while you sip and relish unique creations.
Local Cheese & Craft Chocolate Pairing (partnership with Alex Jones of Collective Creamery)This Mother's Day, join Shane Confectionery in their historic candy kitchen to enjoy a guided pairing of local cheese and bean-to-bar chocolate. Lead by head chocolate maker Kevin Paschall and cheese expert Alex Jones of Collective Creamery, guests will learn about craft of cheese and chocolate making while tasting a variety of high-quality, hyper-local pieces. The cheeses and chocolates have been carefully chosen to delight the taste buds and captivate the palate.
Craft Chocolate Overload Workshop & Tasting (partnership with Morris Arboretum) This class, led by Shane Confectionery’s Head Chocolate Maker, will trace the human consumption of cacao from the ancient Mayans to modern chocolate while exploring the history of cacao farming, harvesting, and brewing. You will have the chance to taste a 17th century recipe from Antonio Colminero de Ledesma's Chocolate: or, An Indian Drinke with ground cacao nibs and historical botanicals. You will also be guided on a chocolate tasting involving three varieties of chocolate made in Shane Confectionery's Chocolate Works. (May 5th 2019 at 1pm)
Botanical Cough Drop Demo at Door 19 (partnership with the Academy of Natural Sciences “Door 19: Traditional Medicinals program)
Historic Root Beer Workshop Join the Franklin Fountain for an effervescent evening with historical botanicals and refreshing Root Beer! In this tasting and workshop, you'll learn about the production and origin of this timeless beverage, as well as the various botanicals used to make it. All the while, you'll be mixing up your very own personalized drink. (Fri. July 12 at 6:30p)
HOW ARE YOU, IMPOSTERS! Tracing & Tasting the Origins of the Ice Cream Soda, Pt. 2 (partnership with Atlas Obscura Philadelphia) Join The Franklin Fountain and Shane Confectionery for a sweet reprise of a unique talk by their archivist, Laurel Burmeister. Using a curious and bombastic Philadelphia broadside from the 19th century, visitors will wade into the murky history of the ice cream soda, while investigating turn of the century fountain culture–fraught with professional rivalries, grandiose self-promotion, and a healthy fear of ice. Guests will also get a chance to taste two traditional ice cream sodas, all in the historic kitchens of America's oldest continuously operating confectionery.
Drop Roller Demo at Community Day (partnership with the Free Library of Philadelphia for their "Five Senses" Exhibit
*Soda-Pharma: Fountain Flavors from the Dawn of the Pharmaceutical Age Talk & Taste (partnership with the Historic Foodways Society of the Delaware Valley) The Franklin Fountain & Shane Confectionery’s archivist, Laurel Burmeister, will discuss how the earliest adopters of soda fountain, pharmacists, interpreted and served drinks. Using turn of the century receipt books as inspiration, the Franklin Fountain will serve historic and surprising flavors from the past in Shane Confectionery’s kitchen.
Alternative Sugars Workshop Visitors are invited to learn about and taste a variety of sweeteners used throughout history, and explore humanity’s never-ending quest to find alternatives.
2018
Cacao Whiskey Release Party (partnership with New Liberty Distillery) Join New Liberty Distillery & Shane Confectionery in celebrating the release of our delicious collaboration! Master Distiller Rob Cassell and Chocolate Maker Kevin Paschall will be discussing their Cacao Whiskey, a collaborative creation that has been three years in the making. New Liberty’s pot distilled, malted barley whiskey is blended beautifully with Shane’s cocoa nibs, which have notes of black walnut and red fruit. Sample this limited batch whiskey on its own and in a specialty cocktail, and taste complementary single origin chocolates. Meanwhile, learn about craft chocolate making and spirit distilling in Philadelphia.
Milk & Cookies Tasting Join co-owner Eric Berley and Chef Daphne Macias for a unique & relevant holiday program! Learn about and taste a surprising variety of milks, derived from both plants and animals. Six milks will be paired with complementary and harmonious baked goods, made in-house by Daphne.
Clear Toy Candy Workshop Join Shane Confectionery in our historic candy kitchen for a hands-on exploration of Victorian clear toy and hard candy. Throughout the evening, guests will make candy using 19th-century candy molds! Attendees will learn about the art form, and create their own clear toy candy sculptures—all in the kitchen of America's oldest confectionery.
Sweet Hereafter: Confections for the Afterlife (3rd annual Shane Halloween Haunt) A delicious & immersive storytelling experience presented by Shane Confectionery Travel through the veil to experience a confectionery tour of the afterlife! Don your blackest clothes, tuck in your handkerchief, and step through the veil to join Shane Confectionery for their annual haunting event. Sweet Hereafter: Confections for the Afterlife will guide visitors through America’s oldest confectionery, exploring life, death, and beyond. Learn about death rituals in America and taste sweet interpretations of the practices.
*HOW ARE YOU, IMPOSTERS! Tracing the Origins of the Ice Cream Soda Talk (partnership with Archives Month Philadelphia, “Archives Month Takes over Nerd Nite”) Using a curious and bombastic Philadelphia broadside from the 19th century, Shane’s archivist, Laurel, will wade into the murky history of the ice cream soda, while investigating turn of the century fountain culture--fraught with professional rivalries, grandiose self-promotion, and a healthy fear of ice.
*Temperance in the Soda Fountain Tasting (partnership with the Free Library of Philadelphia & the Culinary Literacy Center) Explore the Golden Age of the American soda fountain and ice cream parlor with Shane Confectionery & The Franklin Fountain. Check out their collections to learn why this aspect of American culture coincided with the Temperance Movement, and sample three popular turn of the century fountain drinks based on receipt books in their collection.
Botanical Cocoa Tea Workshop (partnership with the Free Library of Philadelphia and the Culinary Literacy Center) Shane Confectionery’s Chocolate Maker will discuss historical chocolate and traditional American recipes, which were often flavored with local roots, flowers, and only occasionally sweetened with ingredients like licorice. You’ll learn to grind and steep cocoa nibs and create a few varieties of cocoa tea, using ingredients that would have been used centuries ago in the Americas. After, you’ll create their own cocoa tea mixture with cocoa nibs and historical botanicals.
Victorian Candy Making Workshop (partnership with Atlas Obscura) Join Atlas Obscura Society Philadelphia for a visit to Shane Confectionery's historic candy kitchen for a hands-on exploration of Victorian clear toy and hard candy. Throughout the evening, guests will make a variety of candy using 19th-century equipment, molds, techniques, and herbal flavors! Attendees will learn about candy and medicine’s intertwined past, crank a 19th century drop roller, and create their own clear toy candy sculptures and cough drops—all in the kitchen of America's oldest confectionery.
Sweet Peek of Shane Confectionery (partnership with Atlas Obscura) Join Atlas Obscura at Shane Confectionery, where we’ll explore the oldest continuously operating confectionery in the United States. We will also be opening their archives to the public, offering a unique, curated look into turn-of-the-century collections which shed light on the history of ice cream, confections, and chocolate in America.
Death by Chocolate Ice Cream Social Join us for a decadent ice cream social like you’ve never experienced. Featuring a variety of small batch chocolate ice creams, made with craft, bean-to-bar chocolate from Shane Chocolate Works, you’ll have access to single origin flavors and unique toppings. Our chocolate maker will be on hand to talk about his craft and the chocolate you’ll be tasting.
Taffy Pull Butter up your hands and bring a friend to pull taffy over candy and conversation. Participate in an Old-Fashioned Taffy Pull in Shane Confectionery's historic kitchen! Our confectioner will cook up batches of taffy and teach tips and tricks to getting the perfect bite. Nibble on your taffy creations while learning about the history of taffy pulls.
*Hand Crafted Root Beer Workshop (partnership with the Clay Studio) Join us for an effervescent evening of Root Beer tasting! In this tasting, you’ll learn about the history, production, and origin of this timeless beverage while the folks from the Franklin Fountain create a historic root tea. Explore the botanicals in early recipes, and make your own house-made Root Beer.
Local Chocolate, Cheese, & Honey Workshop (partnership with Philadelphia Bee Co. Don Shump) Join Shane Confectionery's own Chocolate Maker & Philadelphia Bee Co. beekeeper Don Shump for a tasting that will pair a sumptuous variety of local chocolates, honey, and cheeses.
Chocolate Cocktails Workshop (partnership with the Alchemists Society) Join us for a special Craft Cocktail & Chocolate Workshop, created in collaboration with our friends at the Alchemist Society! During this libatious & educational class, you'll make four historic cocktails using local spirits, and pair them with a variety of hand-crafted Shane chocolates. You'll leave tipsy with cocoa facts and your newfound ability to create unique cocktails!
Decorate Your Own Buttercream Egg This Easter, hop on over to Shane Confectionery to decorate your own classic buttercream egg, all while learning tips and tricks from our confectioner!
Love Potions Workshop Enroll in a special Potions Class this Valentine's Day as Shane Confectionery and The Franklin Fountain point their arrows at both lovers and lonely hearts alike. Students will learn the intertwining history of soda fountains, aphrodisiacs, medicine, and magical plants, and then be given the tools to mix up their own potions meant to inspire love. Each potion will be a sweet soda syrup as unique as its creator, students will be encouraged to mix flavors by both taste and magical implication. Come thirsty to sip sample sodas as you prepare your perfect potion.
2017
Handcrafted Drinking Chocolate Tasting (partnership with the The Clay Studio) Warm up this winter with a drinking chocolate tasting. Kevin Paschall, Chocolate Maker at Franklin Fountain and Shane Confectionery, will bring some of his luxuriously rich drinking chocolates for all to discover and sip on. Learn about the tradition of chocolate making and the different varieties used.
Molded Cookie Presentation (partnership with the Center for Art in Wood and Elfreth’s Alley) Jump into the holiday season with Shane Confectionery’s historic German Springerle Cookie Molds hosted by Elfreth’s Alley and The Center. While sipping on hot cider enjoy a presentation by Shane’s Co-owner and Historic Confectionery expert Ryan Berley. During the evening see a step by step process of the wood carving for the molds. For the full experience we’ll head over for a tour of the Elferth’s Alley Museum after the presentation.
Historic Gingerbread Workshop Join Shane Confectionery and the Franklin Fountain for an intimate Historic Gingerbread Making workshop! Learn about local Revolutionary War Baker Christopher Ludwick while making your own gingerbread cookies using antique cookie boards! Cozy up in the kitchen of America's oldest confectionery with Hot Toddies warmed on our copper kettles!
Historic Confectionery Window Tour (partnership with Friends of Independence National Historical Park) Join the Friends of Independence NHP along with Shane Confectionery as we host a program and tour on confectioners of Philadelphia! We will start the night at the Merchants' Exchange Building for a program on holiday traditions and to learn about a 19th century confectioner named Charles Mercier. Afterwards, participants will be led to Shane Confectionery on Market Street. (With a special stop on the way!) Here we will tour the building, learn about its history, including hearing about some of the people who worked in the space and discuss the holiday candy traditions in Philadelphia. Come join us for this sweet night of learning that will set the mood for the holidays!
Consumed: Tales from the Candy Crypt Halloween Tour (2nd annual Shane Halloween Haunt) This Halloween at Shane Confectionery, travel through time, encounter curious characters, curative candies, and frightening folklore. Over the course of your 45 minute journey, you'll be led through our shop and kitchens, and meet infamous 19th century literary authors, characters, and monsters. You'll learn about the often blurred interpretation of natural and supernatural afflictions, and the ways humans have sweetened their cures. Learn about the dangerous and beneficial, sweet and bitter history of candy and medicine. Guests will walk away with a bounty of delicious candy, everything from a Dark and Stormy Bon-Bon to an unsettling dose of Hair of the Dog.
Make Your Own Schultüte First documented in 1810, the schultüte, or “school cone,” is a paper or cardboard cone filled with candies, toys, and school supplies and presented to a child on their first day of school in Germany. This Labor Day Weekend, children and adults alike are welcome to Shane Confectionery to decorate their own paper cone in the 200+ year old German tradition! After decorating it, fill your schultüte with with ½ lb. of your favorite penny candies in celebration of the upcoming school year!
War & Candy Tour Join Shane Confectionery as we mark the centennial of the United States' entry into WWI. Explore our historic shop and candy kitchen, and discover the antique equipment still in use today. Learn about the history of chocolate and candy during wartime and taste our delicate craft in action!
Philly History Quizzo (partnership with Art in the Age)Test your Philadelphia history prowess while sipping complimentary cocktails from Art in the Age's Colonial Spirits! Win handcrafted chocolate from Shane Confectionery, and gift certificates to the Franklin Fountain! This is your moment to shine!
Mother’s Day Tour & Chocolate Tasting Join us on Mother's Day for a tour of America's Oldest Confectionery followed by a unique bean-to-bar chocolate tasting, lead by our head Chocolate Maker. Explore our historic shop, and learn the the art of chocolate making and tasting with your loved ones! Space is limited, reserve early!
Cocktails and Confections with Dolley Todd Madison (partnership with the Friends of Independence National Historic Park and City Tavern) Join the Franklin Fountain and City Tavern to enjoy sweet treats and tasty drinks while learning about Dolley’s connection to ice cream and her fabulous pastries. The Franklin Fountain will be demonstrating the use of 19th century ice cream molds and discussing early American ice cream consumption while City Tavern chefs demonstrate how to make Dolley’s “Fairy Butter.”
Children’s Top Your Own Chocolate Bar Learn about the history of Shane Confectionery, chocolate making, then top your own chocolate bar. (Suggested ages 7-11, min. 6, max 10 guests)
Honey, Chocolate, & Meade Tasting Shane Confectionery and Philadelphia Bee Co. are partnering to bring you a tasting of Honey, Dark Chocolate, and Mead just in time for the Philadelphia Honey Festival! Compare four local honeys and four bean to bar chocolates, indulge in a collaborative Honey Bon Bon, & sample Local Meads. Lead by Don Shump, Owner of Philadelphia Bee Co., and Kevin Paschall, Head Chocolate Maker at Shane Confectionery.
*Spoonful of Sugar: Candy Medicine Talk & Taste Join us in our historic candy kitchen to learn about candy and medicine’s intertwined past! A talk with our archivist will be followed by a hands-on drop roller demonstration on antique machines and tasting of cough drops made with historic flavors.
Sweets and Hearts: Valentine’s Desserts with a Side of History Bring your Valentine, and taste buds, to Shane Confectionery's historic candy kitchen for a delicious exploration into the history of sweetness and love. Share a sundae made with 19th century ice cream moulds, drink chocolate crafted with aphrodisiacs, and take home hand-made bonbons inspired by Victorian Floriography!
Winter Holiday History Tour This Holiday season, join Shane Confectionery for a tour of our shops and kitchens. Explore the history of your favorite Christmas and Hanukkah treats and learn about 19th century holiday practices.
Recurring Events
“Recurring Events” have proven to be so successful, we often host them on a semi-regularly basis. Check our events calendar or sign up for our e-mail reminders to learn when new programs are announced.
Shane Confectionery Traditional Silver Tour (Most Fridays at 6:30p) Tour the oldest continuously run confectionery in America, available Fridays at 6:30pm. Explore our historic shop and candy kitchen, and discover the antique equipment still in use today. Learn about the history of candy and chocolate in America, and taste our delicate craft in action.
*Shane Chocolate Works Tasting & Talk (Offered monthly on 1st Wednesday at 6:30p) On a monthly basis, Shane Confectionery is opening their Chocolate Works to the public for an intimate chocolate tasting with our makers. The tastings are centered around Shane's Chocolate Works program, which crafts chocolate from the bean, and creates single-origin pieces that highlight regional tastes specific to the environment the cocoa was grown in. During the ~1 hr. tasting, Shane's Chocolate Maker will guide up to eight guests through his single-origin pieces, exploring different flavor notes and idiosyncrasies. Join us in our Chocolate Works kitchen to learn about cacao cultivation and process, as well as the history and craft of chocolate!
*Spoonful of Sugar: Drop Roller & Candy Medicine Workshop Join us in our historic candy kitchen to learn about candy and medicine’s intertwined past! A talk with our archivist will be followed by a hands-on drop roller demonstration on antique machines and tasting of cough drops made with historic flavors.
Victorian Clear Toy Candy Workshop (Fall/Winter dates only.) Join Shane Confectionery in our historic candy kitchen for a hands-on exploration of Victorian clear toy and hard candy. Throughout the evening, guests will make a candy using 19th-century candy molds! Attendees will learn about the art form, and create their own clear toy candy sculptures—all in the kitchen of America's oldest confectionery.
Historic Gingerbread Workshop (Winter dates only.) Join Shane Confectionery and the Franklin Fountain for an intimate Historic Gingerbread Making workshop! Learn about local Revolutionary War Baker Christopher Ludwick while making your own gingerbread cookies using antique cookie boards! Cozy up in the kitchen of America's oldest confectionery with Hot Toddies warmed on our copper kettles!
*American Chocolate and Cacao Brewing Workshop This class will trace the human consumption of cacao from the ancient Mayans to modern chocolate while exploring the history of cacao farming, harvesting, and brewing. You will have the chance to produce your own interpretation of a 17th century recipe from Antonio Colminero de Ledesma's Chocolate: or, An Indian Drinke with ground cacao nibs and historical botanicals.
Shane Confectionery Halloween Haunts (October dates only.) Since 2016, Shane Confectionery has hosted a spooky and educational tour that explores a different topic from the history of death and the supernatural, and how it intersects with food and confections.
Sweet Hereafter: Confections for the Afterlife (2018) A delicious & immersive storytelling experience presented by Shane Confectionery Travel through the veil to experience a confectionery tour of the afterlife! Don your blackest clothes, tuck in your handkerchief, and step through the veil to join Shane Confectionery for their annual haunting event. Sweet Hereafter: Confections for the Afterlife will guide visitors through America’s oldest confectionery, exploring life, death, and beyond. Learn about death rituals in America and taste sweet interpretations of the practices.
Consumed: Tales from the Candy Crypt Halloween Tour (2017) This Halloween at Shane Confectionery, travel through time, encounter curious characters, curative candies, and frightening folklore. Over the course of your 45 minute journey, you'll be led through our shop and kitchens, and meet infamous 19th century literary authors, characters, and monsters. You'll learn about the often blurred interpretation of natural and supernatural afflictions, and the ways humans have sweetened their cures. Learn about the dangerous and beneficial, sweet and bitter history of candy and medicine. Guests will walk away with a bounty of delicious candy, everything from a Dark and Stormy Bon-Bon to an unsettling dose of Hair of the Dog.
Haunted Tour at Shane Confectionery (2016) Boo! Shane Confectionery is hosting Haunted Tour for four nights! Collect curious candies, hair-raising histories, and spectral stories on this historic tour through America's oldest continuously operated confectionery. The spooky, delicious, and educational exploration will focus on the dark passages found in Shane’s, Philadelphia, confectionery, and chocolate history.