Visitors can have their chocolate and eat it too this weekend at the Oregon Chocolate Festival. The event offers not only an array of handmade chocolate goodies from local and statewide vendors, but seminars about the health benefits of chocolate as well.

The third annual festival will be from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, March 3-4, at the Ashland Springs Hotel, 212 E. Main St., Ashland.

Marilyn D. Moore, a certified culinary educator from Rogue Community College, will discuss the benefits of eating "good chocolate" at 12:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. "Use of Chocolate in Spa Treatments" will be presented at noon Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.

If a more hands-on experience is what you're looking for, Jeff Shepherd of Lillie Belle Farms will offer "The Art of Chocolate" at 2 p.m. Saturday. Shepherd creates original art pieces using cocoa butter paint on white chocolate "canvases" and frames them with dark chocolate. They are some of the world's most expensive chocolate bars, he says.

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"They cost from $100 to $500," Shepherd says. "They range in size from 4-by-6 inches to 11-by-14 inches.

"They're completely edible," he adds. "But why would you want to (eat them) when they are original works of art?"

Shepherd also has created a sculpture of a tree from chocolate and sugar for the show.

"It's a demonstration of my artistic craziness," he says. "Shows like this give us a chance to do fun things like the paintings and sculpture."

Shepherd is no stranger to trade shows for his craft.

"The chocolate show in New York is the big one," he says.

The Annual International Chocolate Show in New York City is a chocolate extravaganza that features more than 80 exhibitors from all over the world.

The Oregon Chocolate Festival will feature about 20 vendors with products such as fruit cordials and truffles from Lillie Belle Farms; organic chocolate bars from Dagoba; wine truffles made with local pinot noir, pinot gris and cabernet from the Euphoria Chocolate Co.; chocolate-covered Oregon pears from Southern Oregon Sales; and toffees from Cary's of Oregon. Rogue Creamery will present its chocolate-infused cheddar cheese, and Rogue Ales will offer its chocolate stout.

Paschal Winery and Eden Vale Winery of the Rogue Valley and Harris Bridge Vineyard near Philomath also will feature products at the show.

Other vendors will include Goody's of Bend, Two Brothers Food Co. and Moonstruck Chocolate of Portland, KeKau Chocolatier of Eugene, Be-Bop Biscotti of Bend, Diva Chocolates, Pete's Gourmet Confections, Cherry Country, Rogue Valley Fudge, Pennington Farms, Rising Sun Farms and a new Ashland company, Silly Rabbit Chocolate.

Galleries, theaters and other businesses in Ashland will offer special events during the festival.

Lodging packages are available at Ashland Springs Hotel, and anyone purchasing tickets for plays March 2-4 at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival can mention the Oregon Chocolate Festival and receive a 50 percent discount.

Chocolates and chocolate art also will be featured during the Ashland Gallery Association's First Friday art walk to be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, March 2, in downtown Ashland.

For more, see www.ashlandspringshotel.com or call 488-1700, ext. 1004.

A two-day pass to the festival costs $15.