Third Annual Pawpaw Festival
The Paw Paw Lions Club announced today that the Third Annual Pawpaw Festival will return to Paw Paw Veterans Park on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. The free, family-friendly festival celebrates the pawpaw, North America’s largest native tree fruit, whose tropical, custard-like flavor is often compared to a blend of mango, banana, and pineapple. The event also celebrates the small-town Illinois community that shares the fruit’s name.
The 2025 festival drew an estimated 5,000 attendees to a village of just 840 residents. Visitor sign-ins recorded guests from 20 states and France, representing 210 unique cities and towns. Roughly 34 percent of logged visitors came from the Chicago metropolitan area.
“What started as a small community gathering has quickly become a regional destination,” said Neal Rogers, chair of the Pawpaw Festival Committee and a member of the Paw Paw Lions Club. “People drive hours to taste a fruit many have never heard of, and they leave talking about the village of Paw Paw. We’re building on everything we learned in 2025 to make this year’s festival bigger, smoother, and even more welcoming.”
The 2026 festival begins at 10 a.m. at Paw Paw Veterans Park and continues throughout the day. Highlights include fresh pawpaw fruit and pawpaw trees for sale; free tastings; pawpaw beer, ice cream, and cheesecake from Eli’s Cheesecake of Chicago; other pawpaw-inspired food and drinks from local makers; live music; dozens of local vendors and artisans; a Kids Corner with bounce houses and activities; tram tours highlighting the area’s pawpaw trees; and educational programming about America’s native fruits.
The Pawpaw Festival is hosted by the Paw Paw Lions Club in partnership with the Pizzo Group, with support from Visit Northwest Illinois, Eli’s Cheesecake, Northern Illinois University, Paw Paw Farms Inc., and NuMark Credit Union.
About the Pizzo Group: The Pizzo Group specializes in ecological restoration and works exclusively with native plants. The company includes two award-winning subsidiaries that champion native plants and natural areas. Its team is dedicated to preserving and restoring natural environments. Its mission reflects not only a commitment, but a passion for rejuvenating and sustaining the beauty of our planet for generations to come. Its nursery uses native plants in every planting application because their value in enhancing and restoring our environment is widely understood and accepted. Learn more at werestorenature.com.
Vendor and sponsor applications for the 2026 festival are now open. Vendors can apply at pawpawfest.org/vendor-signup, and sponsorship details are available at pawpawfest.org/sponsors. Follow the Pawpaw Festival on Facebook for updates.
September 26, 2026 – all day
Paw Paw Veterans Park
314 Chapman Street
Paw Paw, Illinois 61353
Admission is free