The Largest Festival in Arkansas has the Word ‘Suck’ in Its Title
When it comes to festivals in Arkansas there are some really good ones but one of the most popular ones has a really bizarre name Toad Suck Daze coming up this weekend May 5-7, in Conway, Arkansas.
It's probably the only festival I know of in the United States that has the word "suck" in its title. However, this festival is far from sucking since 1982 this festival has been a rite of the spring season bringing in over 100,000 people from all over to indulge in this one-of-a-kind- family festival. And just for the grins, I googled festivals in the United States with the word "suck" in the title, and guess what? Toad Suck Daze popped up, according to Google there were no other festivals in America with "suck" in the title.
Toad Suck Daze
Toad Suck Daze features a ton of vendors with a variety of food, a carnival, children's activities in the Toadal zone, arts and crafts vendors, concerts, and more in an 8-block radius downtown.
And what would the Toad Suck festival be without the World Championship Toad Races at the Toad Dome?
You'll want to get a selfie or photo with the Toad Suck Daze mascots Croaker W. Toad and Dazey Toad and meet Arkansas PBS characters. There will be plenty of interactive activities for the kids, a petting zoo, clowns, and games.
Stand-up Comedy
Prop down on your toadstool and enjoy live performances from comedian Dusty Slay, who has half a million Tik Tok followers and has been featured on Comedy Central, a Netflix half-hour special, and appears regularly at the legendary Grand Ole Opry.
The Concerts
Seaforth is a pop-country duo from Australia, the ban got its name from a suburb in Sydney called Seaforth.
Iowa-born native Hailey Whitters is a country singer who toured with Luke Combs and Midland and was named the inaugural Opry NextStage Artist of the Year, scored her first CMT Music Award nomination for “Breakthrough Video of the Year,” for the song “Fillin’ My Cup” featuring Little Big Town. See the complete list of entertainment here.
I think she sounds a little like Miranda Lambert. What do you think?
Don't miss the Toad Daze 5K Race, Toad Suck Pageant, and more!
Alright, for those curious about how this whole name came to be, steamboats use to travel the Arkansas River, and when the river was not at the right depth boat captains and to wait at the Toad Suck Lock and Dam until the river crested at the right depth to continue their journey. While waiting they did a little drinking in a nearby tavern, where disgruntled townsfolks coined the phrase, “They suck on the bottle ‘til they swell up like toads," and the rest is history as they say. This whole thing originated in Toad Suck, Arkansas but moved to Conway 30 years ago.
For more on the origin of Toad Suck Daze watch this video from THV11.
So, don't miss Toad Suck Daze May 5-7, in Conway, Arkansas. For more information visit their website.