EUGENE —

Imagine an entire festival built around the lowly truffle.

For the past seven years, on the last weekend of January in the heart of harvest season, the Oregon Truffle Festival has sung the praises of this improbable epicurean delight. This has helped to focus attention not only upon the truffle itself but upon Oregon as a center for its cultivation.

A nondescript fungus that grows symbiotically with the trees under which it may cluster, the truffle is favored by gourmet chefs throughout the Western world, both for its distinct flavor and for the infused oil made from the tuber.

In Europe's Mediterranean region, where they have been used extensively in cuisine since the 18th century, food lovers may pay upward of $1,000 per pound for truffles.

They have been formally grown in the Pacific Northwest region for fewer than three decades.

Oregon State University agronomists helped to establish a successful growing region between Corvallis and Eugene. Dogs are specially trained to sniff them out beneath Douglas fir trees, where they flourish between the surface layer of fallen needles and the hard ground.

“Oregon white truffles are underappreciated,” said Dr. Charles Lefevre, who founded and continues to direct the Oregon Truffle Festival with his wife, Leslie Scott. “They are more powerful than their reputation and their price would suggest.

“They smell like model glue. But it's beautiful model glue!”

My visit to the 2011 Eugene festival taught me more about truffles than I knew was possible to learn. Experts from as far away as Italy and Australia offered lectures and workshops, field trips, dog-training seminars, a public marketplace and, of course, cooking demonstrations and gourmet dining events.

The truffle is certainly not the only food in this bountiful state with a dedicated festival. There are celebrations of garlic and huckleberries, of clams and crawfish, of pumpkins and sauerkraut, to name but a few.

What follows is a weekend-by-weekend selection of special events in Western Oregon in which a particular food or style of cooking gets primary attention.

Late winter events

Confluence 2011 Wine, Beer, Seafood & Music Festival will be held this weekend (Feb. 19-20) in Gardiner, just north of Reedsport in the heart of the Oregon Dunes. Blues artist Curtis Salgado highlights a full two-day schedule of music, supported by eight wineries, three breweries (including Bend's Deschutes) and several food outlets, including a chowder house and asparagus farm. The festival takes over the old W.F. Jewett School building in historic Gardiner, once a thriving logging town. 541-271-3495, www .reedsportcc.org/confluence.

There's no bigger winter food event on the Coast than the annual Newport Seafood and Wine Festival , Feb. 25-27. Ongoing since 1978, it has grown to 86 wineries and 33 food purveyors — from Mo's Clam Chowder and Sada's Sushi Bar to the Oregon Oyster Farms and local fishing-boat operators. Each year about 15,000 people attend the festival, which takes over the South Beach Marina parking lot on OSU Drive, between the Rogue Ales Warehouse and the Hatfield Marine Science Center. 541-265-8801, www.newport seafoodandwinefestival.com.

Three straight nights of clambake dinners highlight the Southcoast Clambake Jazz Festival , March 11-13 in North Bend and Coos Bay. Based at the Mill Casino Hotel, with other performances at the Red Lion Hotel, the Egyptian Theatre and the North Bend Presbyterian Church, the festival will gather 11 bands from the West Coast and Canada to play Dixieland, big-band, doo-wop and other genres of jazz. 541-269-0112, www.clambake jazz.org.

The Rogue Creamery in Central Point, just outside of Medford, is world-renowned for its blue-cheese production. On March 19, the creamery hosts the Oregon Cheese Festival . An artisan cheese and wine market kicks off the event, which is climaxed by a gourmet feast. 541-665-1155, www.roguecreamery .com.

April and May

Now in its 58th year, Medford's annual Pear Blossom Festival takes place the weekend of April 8-9. A Saturday parade with 5,000 participants and 150 bands and floats is the most visible component, but the celebration also includes a large street fair, a fun run, a dance competition and local restaurant challenges that pair wine with recipes featuring — what else? — pears. 541-840-7327, www.pearblossomparade .org.

The Hood River Valley Blossom Festival , April 16-17, highlights the roadside stands and blossoming apple, cherry and pear orchards of the Hood River Valley. A 47-mile scenic route winds through 15,000 acres of orchard land, accessing activities at more than 20 different area farms. Among them are craft and quilt shows, wine and beer tastings, formal dinners and a fire department all-you-can-eat breakfast. 541-386-2000, www.hoodriver .org/events-festivals.

On the occasion of Astoria's 200th birthday, the Astoria-Warrenton Crab, Seafood & Wine Festival will feature three consecutive days of traditional crab dinners at the Clatsop County Fairgrounds, prepared by the Rotary Club of Astoria. Scheduled April 29-May 1, it will include a wide choice of foods, wines and beers, an arts-and-crafts show, and continuous live music on stage in an exhibit hall. 503-325-6311. www.oldoregon.com/events/entry/astoria-warrenton-crab-seafood-wine-festival/.

A lamb dinner will be a key element of the annual Linn County Lamb & Wool Fair , May 20-22 in Scio. A family-oriented festival, it also features sheep shows, fiber arts and crafts, and the Northwest championship sheep-dog trials. 503-394-3374, www .lambfair.org.

June and July

Since 1909, the Lebanon Strawberry Festival has been serving “the world's largest strawberry shortcake” to as many as 20,000 spectators. Held June 2-5 at Cheadle Lake Regional Park, it features junior and grand parades, an open-air country fair and carnival, a fun run, a fireworks display and other events. 541-258-7164, www.lebanon strawberryfestival.info.

The northern Coast's long heritage as a center of the dairy industry is celebrated June 25 in the Tillamook June Dairy Parade , nicknamed “the biggest little show on the Coast.” About 150 entries march from the Tillamook County Fairgrounds, down Third Street into downtown Tillamook. A rodeo follows. 503-842-7525, www.gotillamook .com.

The eighth annual Newport Clambake and Seafood BBQ will be held July 3 on Nye Beach, at the Beach Drive turnabout. A fundraiser for Newport-area schools and nonprofits, its seaside food offerings include steamed clams, shrimp cocktails, lobster gumbo and barbecued fish. Events range from live music to horse-drawn wagon rides. 866-592-5556, www.nyebeach.org.

August and September

The second weekend of August is one of the biggest of the year for food festivals. Chief among them is the Bite of Oregon at Portland's Tom McCall Waterfront Park. More than 120 restaurants offered food and drink at the 2010 event, and the roster on Aug. 12-14, 2011, is expected to be even stronger. An Iron Chef Oregon contest is part of the proceedings, and live music will be presented on three stages. 877-678-5263, www.bite oforegon.com.

Simultaneous with the Bite of Oregon, the Best of Oregon Food and Wine Festival will be held Aug. 13, at the Reserve Vineyards & Golf Club in Aloha, immediately following a golf tournament. Much like Bend's Sagebrush Classic in July, the benefit for the Doernbecher Children's Hospital attracts about a dozen top-end restaurants and another half-dozen food purveyors. 503- 998-9580, www.bestoforegonfood andwine.com.

In the Portland suburb of North Plains, the Aug. 12-14 Elephant Garlic Festival features fresh roasted garlic, garlic ice cream, a car show and a parade that introduces the “smelly king and queen.” 503-647-2619, www.funstinks.com. And those same days, in Tualatin, the Tualatin Crawfish Festival features crawfish-eating contests among its other activities. 503-692-0780, www.tualatin crawfishfestival.com.

The foods of northern Europe are prepared and served at Junction City's annual Scandinavian Festival , which will take place for the 51st time Aug. 11-14. Swedish meatballs and pancakes, Danish aebelskiver, and various Norwegian, Finnish and Icelandic pastries are served by dozens of vendors. The four-day cultural celebration also includes folk music and dancing, a variety of handicraft demonstrations, storytelling and historical recreations. 541-998-9372, www .scandinavianfestival.com.

The Mount Hood Huckleberry Festival in Welches, Aug. 26-28, celebrates not only the native mountain berry — offered fresh and in jams, sauces, pies and tarts — but also watermelons. In fact, in a festival feature, homemade catapults are used to launch watermelons. There's a salmon bake, a barbecue, plenty of live music and free historical tours of the Oregon Trail. 503-622-4798, www.cgs-mthood .tripod.com.

On Labor Day weekend, Sept. 3-4, Medford's Harry & David store — a major national fruit merchandiser — collects canned and dry goods for local food banks during A Taste of Harry & David . Southern Oregon restaurants will prepare recipes with local stone fruits and pair them with wines of the region. Music performances will run concurrently with specialty food-and-wine classes through both days. 541-864-2278, www.harryand david.com.

The Winston-Dillard Melon Festival , Sept. 9-11 near Roseburg, celebrates watermelons with many activities, from a parade to a car show. 541-679-0118, www.winstonoregon.net.

The Scappoose Sauerkraut Festival , Sept. 17-18 northwest of Portland, is highlighted by a cabbage bowling event and a sauerkraut-eating contest. 503-543-8969, www.scappoosecommunity .org. That same weekend at the Oregon Convention Center, the Portland VegFest promotes healthy nutrition and the vegetarian lifestyle. 503-746-8344, www.nwveg.org/vegfest.php.

The 29th annual St. Josef's Winery Grape Stomp , Sept. 24-25, honors the patron saint of the Canby-area winery. Bavarian music provides the soundtrack to the “stomp,” in an 8-foot oak barrel, as visitors enjoy bratwurst and Hungarian goulash. 503-651-3190, www.stjosefs winery.com/events.

Fall festivals

In Florence, the annual Chowder, Blues & Brews festival takes place Oct. 7-8. Chefs from Astoria to Brookings compete in the Oregon Coast Professional Chowder Cook-off, encouraging festivalgoers to sample their recipes as blues bands play in the background. 541-997-3128, www.florencechamber.com/ events/.

Molalla's Apple Festival takes over the Clackamas County town's historical museum complex on Oct. 8-9. Demonstrations of pioneer heritage include a traditional cider press, which produces tasty drinks for visitors. Homemade apple pie and ice cream are a crowd favorite. 503-829-6941, www.molalla chamber.com.

During the Yachats Mushroom Festival , Oct. 14-16, lovers of wild fungi can explore the Cape Perpetua State Natural Area on guided mushroom hunts and hop among Yachats restaurants to sample different mushroom-oriented menu choices. Workshops discuss identifying, growing, harvesting, cooking and even fiber-dyeing mushrooms. 541-547-3530, www.yachats.org.

The Hood River Harvest Fest , also Oct. 14-16, welcomes visitors to the Hood River waterfront. The region's fruit and vegetable growers supply an abundance of freshly harvested produce, including apples and pears, berries, pumpkins, nuts and even Columbia River salmon. There's also local wine and beer, arts and crafts, musical performances and much more. 800-366-3530, www.hoodriver .org.

On the weekend preceding Halloween — this year, Oct. 22 — the Portland suburb of Tualatin welcomes the West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta . Competitors sit inside their giant pumpkins and paddle them frantically through the Lake of the Tualatin Commons. There are prizes for costumes and decoration, as well as for pumpkin carving, pumpkin-pie eating and other events. 503-691-3064, www.ci.tualatin .or.us.