It all started with a pawpaw. The unique fruit, which has a short late-summer season, has been the focus of the York County Pawpaw Festival for more than 20 years. Over the years, the festival has grown into a huge community event, with more than 2,300 visitors attending from up and down the East Coast, said Alexis Campbell, executive director of the Horn Farm Center, where the festival is held.

"Many festivalgoers over the years hail from New England, the Midwest, Florida, Georgia and even as far as Canada, all drawn to the region by this peculiar fruit," she shared. "The attention and enthusiasm for pawpaws had grown more than we ever expected it could."

So the Horn Farm pivoted, and this year's festival will be part of the Wild & Uncommon Weekend. The signature event of the weekend will be the Pawpaw Festival, which will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28, at the Horn Farm Center, 4945 Horn Road, York. Wild & Uncommon Weekend events will be held from Thursday, Sept. 26, through Sunday, Sept. 29, at the Horn Farm Center and other venues nearby.

"In addition to the pawpaw fruit, the festival features local vendors, plant nurseries, farmers and crafters from around our region," Campbell said. "While the festival is just a small taste of the local flavor that makes York County so unique, there is so much more to see and do - especially if you're traveling from out of town. By expanding the event beyond the footprint of the Horn Farm, festivalgoers can enjoy exclusive offerings from local businesses, an abundance of food and local produce, and family-friendly, outdoor activities, all celebrating the 'wild and uncommon' experiences of York County's Susquehanna Riverlands."

Highlights of the festival include a pawpaw cooking class on Sept. 26, with Locally Seasoned at Leg Up Farmers Market, 3100 N. George St., York; Sip & Learn: Snorkeling Local Streams with Lancaster Conservancy at Lavender Acres Winery, 4865 Libhart Mill Road, Hellam Township, on Friday, Sept. 27; Weird Fish & Fishing Weirs, a youth program with Susquehanna National Heritage Area (SNHA) that will run at Columbia Crossing River Trails Center, 41 Walnut St., Columbia, on Saturday morning; a Wild & Uncommon After Party: Pawpaw Desserts & Mocktails at Firefly Hollow Wellness Center, 200 Farm Lane, York, on Saturday evening; and a Pawpaw Brunch & Learn at Horn Farm Center on Sept. 29. Ongoing activities throughout the weekend include Biodynamic Exploration Tours at Dark Hollow Biodynamic, 6924 Dark Hollow Road, Wrightsville; River Discovery Boat Tours on the Susquehanna River with SNHA and more.

Along with expanding the festival's activities, this year's event also features expanded food focuses, Campbell commented. "We are also eager to introduce other novel food products that can be grown in our bioregion," she said. "At the Horn Farm, attendees will discover the abundance that our ecosystem can provide, including locally grown persimmons, figs, kiwi berries, elderberry, tree nuts, mushrooms and more."

Expanding the festival also parallels the farm's approach to regenerative land stewardship, she stated, adding, "We are focusing on the whole ecosystem ... celebrating the businesses, products, foods, landscape and experiences that make our community the wonderful place that it is to live, work and play."

Tickets must be purchased in advance to attend the Pawpaw Festival. Tickets to the festival are available online only, and tickets will not be available for purchase at the door. 

This year, festivalgoers may choose from three ticket options: general admission, with off-site parking and a shuttle and either premium early entry or VIP tickets for parking on-site. Admission is free for children age 12 and under.

Some other Wild & Uncommon Weekend events are free and open to the public for walk-in experiences, while others require tickets or registration. For a complete list of activities or to purchase Pawpaw Festival tickets, visit https://hornfarmcenter.org/pawpawfest.