Pawpaw eating contest; largest fruit display highlights unique Ohio festival now in 25th year

While you won’t be seeing oranges or bananas growing in the Buckeye State anytime soon, one unique native Ohio fruit is making a comeback in popularity, and a nearby festival celebrating it is now in its 25th year.

In case you don’t know, we’re talking about the pawpaw, and the Ohio Pawpaw Festival.

The only tropical fruit native to the continental United States, the pawpaw—often described as a cross between a banana and a mango—has a soft, almost custard-like consistency and sweet flavor.

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The Ohio Pawpaw Festival will hold its 25th annual bash this year on Sept. 15-17 at 5900 US-50 in Albany, Ohio. You can purchase tickets for this year’s event here. 

The weekend-long event features features pawpaw cooking, educational demonstrations on the fruit’s medicinal uses, pawpaw-related art displays, a pawpaw-eating contest and a competition to see who can grow the biggest pawpaw.

Want to read more? Check out our print publication, (614) Magazine. Learn where you can find a free copy of our new August issue here!