About 3,000 people flocked to the National Guard Armory in Bel Air yesterday to sample chocolate delights and help raise money for downtown revitalization work.

The Downtown Bel Air Chocolate Festival began for the second year at 10 a.m. and featured a host of desserts and confections, including truffles, chocolate-covered coffee beans, mousse, candies, pretzels, bagels and even chocolate-scented soap.

One of downtown's newer shops, Moore's Candies - voted one of America's best chocolate makers by the Food Network - was hand-dipping strawberries in chocolate all day for visitors.

Visitors paid $3 for tickets, for which they received five samples of some of the treats. Chocolate cookbooks were also for sale.

Money raised from the event will be used to help pay for the town's summer outdoor movie nights and other revitalization projects and events, said Rita Bittner of the Harford County Office of Economic Development.