Pawpaw Festival 2025 – Event Schedule

Pawpaw Festival 2026 Schedule
Saturday, September 12, 2026
Paw Paw Schools Campus, 60 Pirate Circle, Paw Paw, WV 25434

All Day Fun

• 10:00 AM – Festival Opens! Kick off a day of fresh pawpaw treats, local vendors, and community fun.
• 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM – Vendor Village Handmade goods, delicious food, and pawpaw-themed treasures.
• Throughout the Day – Kids’ Activities Bounce house, crafts, games, and hands-on fun.
• All Day – Barrel Train Rides Free rides for the kids, running throughout the festival grounds!
• Live Music – Music Lineup
  • 10:30 – 11:30 AM – Paw Paw Area Community Choir
  • 11:30 – 12:00 PM – DJ/Announcements
  • 12:00 – 1:00 PM – Ben Townsend
  • 1:00-2:00 PM – DJ/Announcements
  • 2:00 – 3:00 PM – TJ Simpson
  • 3:00 – 4:00 PM –DJ/Announcements
  • 4:00 – 5:00 PM – Matthew Abrell

Presentation Tent Schedule

Plant Walks (Meet at the Presentation Tent)

• 11:00 AM – With Osier Blackthumb
• 1:00 PM – With Osier Blackthumb
• 3:00 PM – With Osier Blackthumb

Festival Wrap-Up

• 5:00 PM – Farewell until next year!

Presentation & Activity Descriptions (Alphabetical)

Ask the Experts Q & A – Presentation Speakers
Bring your pawpaw and plant-related questions! You can also ask about the history and life of Paw Paw, WV. This session gathers as many presenters as possible to answer your questions — and you might even meet a special guest pawpaw breeder.

Agroforestry Update – Greg Sherbert
This year Greg provides an update to the presentation he did last year based on questions asked and new projects he’s been working on. In rural Appalachia, flooding isn’t the problem—it’s the symptom. The real problem is that our land no longer captures, infiltrates, and stores the rain we get. In this talk, I’ll introduce keyline agroforestry—a way to design farms that build soil organic matter, hold water like a sponge, reduce catastrophic floods, and create new streams of farm income. Using pawpaws and other tree crops as examples, we’ll explore how these systems work from the field scale to the watershed, and how they could transform our local watersheds.

The American Chestnut Tree, Gone But Not Forgotten…and Maybe Not Even Gone – Linda and Bernie Coyle
Learn all about the American Chestnut, what happened to them, how many are left, and what is being done to restore this wonderful tree.

Explore the Town of Paw Paw – Without Leaving Your Seat – David Abruzzi
David of Cacapon Preservation Solutions as your guide to the history and events that shaped this small town on the banks of the Potomac. This is a “built history” tour that focuses on the history of Paw Paw and its role in America’s history. Hear about the shooting of the ”circus man”, jail break from the town lockup, a performance by Harry Houdini, the shootout at the B&O train depot, and more.

Introduction to Pawpaw – Todd McCree
This presentation will provide you with the basics of the pawpaw. Everything from how to treat and plant the seeds to how and where to plant it to how to harvest the fruit. This will be a fast paced informative ‘Pawpaw 101’ presentation.

Pawpaw Breeding Program Update – Rodney Dever
Rodney will be telling the saga of pawpaw variety selection from prehistory to the modern age. This story will touch on the backgrounds of some of the most enduring heirlooms and the breeders who originated them. Then we will consider where we are today. What is going on with the Peterson breeding program? What about our latest release, Kanawha? In conclusion, we will consider what growers, including the Europeans and Asians, are looking for and speculate on just where might we be heading.

Pawpaw Key Note – Neal Peterson
Join renowned pawpaw breeder and researcher Neal Peterson for an engaging keynote exploring the past, present, and future of North America’s largest native fruit. Drawing on more than 40 years of experience, Neal shares the remarkable story of the pawpaw’s rediscovery, the science and patience behind breeding superior varieties, and the challenges and opportunities of bringing this once-forgotten fruit into modern orchards and home landscapes. Whether you’re new to pawpaws or a longtime enthusiast, you’ll gain a deeper appreciation for the history, genetics, cultivation, and growing popularity of this uniquely American fruit.

Pawpaw & the Native Farm: Growing American Heritage in the Southern Mountains – Sam Zamarripa
In this presentation, Sam shares the story of establishing a thriving pawpaw orchard at Doghobble Wine Farm and explains how the trees fit into his farm’s native-first approach to agriculture. He will discuss the opportunities and lessons learned from growing pawpaws in North Georgia, the importance of farming in harmony with local ecosystems, and why embracing native fruits helps express a true sense of place. Through the lens of his own farm, Sam offers an inspiring perspective on sustainability, regional agriculture, and the remarkable potential of one of North America’s most distinctive native fruits.

Zebra Swallowtail Butterfly – Gabrielle Marsden
Zebra Swallowtail Butterfly, Gabrielle Marsden is a naturalist and butterfly conservation advocate who shares the fascinating connection between the native pawpaw tree and the zebra swallowtail butterfly. Her presentations explore the butterfly’s unique life cycle, its dependence on pawpaw as its only caterpillar host plant, the history of its decline in parts of the region, and the conservation efforts helping it return. Through engaging stories, historical research, and practical insights, Gabrielle inspires audiences to appreciate the important role native plants play in supporting butterflies and other wildlife.

Plant Walks – Osier Blackthumb
Osier’s plant walks will take you along the edge of the park and learn about foraging. Wild edible plants are all around us and Osier will show you how to identify them and you’ll probably realize that many plants you call weeds are actually edible.

For more information about our guests, click here.

Directions to the Pawpaw Festival