ChocolateFest, Portland’s premier chocolate event, is taking place this weekend at the World Forestry Center’s Discovery Museum in Washington Park.

Hours for ChocolateFest 2008 are 10:00am to 5:00pm on Saturday and Sunday, February 2nd & 3rd. Visitors can experience chocolate samples, chocolate demonstrations, and chocolate talks.

The highlight of this weekend’s event is the attempt to break the record for world’s largest chocolate truffle. Local Chef Steve Gazda, who is set to open his own dessert restaurant later this year in the Pearl District, was given the responsibility of making the truffle. The target weight is 250 pounds, roughly 30 pounds more than the existing record.

ChocolateFest is free with museum admission. That’s $7.00 for adults, $6.00 for seniors, and $5.00 for children ages 3 to 18. World Forestry Center Discovery Museum members get in for no charge.

Among the other exhibitors featured on this weekend’s ChocolateFest line-up are Godiva - Washington Square, Cupcake Jones, SakeOne, and Muddy H2O.

And, if you’re wondering what chocolate has to do with the World Forestry Center, well, the answer is quite simple… Chocolate comes from the cacao tree!!!

For more information on ChocolateFest, call the World Forestry Center at 503-228-1367, or check out their website, www.worldforestrycenter.org.