Afternoon Edition: Cost of cocoa brings Easter Bunny blues

Good afternoon, Chicago. ✶

If you're celebrating Easter this year and planning to stock up on some chocolate goodies, you can expect to shell out more cash than in previous years — thanks to rising cocoa prices.

In today's newsletter, we'll look into the reason for the global rise in cocoa costs and its local impact.

Plus, we've got another update on the Cook County state's attorney race, a story on how Bad Bunny fans are dressing for his Chicago concerts and a list of five things to do this weekend and more.

⏱️: A 7-minute read

— Matt Moore, newsletter reporter (@MattKenMoore)

TODAY’S TOP STORY

Rising cocoa prices have Chicago chocolate sellers feeling the pinch

Reporting by Amy Yee

The cost of cocoa: Chocolate makers and food businesses big and small are feeling the impact of soaring global prices for cocoa — the main ingredient in chocolate — and it's also hitting consumers.

Easter bunny blues: Ahead of Easter on Sunday, prices for chocolate treats at Katherine Anne Confections in Irving Park have gone up. One truffle now costs $3.25 compared to $2.75 in 2019. A box of eight eggs or bunnies, new this year, sells for $32, about 20% more than what prices would have been in 2023, said owner Katherine Anne Duncan.

Industry impact: Blommer Chocolate Co. last week dropped a bombshell when it announced the closure of its iconic factory, citing high costs of running the original 1939 chocolate factory. But its parent company, Fuji Oil Holdings, also cited "skyrocketing cocoa prices" for the candymaker’s "extraordinary losses" in fiscal year 2023.

Global chocolate prices to rise: Cocoa futures have surged this year, roughly doubling since the start of 2024. Rising temperatures and weather conditions have stressed and damaged cocoa crops in West Africa, which produces more than 70% of the global cocoa supply. Sugar prices are also rising. Futures for a pound of sugar are up about 8% in 2024, after rising 2.7% in 2023.

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WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?

• Via Crucis draws the devout: Hundreds gathered in Pilsen on Good Friday to watch a mock crucifixion, as part of the neighborhood’s Via Crucis (Stations of the Cross) procession. The annual reenactment of Jesus Christ's final days is now in its 47th year.
• CTA bus crash: Thirteen people were taken to hospitals, including three in serious condition, after a van and CTA bus collided in Chatham Friday morning, fire officials said.
• State’s attorney race update: Clayton Harris III gained a bit of ground on Eileen O'Neill Burke in the Democratic primary for Cook County state’s attorney on Thursday — but not enough to narrow her already slim lead by much.
• After evictions: A City Council committee is demanding more details about migrants evicted from city shelters, two weeks after Mayor Brandon Johnson implemented a 60-day eviction policy. The Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights advanced an ordinance that would require more information about who is affected by the policy.
• Tate-Nadeau reappointed: After Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced the reappointment of Illinois Emergency Management Agency Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau, state senators said they want more answers from the agency head about a payroll scandal that cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.
• School board transition criticized: The transition to a partially elected Chicago Board of Education will be "chaos" and take "five years to make sense," 20th Ward Ald. Jeanette Taylor, Mayor Brandon Johnson's hand-picked Education Committee chair, warned Thursday.
• Opening Day traditions: Ahead of the White Sox' Opening Day matchup against the Tigers Thursday, we caught up with fans tailgating and celebrating the return of baseball. You can find our story here and video from the day's festivities here.
• Apartment complex gets grant: Chinatown's Archer Courts apartments will soon get new hot water and ventilation systems and rooftop solar panels, thanks to an $11 million federal grant for energy efficiency upgrades.
• Big yellow taxi: The Chicago Water Taxi is resuming seven-day service. For the first time since 2019, the water taxi will offer daily service to Ogilvie and Union stations, Michigan Avenue and Chinatown.

WEEKEND PLANS ????

???? “Force! an opera in three acts”
Friday and Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
????Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago Ave.
This performance from Anna Martine Whitehead features a live band mixing gospel, folk, pop and jazz with experimental dance, song and spoken word. 
Admission: $30+

???? Community Peace Ride
Saturday, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
????Maria Saucedo Scholastic Academy, 2850 W. 24th Blvd.
Hop on your bike for a 6-mile ride, meet some new friends, enjoy some good food and build community. 
Admission: Free

???? Spring Egg-Stravaganza
Saturday, 8 a.m. - 12 p.m.
????Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N. Clark St.
Celebrate spring at the zoo with this family-friendly event, featuring multiple egg hunt zones for kids up to 12 years old, photos with the Easter Bunny, music, carousel rides, games, learning opportunities and more. 
Admission: $25

???????? An Evening of Mariachi
Saturday, 7 p.m.
???? National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St.
Paired with the opening of the new exhibit, "Mariachi Potosino — The Sound of Home," this event will honor women in Mariachi music and feature music from Chicago's own Mariachi Sirenas.
Admission: $35

???? Amirtha Kidambi’s Elder Ones with Angel Bat Dawid
Sunday, March 31
????Constellation, 3111 N. Western Ave.
This ensemble is set to explore the boundaries of free jazz and definitions of avant-garde. Their new album, "New Monuments" serves as the jump-off point for sonic exploration. They'll be joined by prolific composer and clarinetist Angel Bat Dawid.
Admission: $15

BRIGHT ONE ✨

Bad Bunny inspires fans’ fashions as his Most Wanted tour arrives in Chicago

Reporting by Cindy Hernandez

Sandra Walker, 27, and Dane Blackwell, 31, said they tried to mesh western wear with Bad Bunny's origins in trap music.

"We were inspired by his whole cowboy vibes, but he’s also a trap artist, so I was trying to go for trap meets western," Walker said. "I love everything about him. His music, his style, the way he writes his songs, he’s so real."

Brothers Oliver Pantoja, 23, and Isaac Pantoja, 19, said they threw their outfits together after getting tickets to the show at the last minute. Both wore sunglasses — the singer is well-known for sporting many styles — and Isaac donned a cowboy hat.

"He represents a lot of underrepresented groups, and it’s cool that he welcomes a lot of them," Oliver said. "Whether you’re a person of color, gay, straight, trans. His music falls under this huge umbrella that it’s for anyone. I'm looking forward to the whole thing. We’re just really excited."

For 19-year-old Sandy Yanez, Thursday's show was her first concert ever. She wore a cowboy hat with jeweled hearts dangling from the brim.

Mother-daughter duo Teresa Mata, 57, and Carolina Mata, 24, have made seeing Bad Bunny live a tradition: Thursday's show was Teresa's third Bad Bunny concert, while Carolina has been to five.

"You’re never too old for Bad Bunny. I love everything about him," Teresa said.

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YOUR DAILY QUESTION ☕️

Cubs fans — what is one of your favorite Opening Day memories?

Email us (please include your first and last name). To see the answers to this question, check our Morning Edition newsletter. Not subscribed to Morning Edition? Sign up here so you won’t miss a thing!

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Editor: Satchel Price
Newsletter reporter: Matt Moore
Copy editor: Angie Myers