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Entries for the best-tasting pawpaw contest are displayed during the 17th Annual Ohio Pawpaw Festival at Lake Snowden. (Yi-Ke Peng/WOUB)

PHOTOS: 2015 Ohio Pawpaw Festival

Posted on: Monday, September 14, 2015

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Thousands gathered for the 17th annual Ohio Pawpaw Festival, held Sept. 11-13 at Lake Snowden in Albany, despite cooler temperatures and intermittent rain.

The fest–a celebration of Ohio’s native state fruit–was, as in past years, jam-packed with entertainment, educational displays and demonstrations, arts and crafts, and various competitions.

Here are photos of the weekend’s events, courtesy of WOUB’s Yi-Ke Peng, Jasmine Beaubien and Jeffrey Zide.

The Pawpaw Festival drew crowds on Saturday despite rainy weather and cool temperatures. (Yi-Ke Peng/WOUB).

Jason Szostek of Athens (middle) dances with his son Josiah Szostek, 3, while Celia Anderson of Athens, right, dances while wearing a jacket emblazoned with pawpaws. (Yi-Ke Peng/WOUB)

Attendees enjoy a campfire on the final day of the festival. (Jasmine Beaumien/WOUB)

A crowd gathers as Joseph Whitefeather explains the process of making his handcarved flutes. ( Jasmine Beaubien/WOUB)

A crowd gathers to watch J.D. Hutchison perform. (Jeffrey Zide/WOUB)

J.D. Hutchison performs at the Ohio Pawpaw Festival on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2015. (Jeffrey Zide/WOUB)

Terri Frazier of Cincinnati prepares pawpaw samples. (Yi-Ke Peng/WOUB)

Toni Jo Ramsey of Cincinnati feeds a pawpaw to her husband Steve Ramsey. (Yi-Ke Peng/WOUB).

Children play during the 17th Annual Ohio Pawpaw Festival at Lake Snowden. (Yi-Ke Peng/WOUB)

Larry Turner of Columbus, Ohio, holds up the Monarch butterflies that he and his wife raised during an exhibition at the Ohio Paw Paw Festival. (Yi-Ke Peng/WOUB) — Larry Turner of Columbus, Ohio, holds up the Monarch butterflies that he and his wife raised during an exhibition at the Ohio Pawpaw Festival. (Yi-Ke Peng/WOUB)

Campers set up tents at the 17th Annual Ohio Pawpaw Festival at Lake Snowden. (Yi-Ke Peng/WOUB)

Pawpaw samples were plentiful at this year's festival. (Yi-Ke Peng/WOUB) — Pawpaw samples were plentiful at this year’s festival. (Yi-Ke Peng/WOUB)