More than 40 craft chocolate makers will fill the Olympic Mills Building in Southeast Portland when the Portland Craft Chocolate Festival returns Oct. 2–4 for its second year.

The three-day event at 107 SE Washington St. brings tastings, bean-to-bar demonstrations and educational panels. New this year: a chocolate chip cookie competition with Mayor Keith Wilson on the judging panel.

The C4 Chocolate Chip Cookie Competition holds final judging Saturday, Oct. 3, at 3 p.m. Three divisions are open: Youth (ages 12 and younger), Home Bakers (ages 13 and up) and Professional Bakers. Entry is free, and each competitor receives a Saturday festival ticket, according to the festival's website.

Bakers must register online by Tuesday, Sept. 15, and deliver one dozen cookies to Ranger Chocolate Co. at the Olympic Mills Building on Friday, Oct. 2, between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Wilson joins a panel that includes Ranger Chocolate Co. founder George Domurot, Dillon DeBauche, owner of Little T American Baker, Jesse Schumann, co-owner of Sea Wolf bakery, Jessica Lesh Koehler, general manager of The Meadow, Morning Stampede host Mallory Santic of 98.7 The Bull and Yvonne Smoker, a food-industry liaison at Prosper Portland.

Domurot created the festival and co-founded Ranger Chocolate Co. in 2013 with David Beanland. The bean-to-bar maker moved into the Olympic Mills Building in March 2025, more than doubling its production capacity, Hoodline reported, citing The Chocolate Professor. The added space allowed Ranger to begin hosting factory tours and launch the festival.

The inaugural event in October 2025 drew nearly 2,000 attendees and more than 30 exhibitors from across the Pacific Northwest, according to a post-event release from Ranger Chocolate Co. This year's edition expands to more than 40 exhibitors.

Ranger enters the 2026 festival with recent recognition. The company was named one of 15 Makers and Manufacturers of the Year by the Portland Business Journal and earned two bronze medals at the International Chocolate Awards Americas competition for its Aguada dark chocolate bar and Root Beer Bonbon, Hoodline reported.

The festival schedule runs Friday, Oct. 2, from 5 to 7 p.m. for a VIP kickoff; Saturday, Oct. 3, and Sunday, Oct. 4, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the main market. A single-day general admission ticket costs $35. A weekend pass is $65, and a VIP pass is $100. Tickets are available at pdxccf.com.

Upcoming around Portland: The Portland Writers Picnic honors co-founder Steve Arndt on Sunday, Sept. 13. AMP's expanded youth center in North Portland hosts community events through the fall.