We are thrilled to invite you to Central Virginia’s 3rd Annual Pawpaw Festival - the region’s most exciting new event. The festival will showcase local vendors offering delicious food, refreshing brews, unique crafts and adorable critters. Attendees can enjoy acoustic music performances, ranger-led programs and animal encounters throughout the day. Special event parking and admission will be $20 per vehicle, while annual pass holders will only need to pay $10 per vehicle.
You may be wondering, what is a pawpaw? This tropical-tasting fruit has a custardy texture and is the largest native fruit in our nation. In Virginia, pawpaw trees thrive in the forested bottomlands and floodplains of the Piedmont region, which is why they're found at Powhatan State Park. Many species of wildlife enjoy pawpaw fruits, which were a staple in the diets of woolly mammoths and giant sloths. Humans also love pawpaws - indigenous peoples have cultivated them, and they were popular among colonists.
The event is sponsored by the Friends of Powhatan State Park. We hope to see you there!
Kick off the festivities by participating in the 5 or 10 miler race. The race will take place on the exterior trails of the park, running alongside the James River, through open fields, along scenic singletrack, and past a historic cabin. The trails offer a variety of terrains, with a flat and fast trail along the river, followed by challenging climbs into open fields. The views are breathtaking, stretching for miles before entering the forest. Run through shaded singletrack until reaching the historic cabin ruins, followed by a steep climb out of the forest back into the open fields. Take a moment to appreciate the diverse wildlife and birds in the area while running through the fields. The 10-mile race finishes back at the Equestrian Trailhead Parking Lot.
This event is a benefit race for the Friends of Powhatan State Park, a local volunteer organization dedicated to supporting the mission of Powhatan State Park. The Pawpaw 10 Miler is part of the Virginia State Parks Adventure Series, sponsored by Dominion Energy and directed by Virginia Adventures. Registration fees start at $50 per runner. To register, click here.
Location: At Launch A and River Trail
Time: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Down by the river, guests will have the option to explore the lushly forested River Trail on their own or with a foraging guide. At the trailhead, the staff at the foraging info booth will provide pawpaw-seekers with guidelines, informational brochures, and small bags to collect fruit. During the guided walks, guests will be treated to learning about the pawpaw tree’s fascinating natural and cultural history as well as identification and proper foraging techniques.
Atlatl Spear-throwing
Location: Festival Grounds
Time: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The prolific fruit of the pawpaw and the ground-breaking invention of the atlatl gave people of this region access to an abundance of food, which enabled them to survive and thrive! Modern-day attendees of the festival will have an opportunity to reenact the ancient method of spear-hunting by throwing spears with an atlatl. In the absence of actual wooly mammoths and giant ground sloths, participants will be using practice targets.
Pre-Historic Pawpaw
Location: Festival Grounds
Time: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The pawpaw tree has strange qualities which formed millions of years ago for a world of ancient insects and megafauna. It thrives to this day with the help of humans! Guests will discover the fascinating evolution of the pre-historic plant and the role it has played throughout human history. Depending on the quantity of fresh fruit, guests will be invited to taste fresh pawpaw and even take a few seeds to plant at home.
Pawpaws and Zebras
Location: Festival Grounds
Time: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The pawpaw fruit is food for many kinds of animals, but what about their leaves? At this program, guests can find out why pawpaw leaves are hosts to zebra swallowtails but avoided by almost every other animal. Adults and children alike will have the opportunity to honor this beautiful creature with a butterfly craft that can perch on their wrist throughout the festival.
A variety of local vendors will be present, featuring artisan crafts, native plants, pawpaw saplings, pawpaw souvenirs, microbrews and farm-to-table bites for sale.
The Friends of Powhatan will provide beverage service from Fine Creek Brewing Co, featuring the Pawpaw Brett Saison brewed with local pawpaw fruits.
If you are interested in becoming a vendor, please complete the application or email amelia.hulth@dcr.virginia.gov. Those featuring pawpaw and Virginia themes will be considered first.
Enjoy acoustic performances throughout the day with a variety of genres and sounds.
11:00 a.m. - Ryan Adkins
Photo by Barry Tickle
Ryan Adkins is a songwriter born and raised in Appalachia who grew up absorbing the culture and heritage of the region. Embracing the areas’ musical traditions and their inspirations, he fell into writing songs of his own with these influences imprinted on his alternative folk style. Ryan’s music forces the listener to reflect on internal strife and loneliness while also feeling the weight of hope, grace, and powerful love.
12:00 p.m. - Coming soon!
1:00 p.m. - Josh Grigsby and County Line
Josh Grigsby and County Line began in 2013 and became very popular on the local music scene. Based out of the beautiful Northern Neck of Virginia, the award-winning band plays traditional, contemporary, gospel and bluegrass music giving the audience a wholesome connection. To learn more, visit https://www.joshgrigsbyandcountyline.com.
We are thrilled to invite you to Central Virginia’s 3rd Annual Pawpaw Festival - the region’s most exciting new event. The festival will showcase local vendors offering delicious food, refreshing brews, unique crafts and adorable critters. Attendees can enjoy acoustic music performances, ranger-led programs and animal encounters throughout the day. Special event parking and admission will be $20 per vehicle, while annual pass holders will only need to pay $10 per vehicle. 
