Enjoy taking classes and trying something new? Ever gone to a candle bar? Kevin and I are always down for a class — especially as adults since it typically doesn’t involve grades or pop quizzes. Over the years, we’ve done cooking classes, ceramics, wine tasting, Spanish and Portuguese classes, painting and even a weird trampolining class I found on Groupon. Don’t ask. We’re still trying to block that one out of our memory.
Oh, the ill-fated trampolining class. Yes, it felt just as ridiculous as this photo looks.
Our list of classes goes on and on — cocktail making, salsa dancing… I thought we’ve tried just about it all. That was, until I came across Wick: A Candle Bar, located in the historic San Marco neighborhood of Jacksonville, Florida. Candle making? How did I miss this and go straight to trampolining? Oh well. I guess the world will never know.
Getting ready to pour candles with my sister and my niece at Wick: A Candle Bar.
Candles make a great gift for even the pickiest of people. I mean, who doesn’t like candles and pleasant smells? Candle pouring bars are popping up in cities across the country — not just in Jacksonville. A quick Google search uncovered candle pouring shops like Stone Candles in Santa Monica, Calif., and The Candle Lab (with stores across the country including Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and others). Whether you’re looking for a Christmas gift or celebrating a special occasion, candle pouring is a fun activity that can be enjoyed by all, no matter your age or ability (trust us!). Follow us along our journey and you’ll see why.
What Exactly is a Candle Bar?
The candle pouring bar. The best seat in the house.
First thing first, candle pouring doesn’t involve the painfully slow process of dipping candles on a string into hot wax like you’d see at your local renaissance fair. Nor does it involve dipping your hands into a vat of florescent-colored wax to make a hand sculpture like at a county fair (and removing half your arm hair in the process… not that I’m speaking from personal experience!). No, candle pouring is a much classier affair. And luckily, no arms will be waxed in the process.
What Happens During Our Session at Wick: A Candle Bar Experience?
Getting the rundown from Hampton Barnes, who owns the shop with his mother.
We arrived right at 11 AM on the dot — right on time for our reservation made online. Wick recommends reservations for parties of 5 or more. We didn’t need one (for our group of 4), but I’m a super planner and wanted to ensure we got to sit together at the scent bar. Within minutes, we were given detailed instructions on how the process would work. And you better believe Kevin had MANY questions (if there is ever any doubt).
How Much Does it Cost?
Pricing is dependent on the size and style of jar that you choose. Prices range from $20-$35 with most options under $25.
How Long Does It Take to Make a Candle at Wick: A Candle Bar?
People typically spend about 30 minutes pouring their candles. But we somehow were there for nearly 1.5 hours! The first step in candle pouring is choosing the scents you enjoy best. And okay, I’ll admit. I’m super picky when it comes to picking things out — whether it’s apple picking (and finding the perfect piece of fruit) or smelling the scents from the wall of candles to pick which combo I liked best. And repeating that step, aww, a good 5 times. But they had so many scents like leather, sugar cookies and even bacon!
Who’s making a BLT? Oh wait, you just lit the candle.
Several staff members helped us on our candle pouring journey. I whittled down my list to just 5 potential scents. You see, I told you I’m picky!
Perusing the wall of candle scent options. I smelled everything at least 3 times.
My sister, on the other hand, had about 15 scents picked out (even adding in extra lines to her card!). The staff helped nudge her away from making a “Fresh Baked Bread and Autumn Leaves” combo — helping prevent any awkward moments later on back home…. Hey, who’s burning leaves in the house? And have you been baking bread, too? The staff was super helpful guiding her (I mean, us) to come up with the best scent profile possible.
My sister’s scent card. Clearly, she loved everything!
Next step: pouring the natural oils into the hot wax.
Kevin smells the oils. Luckily, these are nontoxic and won’t give you a snorting habit.
The 3 scents I selected.
Once you pick out your scents, things start moving pretty quickly. We were given labels to decorate. These would be stuck onto the bottom of the candle. I basically wrote the date and the 3 scents I picked. Kevin did the same thing (copy cat!), but drew a picture of a dog on it, too. No reason, other than he loves drawing dogs. Hey, it’s his candle. No judgement (okay, maybe a little). We were then instructed to pour the oils into the hot wax base and stir — similar to stirring a cup of tea with a spoon. And voila, that’s it! Candles take about 90 minutes to set. So in total, most people should allot about 2 hours for the entire process.
What Can We Do During the Candle Cooling Process?
View of downtown Jacksonville
We had about 90 minutes to kill before we could pick up our candles. So that could mean only one thing — a Jacksonville adventure! I had so many options and mapped out a full day itinerary. We love eating pastries and drinking coffee. So mapped out a foodie road trip for the afternoon with a stop for coffee at nearby Southern Grounds, vegan baked goods at Sweet Theory Baking Company (you need to try the cookie sandwiches and the cinnamon dough muffs). If it’s Saturday, head down to the Riverside Arts Market with live music, food trucks and free samples. You know what we love!
The packed pastry case at Sweet Theory, but what to get?
The rest of our family joined us at Sweet Pete’s, where we took a 1-hour tour of the candy factory at 4:30 PM. It’s just $5 a person and you learn about how the shop ended up taking off after appearing on CNBC’s, The Profit in 2014. At the end of the tour, you’ll get to take home a candy bar with toppings you get to choose. But the most fun part? All the Instagram-worthy backdrops throughout the store.
Kevin and I having fun at Sweet Pete’s in Jacksonville on their chocolate factory tour.
My dad gets into the action, even though he has no idea how to use Instagram!
Now it’s the kid’s turn… oh, and my dad once again. He will be on Instagram by the end of this tour I’m sure!
Okay, so clearly more than 90 minutes passed! But luckily, Wick: A Candle Bar is open pretty late (until 8 PM on Fridays/Saturdays; 7 PM Monday – Thursday and until 5 PM on Sunday). We zipped back over to pick up our candles. And we were impressed at just how great they looked and smelled. The entire scent profile changes once the wax settles, and they actually smelled even better. It was a success! Now let’s just put that trampolining class behind us. Oh Kevin, you won’t let me live that one down will you.
Looking for other fun ideas of things to do nearby in Jacksonville, Florida? Follow our 1-day itinerary through Jacksonville hitting up the best food and shops. Planning a longer vacation through the Sunshine State? Check out our top feature stories on Florida including where to find the best Cuban sandwich.
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