The Pawpaw Festival is an annual festival dedicated to the Pawpaw fruit that is indigenous to the Athens County area. The festival has been sponsored by a number of different organizations local to Athens County. The festival currently offers a number of features such as various pawpaw brews and other pawpaw related activities. It takes place in Albany, Ohio near lake Snowden.
Dates
editThe Pawpaw Festival is an event that occurs in celebration of the Pawpaw fruit. This happens during the fall season during the peak of the fruit's fruition in mid-September (most recently, September 16th-18th, 2011). Originally, the very first event took place on October, 10th 1999 but the date that the event falls on consistently is the aforementioned mid-September day(s).
Location
editThe location of the festival takes place near lake Snowden in Albany, Ohio. Lake Snowden was chosen as the site because of its visual appeal over other locations. Albany, Ohio is located within a fifteen minute drive from a more well known location, Athens, Ohio. Due in part to its location and the heavy influx of university students in the Fall, the Pawpaw Festival receives a variety of individuals interested in trying the fruit.
History
editSome of the Pawpaw fruit's success within Athens County is due to the efforts made by Chris Chmiel. In 1996, Chmiel founded Integration Acres and in 1999 the organization began promoting the Pawpaw by educating local citizens and celebrating the fruit's existence. In 1999, Chmeil, along with Integration Acres, created the first annual Pawpaw Festival.
According to Integration Acres, on October 10th 1999, Chris cooperated with the Athens the Albany Business & Community Development committee and the Albany Riding Club to start the tradition of the Pawpaw festival and it was a success birthing the first of many Pawpaw festivals. [1]
The following year (2000) Chris worked again with the Albany Riding Club to bring about another festival on September the 16th. By this time the festival was beginning to gain some popularity. In 2001 the festival moved to Lake Snowden, the present day location of the festival. Moreover, the birth of the Ohio Pawpaw Growers Association took place. This organization was to become very influential for the festival's future prowess.
In the year of 2006, the Pawpaw Festival saw a great change, as the sponsor was that of Snowville Creamery. Memorable events that occurred, that also changed the festival, in some ways were the Pawpaw Green Woman logo and the fifteen kegs of pawpaw beer that were consumed.
The following year in 2007, the sponsor of the festival was to be Ohio's Hill Country Heritage Area program. During this time the festival added live performances from bands and provided the audio CD's of those performances. This was a first for the festival.
Then in 2008, the Pawpaw festival made itself more accessible, with the assistance of the Office of Sustainability, by offering a shuttle service for those college students that wanted to attend. [2]
In 2009, the Pawpaw Festival saw a great increase in attendance from various officials. With the presence of these officials, the festival garnered increased attention from the public. Moreover, the pawpaw became the official state native fruit of Ohio.[3] This year eighteen kegs of pawpaw beer were consumed becoming the most consumed to date.
2010 brought about a longer festival wherein the previous one and two day festival periods were increased to three days instead. Most recently in 2011, the 13th annual Pawpaw Festival, it continues to run as a three day long event. Also, the 13th annual festival was sponsored by the Ohio's Hill Country Heritage Area program once again. [4]
Attendance of Officials
editInitially, the Pawpaw Festival, as all things starting out, had not gained enough popularity with the surrounding region. Therefore, the festival needed to find a way in which they could increase their presence within the area. One method would be through the attendance of officials to validate the success of the festival. The first festival brought in individuals from Better Homes and Garden magazines ; along with The Washington Post and the Athens County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The following year, judges for the festival included Sue Dawson and a food editor for the Columbus Dispatch. This pattern continued with more judges to attend and participate in the festivities. Then in 2002 the Director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture, Suzanne Martinson attended. Also in attendance were a food writer from Cleveland and from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
2004 had a special guest appearance from Ohio State House Representative Jimmy Stewart who was the sponsor of a bill to make the pawpaw the official state fruit of Ohio. Finally, in 2009, big name officials like Ohio Representative Debbie Phillips and Ohio Senator Jimmy Stewart attended in order to present Chris Chmiel with an award designating the pawpaw as the official state native fruit of Ohio.
Activities
editWithin the festival itself there are various activities one can get involved with including: competition for the best pawpaw, best pawpaw-related work of art, the pawpaw cook-off, and the pawpaw-eating contest.
One can also partake of the other entertainment options such as: the Kids Central, with various hands-on activities and a variety of activities that focus upon pawpaw growing, cooking, genetics, medical use and other topics related to sustainability of the pawpaw environment.
According to "The Athens News" the Pawpaw Festival is a good place to experience the music that is offered from the Athens County region. [5]
References
edit- Terry Smith (2011-09-14) [6], "The Athens News", retrieved 2011-09-19
- [7], "Integration Acres", retrieved 2011-09-19
- [8], "PAWPAW", retrieved 2011-09-19
- Wikipedia Editors (2011-09-25), [9], "Wikipedia", retrieved 2011-09-25
- [10], "The Athens News", retrieved 2011-09-28
- [11], "2011 Ohio Pawpaw Festival", retrieved 2011-09-28
- [12], "Ohio's Hill Country Heritage Area", retrieved 2011-09-28
- [13], "The Post", retrieved 2011-09-29