Wockenfuss Candies To Host 7th Annual Factory Tour, Expecting 3K Guests
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Those with a sweet tooth will have the chance to see how their favorite candies are made Saturday at Wockenfuss Candies in Baltimore.
The popular candy store will hold its seventh-annual factory tour at its location on Harford Road.
"They're just amazed at the amount of handwork involved in it," Paul Wockenfuss, President of Wockenfuss Candies, said. "It's not just an automated assembly line. The dipping machine is called an enrober, and most of the candy is put on by hand and taken off by hand."
About 2,500 people took the tour last year. Another big crowd is expected Saturday when doors open at 9 a.m.
"I'm thinking for the weather they're calling for, we could top 3,000 people," Wockenfuss said.
The tour brings people of all ages into the factory, and everyone gets a free sample.
"I love seeing all the faces," Jenn Lead, a Wockenfuss Candies employee, said. "It's really fun. From small to tall, it's great."
Wockenfuss Candies is a third-generation family business that started more than a century ago. The candy maker has stayed in the city, moving to a new factory and story on Harford Road eight years ago.
"Our number one criteria is staying in Baltimore City," Wockenfuss said. "The people of Baltimore started us and supported us, and we were determined to stay."
Wockenfuss sells 60 tons of chocolate every year. Nonpareils are the number one seller.
Follow @CBSBaltimore on Twitter and like WJZ-TV | CBS Baltimore on Facebook