The International Alba White Truffle Fair returns to Alba, Piedmont, from 10 October to 6 December 2026. It is one of Italy’s big autumn food events, bringing together the prized local white truffle, Piedmontese wine, chef-led events, historic venues and the autumn food traditions of the Langhe.
Alba sits among the vine-covered hills associated with Barolo, Barbaresco, hazelnuts and tajarin, the region’s fine egg pasta. The Italian food festival has an international following, though its strongest draw remains local produce and regional cooking.
- Alba White Truffle Fair 2026 dates and essential details
- Alba White Truffle World Market: tickets and what is included
- Palio degli Asini: Alba’s donkey race and medieval parade
- Cooking shows at the Alba White Truffle Fair
- Unusual Dinners and special dining events
- Cooking classes at Castle of Roddi
- Food and wine around Alba
Alba White Truffle Fair 2026 dates and essential details
- Dates: 10 October–6 December 2026
- Where: Alba, Piedmont
- Main attraction: Alba White Truffle World Market
- Focus: White truffles, Piedmontese food and wine, cookery and local traditions
The programme includes tastings, chef-led sessions, cooking classes, wine events and special dinners. Prices range from a relatively accessible market ticket to high-end meals in historic venues, so it is worth deciding early where the budget is best spent.
Alba White Truffle World Market: tickets and what is included
The Alba White Truffle World Market is the fair’s central event. It brings together certified white truffles, regional products and specialist sellers, with space to understand the season and provenance behind Tuber magnatum Pico.
Alba truffle market ticket price
An online ticket costs €6.30 and is valid for a timed entry slot. It includes access to the Alba White Truffle World Market and entry to MUDET – the Alba Truffle Museum
Palio degli Asini: Alba’s donkey race and medieval parade
The Palio degli Asini falls on Sunday 4 October 2026, before the fair opens. It is one of Alba’s most theatrical traditions, involving the city’s historic districts, a donkey race and a large costumed procession.
- Venue: Piazza Cagnasso, Alba
- Gates open: 2.00 pm
- Medieval parade: Free, beginning at 2.30 pm
- Tickets: From €30
Cooking shows at the Alba White Truffle Fair
The fair hosts 36 cooking shows, running every weekend at 11.00 am and 6.00 pm. At €50 per person, they sit between a casual market visit and the pricier dinner experiences.
The sessions focus on Italian cooking and Piedmontese ingredients. Menus and participating chefs vary, so the confirmed schedule is the place to check before choosing a session.
Unusual Dinners and special dining events
The Unusual Dinners take place in historic, artistic or cultural locations that are not normally used as restaurants. Michelin-starred chefs create menus that pair Alba white truffle with local ingredients and quality Piedmontese wines.
Prices can cost around €250 per person, making them firmly special-occasion territory, but the setting and food make them one of the fair’s more memorable splurges.
Other Alba food and wine events in 2026
- Alta Langa Aperitivo Magnum Première
An event centred on magnums of Alta Langa, Piedmont’s traditional-method sparkling wine. - Up Close with the Chef
A smaller chef-led experience for a closer look at the cooking process. - Brunch at the Taste Lab at Castle of Roddi
A brunch created by Chef Luigi Taglienti at Castle of Roddi. - Guided tour and lunch at Castle of Roddi
A visit combining the castle’s history with food and wine. - Rioja & Barolo: time, terroir and identity
A comparative tasting focused on Rioja and Barolo. - The great terroir of Barbaresco and the other faces of Nebbiolo
A wine event examining Barbaresco and other expressions of Nebbiolo.
Cooking classes at Castle of Roddi
The fair’s cooking classes take place at Castle of Roddi, near Alba, in a cooking-school setting rooted in local produce. Classes may cover creamy autumn gnocchi, seasonal vegetables, hazelnuts used in sweet and savoury dishes, and tajarin.
- Price: €160 per person
- Focus: Autumnal Piedmontese cooking
Food and wine around Alba
The fair makes a good base for trying the wider food culture of the Langhe. Barolo and Barbaresco are both made with Nebbiolo and produced nearby, while local menus lean into hazelnuts, cheeses, mushrooms, chestnuts and autumn vegetables.
A few dishes and ingredients worth seeking out include:
- Tajarin with butter, meat sauce or truffle
- Hazelnut cakes, biscuits and spreads
- Local cheeses
- Pumpkin and mushrooms
- Seasonal wines and regional cured meats
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