YORK COUNTY, Pa. — The 19th annual PawPaw Festival is making its return to York County.
The Horn Farm Agriculture Center for Agriculture Education is the host of this event that attracts visitors from as far as New York. The festival also comes as The Horn Farm continues to rebuild after a devastating fire caused by lightning in October 2021.
The centerpiece of the festival is the pawpaw, but it also highlights the wild and uncommon flavors of York County. A pawpaw is a native fruit that grows naturally in Pennsylvania. The pawpaw ripens for a short period of time from mid-September to mid-October.
What started out as a small, humble event of about 80 people founded by Richard and Judy Bono 17 years ago has now transformed into a large-scale event with dozens of small businesses, food trucks, plant nurseries and environmental organizations.
In October 2021, a fire caused by a lightning strike tore through one of the farmhouses. The roof of the farmhouse caught on fire and spread to the second floor. A number of agencies, including EMS and police, responded to put it out, but the building suffered severe structural damage. The building was used for offices, but it could no longer be used after the blaze.
Since then, the organizers at Horn Farm have been rebuilding, with 75% of the design process already completed. The rebuilding efforts are taking place in phases, with phase one fulfilled. Phase one included completing demolition and removing debris from the building, restoring electricity and internet damaged by the lightning strike to the campus and starting the redesign for the future farmhouse.
So far, the rebuilding fund has raised a little over $100,000 from donors across the state. The final designs include a large classroom space, a kitchenette downstairs and an energy- and water-efficient system for the building. The PawPaw Festival will also contribute to the rebuilding of the farmhouse.
Click here for rebuilding and ticketing information.