Truffle Hunting
The Oregon Truffle Festival, held near Eugene in the Willamette Valley, runs a culinary and cultural event around native Oregon truffles and includes two-day truffle dog training intensives on local farms. The Joriad™ North American Truffle Dog Championship sits inside the festival as the only recurring named truffle dog competition in North America, combining an arena qualifier at the Lane Events Center with a forest final on working forest land. For 2026 (the 12th Joriad): handlers at least 18 with one dog each; dogs at least 10 months old, non-aggressive, and vaccinated including leptospirosis; no females in season or nursing. It's strictly amateur — professional truffle hunters and trainers, anyone selling truffles, anyone working with a truffle dog trainer, and dogs tied to paid harvesting or pro training businesses are all excluded. Entry is $55; the champion wins $500.