The Portland Craft Chocolate Festival is adding a baking competition to its second annual event, launching C4: the Chocolate Chip Cookie Competition on Saturday, October 3, 2026 — a free, three-division contest open to youth, home, and professional bakers across the region.
Presented by Ranger Chocolate Co., the inaugural C4 competition runs alongside the broader festival, which takes place October 2–4 at the Olympic Mills Building in Portland. Organizers say the addition reflects the festival's ambition to grow beyond a tasting showcase and engage a wider cross-section of the culinary community, from seasoned pastry professionals to kids baking their first batch.
Competition Structure
The three divisions — Youth (ages 12 and younger), Home Bakers, and Professional Bakers — each carry their own prize tier. There is no entry fee, and each participant submits one dozen cookies. Registration closes September 15, 2026. Final judging begins at 3 p.m. on October 3, with a panel that includes George Domurot, founder and CEO of Ranger Chocolate Co.; Dillon DeBauche, owner of Little T American Baker; Jesse Schumann, co-owner of Sea Wolf; Kaitlin Hansen of The Meadow; Yvonne Smoker, Food and Beverage Manufacturing Industry Liaison at Prosper Portland; and Portland Mayor Keith Wilson. Gold winners take home trophies and curated gift boxes featuring products from local makers and festival vendors; silver and bronze finishers receive trophies and surprise treats.
Festival Expansion
C4 is one of several new additions to the 2026 festival, which Domurot says returns with a significantly expanded lineup of craft chocolate makers and artisan food producers. The weekend program includes curated tastings, educational panels, interactive workshops, a Fan Favorite tasting experience, and a VIP Meet the Makers event — a format increasingly common among specialty food and beverage festivals seeking to deepen engagement with both trade attendees and consumers.
For foodservice and hospitality operators tracking craft chocolate trends, events like PDXCCF offer a concentrated look at the bean-to-bar segment, sustainable sourcing practices, and the small-batch producers gaining shelf and menu placement across independent restaurants, cafés, and specialty retail. The inclusion of professional bakers in the competition also signals the festival's intent to build tighter ties with working culinary professionals, not just enthusiasts.
Tickets and full festival details are available at pdxccf.com. Competition guidelines and registration are at pdxccf.com/chocolate-chip-cookie-competition.html.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
