The pawpaw fruit is creamy, tropical, and utterly unique, and it's been a hidden treasure of the American Midwest for centuries. Now it's our turn to celebrate!

Do you know about the pawpaw fruit?  A native fruit to our area, pawpaws grow wild from the Gulf coast to the Great Lakes, including the creek bottoms and shaded woods of Northern Illinois.  A ripe fruit is soft, creamy, and hard to mistake for anything else. People compare it to banana, mango, and vanilla custard, with big brown seeds tucked inside.

That tender fruit is also why you rarely see one at the grocery store. Pawpaws bruise easily and have a short shelf life, so the best way to know one is to taste it close to where it grew.

Visit the town of Paw Paw, IL on September 26, 2026 for a fun day of pawpaw fruits, pawpaw-themed food and drinks, live music, educational talks, and family fun!

https://www.pawpawfest.org/