2025 Pawpaw Festivals
A list of pawpaw festivals run by various organizations around the country, compiled by Project Pawpaw
Pawpaw Festivals By Date
The Rise of America's Pawpaw Celebrations
The modern pawpaw festival movement began in 1999 with the inaugural Ohio Pawpaw Festival in Albany, Ohio. Founded by Chris Chmiel, this pioneering event grew from a small gathering into a three-day festival attracting thousands of visitors annually. Its success inspired several other celebrations across the pawpaw's native range, with Kentucky State University establishing its own festival in the early 2000s to showcase its pawpaw research and breeding efforts.
While festivals saw a brief pause during 2020, the real explosion in pawpaw celebrations came between 2022 and 2024. This recent surge has seen a 200% increase in new events across the country, from small community gatherings to large regional festivals. The rapid growth reflects both increasing interest in native foods and successful efforts to promote this unique fruit.
Today's pawpaw festivals range from traditional harvest celebrations to educational events at botanical gardens and research institutions, making these remarkable fruits accessible to more people than ever before!
Help Us Keep The Momentum Growing
Now more than ever, we need innovative, coordinated research to build a pawpaw industry that's sustainable and accessible to all. Support this vision by shopping our online store or sponsoring a tree in our research orchard– every purchase directly funds community driven pawpaw research and breeding.
