"Pawpaws are the quintessential local food," said Alexis Campbell, executive director of the Horn Farm Center for Agricultural Education in York. "The pawpaw is unique, because it's sort of a hidden or forgotten fruit. It does not have a long shelf life, and it's not something that's produced on a mass scale or available in grocery stores. Pawpaws are a unique expression of our particular bioregion in central Pennsylvania."

In fact, pawpaws are the most abundant edible fruit native to the eastern United States. Horn Farm, 4945 Horn Road, will celebrate the fruit at the 17th annual Pawpaw Festival, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 18, and Sunday, Sept. 19.

The Pawpaw Festival was founded by Dick and Judy Bono, longtime friends of the Horn Farm who were introduced to the fruit on a tour of an orchard in Maryland. They held a pawpaw-themed dinner in York, which grew over the years into the festival. "They started selling fruit and growing trees at their home ... and it gained so much momentum, they needed to expand, so they brought it to the Horn Farm," Campbell explained. Dick developed a pawpaw orchard at the Horn Farm, where the festival has been held since 2017.

Campbell described the taste of a pawpaw as a cross between a mango and a banana. "It has a custard-like texture," she stated. "There's a tropical flavor."

The Pawpaw Festival will include both wild and cultivated varieties of pawpaw fruit and trees for purchase. Pawpaw items, including cookbooks, books and T-shirts, will be for sale. A pawpaw tasting box, including six pawpaw varieties, will be available for purchase. The festival will also feature local food vendors, artisans and community organizations, as well as fresh produce from the Horn Farm, native plants, jams, jellies, honey and more for sale. All pawpaw fruits, trees, tasting boxes, produce and vendor products will be available while supplies last. Tours of the farm and the pawpaw orchard will also be offered.

The festival is presented by 7group, and admission is free. All proceeds will support local regenerative agriculture practices and education programs at the Horn Farm Center. The festival is part of York County Watershed Week in partnership with the Watershed Alliance of York. Watershed Alliance volunteers will be leading a tree planting activity at 1 p.m. on both days of the festival, and visitors are invited to help plant trees in the Horn Farm Center's new riparian buffer.

Campbell said the festival attracts visitors from across the state and neighboring states as well. "Lots of people come year after year to taste the pawpaws," she said. "The fruit has kind of a cult following."

The Pawpaw Festival will be held rain or shine. Visitors are asked to wear masks. For more information, visit https://hornfarmcenter.org.