Dicover the best to chocolate and beer pairings during a presentaion at the 20th Oregon Chocolate Festival in Ashland, March 1-3. Several presentations and demonstrations from local speakers and presenters from Arizona and Washington will be offered during the three-day festival.

Organizers are bringing out all the stops for the 20th Oregon Chocolate Festival in Ashland, celebrating the sweet treat originating from the cacao tree.

From Friday, March 1, to Sunday, March 3, festival attendees will have the chance to dig their teeth into an arrangement of themed activities from chocolate brunches to a chocolate product competition with blind tastings by expert judges.

The 20th annual event will bring vendors from across the West to showcase their chocolate creations to Rogue Valley audiences.

“We’ve invited vendors from beyond Oregon and this year we have first-time vendors from Arizona, Utah, Washington state, California and Oregon,” said Karolina Lavagnino, founder of the festival and director of sales and marketing with Neuman Hotel Group.

The festival and its programs will be hosted primarily at the Ashland Hills & Suites Hotel and the Ashland Springs Hotel.

The Oregon Chocolate Festival’s vendors marketplace events will not only include more than 60 vendors selling the treat in its many varieties, but will also have five separate presentations and demonstrations from local speakers and presenters from Arizona and Washington.

The topics range from traditional methods of cacao cultivation, to chocolate and beer pairing, to the process from cacao bean to chocolate bar.

Presenter Nick Meador of Portland’s Soul Lift Cacao will demonstrate traditional cultivation techniques of ceremonial cacao — a spiritual practice used by the Mayan and Aztec peoples in ancient times — and will offer viewers the opportunity to ask questions and dig deeper into the age-old technique, Lavagnino said.

“It can be deep and very educational, so I’m looking forward to that,” Lavagnino added.

The festival will include familiar faces and first-time vendors such as Deena Branson with Branson Chocolates in Ashland attending for the 16th year and Jennifer Plitzko of Portland’s Heim Bakery coming for the first time.

“I’ll be doing some fun pastries, also different cookies featuring five different chocolates,” Plitzko said, noting her products include raspberry chocolate, white chocolate macadamia and other combinations.

Branson intends to sign up for the chocolate product competition, showcasing her single-origin treats utilizing Ecuadorian cacao.

“We are one of the few that make as large of a selection; we have truffles and creams and toffee, brittle, chocolate bars,” Branson said, adding, “It’s also nice talking to customers that I don’t get to see a lot.”

This year, the chocolate product competition will be determined by three judges with ample experience in the culinary, candy and food research fields: Angela Salvatore of the Culinary Institute of America in California’s Napa Valley; food research director Sarah Masoni of Oregon State University; and longtime candy expert and chocolatier Charlie Douglass.

The growth of the Oregon Chocolate Festival over the past two decades has been a treat to watch for Lavagnino.

“We have seen that growth in popularity and transforming from a one-day event to a three-day event with the chocolate product competition, expert presentations, the chocolate wine dinner and brunch,” Lavagnino said.

“When we started we had 14 vendors; this year we’re going to have 60,” she added.

To commemorate 20 years of chocolate festivities, organizers partnered with Oregon artist and botanical illustrator Mark Mitchell for a special piece of artwork that will be on display during the event and on festival T-shirts, tote bags and attire.

Organizers will auction off Mitchell’s painting during the chocolate festival, with 100% of proceeds going toward a local charity, according to Lavagnino.

The chocolate maker’s wine dinner sold out within a week and a half of being announced, but the festival includes a wide range of programs and activities such as two chocolate brunches, a Q-and-A with chocolate product competition judges, the Charlie’s Chocolate Run with 1-mile, 5K and 10K races and more.

For more information, visit oregonchocolatefestival.com.