Taste America’s Forgotten Fruit at This Free Illinois Festival

Have you ever tasted a pawpaw?

Despite the name, it has nothing to do with paws—and it isn’t a papaya. The pawpaw is North America’s largest native tree fruit, with a soft, custard-like texture and a tropical flavor often compared to banana, mango and pineapple.

Because ripe pawpaws have a short shelf life, they rarely appear in grocery stores. One of the best ways to try one is to visit a community that celebrates the fruit at the height of its brief fall season.

That makes the Third Annual Pawpaw Festival in Paw Paw, Illinois, a wonderfully unusual destination for a fall family road trip.

Pawpaw Festival 2026 details

When: Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, beginning at 10 a.m.
Where: Paw Paw Veterans Park, 314 Chapman Street, Paw Paw, Illinois
Admission: Free
Driving time: Approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes from Milwaukee’s North Shore
Website: PawpawFest.org
Updates: Follow the 2026 Pawpaw Festival Facebook event
Directions: Open Paw Paw Veterans Park in Google Maps

The festival does not require an admission ticket, making this a relatively affordable day trip. Your main expenses will be transportation and whatever pawpaw treats, food, drinks or locally made products your family decides to bring home.

Why Paw Paw is worth the drive

This isn’t a giant commercial festival dropped into a small town. It’s a celebration built around the town’s identity, its native landscape and a fruit many visitors have never tasted.

Paw Paw has a population of only about 800 people, but organizers estimate that the 2025 festival attracted approximately 5,000 visitors. Festival sign-ins included guests from 20 states, France and more than 200 different communities.

For families, the appeal is the combination of food, nature, education and small-town festival fun. Kids can taste something completely new, see where pawpaws grow and learn why native fruit trees matter—all without the day feeling like a field trip.

If your family enjoys finding places that are a little different, you may also like our guide to America’s best roadside attractions.

What does a pawpaw taste like?

A ripe pawpaw has creamy yellow flesh and a texture that can resemble custard or pudding. Its flavor varies by fruit, but most people notice some combination of banana, mango, pineapple, melon and vanilla.

Some people love pawpaws immediately. Others need to try them in ice cream, cheesecake or another dessert before they are convinced. The festival gives you plenty of opportunities to conduct your own family taste test.

What families can expect

The festival begins at 10 a.m. and continues throughout the day. Organizers have announced a full lineup of pawpaw-themed food, entertainment and family activities.

The obvious first stop is the fresh fruit. Visitors will be able to sample pawpaws and purchase fruit to take home while supplies last.

Because pawpaws have such a short season and don’t travel particularly well, tasting a freshly harvested one is much different from trying a processed pawpaw product. If fresh fruit is your family’s top priority, arrive early.

Pawpaw ice cream, cheesecake and drinks

Not sure your kids will try the fruit on its own? Pawpaw ice cream may be a more persuasive introduction.

The festival is expected to feature pawpaw beer, pawpaw ice cream and pawpaw cheesecake from Eli’s Cheesecake, along with other pawpaw-inspired foods and beverages from local makers.

You could easily turn the day into a family ranking: fresh pawpaw versus ice cream versus cheesecake.

Pawpaw trees for sale

Families interested in native gardening will also be able to purchase pawpaw trees and learn more about growing them.

Pawpaws are native to much of the eastern United States and usually grow as understory trees in wooded areas. Educational programming and tram tours will introduce visitors to the fruit, the trees and other native plants.

Keep in mind that successfully producing fruit generally requires more than one genetically distinct pawpaw tree for pollination. Ask the growers about planting requirements, hardiness and choosing trees appropriate for southeastern Wisconsin before buying.

Kids Corner

The festival’s Kids Corner is expected to include bounce houses and other children’s activities. That gives younger visitors a chance to burn off some energy between tastings and educational programs.

Tram tours

Festival tram tours will highlight pawpaw trees growing around the area. These tours should be especially interesting for families who want to see what the trees look like in a natural setting rather than simply sampling the finished products.

Live music and local vendors

Live music will continue throughout the celebration, and dozens of local vendors, artisans and food makers are expected to participate.

The combination makes it easy to spend several hours at the festival without needing a rigid schedule. Taste some fruit, listen to music, browse the vendors and let the kids play before returning for dessert.

A suggested Pawpaw Festival day-trip itinerary

Paw Paw is far enough from Milwaukee that you’ll want to make a full day of the trip.

7:30 a.m.: Leave Milwaukee’s North Shore.

10 a.m.: Arrive as the festival begins. Start with the fresh-fruit vendors before popular products sell out.

10:30 a.m.–noon: Sample pawpaws, explore the vendor area and check the educational schedule.

Noon: Have lunch at the festival and try at least one pawpaw-inspired dish or drink.

1–2 p.m.: Take a tram tour or attend an educational program.

2–3 p.m.: Visit the Kids Corner, listen to live music and finish with pawpaw ice cream or cheesecake.

Midafternoon: Either begin the drive home or add another nearby stop.

Turn it into a northern Illinois road trip

If your family isn’t ready to head home after the festival, there are a couple of worthwhile stops in the surrounding area.

Shabbona Lake State Park

Shabbona Lake State Park encompasses 1,550 acres of prairie, woodland and a 318-acre lake. Families can hike, picnic, fish or simply take a short walk before beginning the drive back to Wisconsin.

This is the better add-on for families who want a quiet nature break after a busy festival.

Rochelle Railroad Park

Train-loving kids will want to know about the Rochelle Railroad Park, located at the junction of two major freight rail lines.

The observation area is open 24 hours a day, and the park reports that as many as 80 trains can pass through on a busy day. Amenities include parking, picnic areas, restrooms, railroad artifacts and an elevated viewing area.

It’s a simple, free stop that fits the wonderfully quirky spirit of the trip.

For more ideas, explore our complete collection of family road-trip guides or plan another Illinois adventure with our guide to visiting Chicago with kids.

Tips before you go

• Arrive near the 10 a.m. opening if tasting or purchasing fresh pawpaws is your priority.

• Bring a cooler if you plan to purchase fresh fruit, cheesecake or other temperature-sensitive products.

• Pawpaws bruise easily, so bring a small box or rigid container for transporting fruit.

• Wear comfortable walking shoes. Activities are spread around Veterans Park, and the tram tours may involve getting on and off outdoors.

• Bring some cash in addition to a card. Payment options may vary among individual vendors.

• Check the festival website and Facebook event before leaving for the latest schedule, parking information and weather-related announcements.

• If anyone in your family has food allergies, ask vendors about ingredients before sampling processed foods and desserts.

For families who enjoy food festivals, native plants, small towns or unusual roadside discoveries, Paw Paw offers something genuinely different.

You can taste a fruit most grocery stores never carry, try it in everything from ice cream to cheesecake, learn how it grows and spend the day at a free community festival. Add a state-park hike or a stop to watch trains in Rochelle, and you have the makings of a memorable early-fall road trip.