Welcome to your source of the latest information concerning the 2010 Persimmon Festival in Mitchell, IN - a 64 year tradition in celebration of the vision of George Bishop "to celebrate the persimmon" - no, not the Japanese hybrid import variety, the native American tree that grows in the wild in southern Indiana.
As detailed information becomes available the links on the left will become active giving you access to more information.
The festival will run from Saturday, Sept. 18^th through Saturday, Sept. 25^th. The parade will be held on the closing Saturday. If you wish to participate in the parade, use this entry form (entry form is in Adobe Acrobat format - if you do not have Acrobat, download a free version from Adobe).

Activities on Main Street do not begin until Monday, Sept. 20^th.

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I went to school in Southern Indiana, a place of rolling hills, covered bridges, small towns, stone quarries and the Mitchell Persimmon Festival. Before living there, I had heard of persimmons only in passing, filing them away in my mind with such fruit oddities as paw paws.

But in Southern Indiana, the persimmon -- ripe and bright orange -- is not only remembered, it is revered.

"We have persimmons painted on everything," says Mark Kern, clerk-treasurer for Mitchell, a town of about 4,500, 85 miles northwest of Louisville. "They're on our city bus, on our water tower and we have persimmon trees growing everywhere."

Persimmons are a big crop in this area, and so is the Mitchell Persimmon Festival that this year runs a day longer in celebration of the town's sesquicentennial. The festival, Sept. 18^th-25^th this year, has been a tradition since 1946. It celebrates persimmons in all their glory and guises -- there's a persimmon pudding contest that attracts more than 200 entries, a persimmon dessert novelty competition and even persimmon ice cream to sample.

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Last year’s Pudding Contest winner at the Persimmon Festival used buttermilk, heavy cream, butter and eggs, a little vanilla and a touch of cinnamon.  What’s that, you say?  You’ve never had persimmon pudding?  You’ve never had persimmons?  Well, that’s as good a reason as any to hasten to Mitchell, IN for the 62nd Annual Persimmon Festival.

The Persimmon Pudding contest takes place on Saturday the 27^th.  There’s also a Persimmon Novelty Dessert category; last year, the winner made Persimmon Gooey Butter Cake.  Recipes for both of last year’s winning dishes can be found in the Festival Booklet online.

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