It's the largest edible fruit native to the Eastern United States, and it grows naturally in the Susquehanna riverlands. It's the pawpaw, and you can celebrate the treat at the 19th annual York County Pawpaw Festival, to be held on Saturday, Sep. 23, and Sunday, Sept. 24. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day at the Horn Farm Center, 4945 Horn Road, York.

This year's festival will feature plant vendors; arts, crafts and home goods vendors; food vendors; and lots more, said Alexis Campbell, Horn Farm executive director.

"We are expanding the educational offerings during the event this year," she noted. "On both days, we have a schedule of talks as well as tours and educational programs."

Programs both days include a nature education tour for youths at 10:30 a.m. and a cultivated pawpaw orchard tour with orchardist Dick Bono at noon. On Saturday, Locally Seasoned will present "Pawpaws in the Kitchen" at 2 p.m. Sunday's highlights include a "Pawpaws and PA Wildlife" program with West Shore Wildlife Center at 12:30 p.m.

Along with scheduled programs, the festival will offer an opportunity to shop and eat, Campbell said. "We'll have lots of great food as well as pawpaw trees and other native plants for sale," she remarked. "It's going to be a great celebration of food, art and nature and all things wild and unique about York County."

Pawpaws ripen only for a few weeks in September, and the fruit is too delicate to ship or produce on a large commercial scale. The fruit has a custardy flesh that tastes like a cross between a banana and a mango.

The Pawpaw Festival helps the Horn Farm fulfill its goal of educational programming, Campbell noted. "Education is our mission here at the Horn Farm Center, and since the Pawpaw Festival draws beyond our regular audience, we really wanted to highlight our educational offerings as part of the event," she explained. "We think there's a lot to learn when it comes to the pawpaw."

She added that the theme of this year's festival is "Wild and Uncommon." "That's really what we feel the festival has become," she said. "We engage so many different food vendors, crafters, artists, it's really become a showcase of what's unique to the region, specially York County as well as the lower Susquehanna Valley. We think there's something really special about the foods, the art and the craftsmanship here."

This year, there are two ticket options for the Pawpaw Festival. People may purchase a general pass, which includes one-day admission, or a premium pass, which includes one-day admission, a T-shirt designed by York artist Joanna Tice and entry into a door prize drawing for Horn Farm Center class vouchers. Premium passes tickets will only be available until 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 8.

For more information and a complete list of vendors, visit https://hornfarmcenter.org/pawpawfest.