RAH RAH FOR THE PAWPAW
A Southeastern Ohio Hidden Gem
BY EMMA BOWE PHOTOS BY ZOE CRANFILL
Near the eccentric city of Athens, a celebration unfolds that perfectly mirrors the spirit of the region—the Pawpaw Festival. The festival honors the pawpaw fruit—a local tree fruit that resembles a fascinating blend of mango and banana with a custard-like consistency. The annual event goes beyond a simple tribute to the unassuming indigenous fruit; it is a vibrant reflection of how communities as unique and diverse as the pawpaw itself can unite, bound by their remarkable characteristics.
Much like Athens, the pawpaw remains somewhat of a hidden gem, known and cherished by the community but often overlooked by those beyond the region. Unlike its curiously tropical flavor would suggest, the tree fruit is native to Eastern North America, with some of its best tasting patches in Southern Ohio. However, due to its delicate nature and inability to endure mass-production and long shipping, it remains a local delicacy, treasured by the community that has nurtured it.
“They are a great locally adapted crop, but they just don’t ship very well, so you can’t get them to the consumer,” said Adam D’Angelo, creator of Project Pawpaw. “So people who have pawpaws, they love them. They’re passionate about them.”
Project Pawpaw, D’Angelo explained, is a crowd-funded research breeding program with a straightforward yet profound goal.
“Our goal is to help bring pawpaws to the people,” D’Angelo said.
This aspiration captures the essence of the festival—a desire to share a unique fruit and its rich history with a broader audience. The celebration is rooted in culture and community, echoing the qualities of the people of Athens who wholeheartedly embrace the abnormal and diverse.
Attendees celebrate the fruit amidst a medley of pawpaw-themed foods, brews, jewelry, and art. It is more than a celebration of the fruit’s taste; it is an exploration of its potential. Reflecting the quirks and creativity of Athens, the festival sees the peculiar and toasts to its eccentricities.
Chuck Kaminski, a doctoral student in the school of communication at Ohio University and long-term volunteer at Passion Works Studio, sees the festival as a canvas for expressing community and culture.
“I think [the community] took something really niche and something really weird and made it stand out,” Kaminski said.
Passion Works artists spearheaded the festival’s decorations, infusing their creative flair into the event’s atmosphere. Kaminski, a storyteller advocating to change the narrative around what it means to be differently abled, believes the Pawpaw Festival is a hub for diversity and community.
“It’s a great place for people to participate and be seen in an egalitarian way, like there’s a place for all people, and Pawpaw Fest is a great example,” Kaminski said.
Beyond the carnival of culinary creativity and artistic expression, one finds the Pawpaw Festival’s significance rooted in its educational aspect. The festival offers workshops and lectures for community members to learn about the often-unexplored fruit.
Ted Weeden and James Dingus of the North American Pawpaw Growers Association shared their contagious enthusiasm for the fruit by hosting lectures and conversing with attendees at their stand.
“I like to think we’re living in [the] renaissance of the pawpaw,” Dingus said while reflecting on the revival of interest in the pawpaw.
Weeden concurred, elaborating on the association’s role in breeding a more commercially acceptable fruit.
“The pawpaw is a very complex fruit, it’s a very smart tree,” Weeden said. “It adapts. Some don't make it, so it's finicky and difficult, but we are figuring out how to make it easier for it to survive. And with the breeding programs, we are getting bigger fruit and fewer seeds.”
The overwhelming support for developing the pawpaw is not just a testament to the delicacy of the fruit but to the power of a supportive community. The whimsical, vibrant region is proud of its culture and chooses to actively support the once-forgotten fruit that aligns with its eccentric qualities.
“I think seeing people band together is going to be really important. That’s why we chose [the] pawpaw,” D’Angelo said. “There [are] passionate people who want to see us succeed.”
The Pawpaw Festival is more than a fruit celebration; it's a reflection of a community's spirit—a little quirky, a little peculiar, but undeniably an integral part of what makes the region what it is. It's a representation of a community that prides itself on its distinctiveness, reflecting how the spirit of a place can shine through its fruits—uniting, cherishing, and celebrating the essence of Athens County.
