Piloting
steamboats up the Arkansas River in the 1800s could make a man mighty thirsty,
and when the river dropped below navigational levels it was just the excuse
needed by captains and crew to disembark for alcoholic refreshments.
One such spot was near present-day
Conway, Arkansas. While the steamboat personnel waited for the river to rise,
local tavern owners made a killing selling them drinks. Residents, however,
were not as happy to see the steamboat guys arrive and drink to abandon. They
were known to remark, “They suck on the bottle ‘til they swell up like toads.”
That spot on the river became “Toad
Suck.”
Naturally, there’s a festival.
This weekend will be the 37th
annual Toad Suck Daze (Friday through Sunday, May 3-5, 2019) covering eight city blocks in downtown Conway.
The original festival was held at Toad Suck Park near the Toad Suck Ferry Lock
and Dam but moved to Conway after the river flooded in 1990.
The annual fete includes live music
performances, arts and crafts, 10K/5K race and the Tour de Toad bike race, “Toad Market,” children’s activities, carnival
rides and, yes, the World Championship Toad Races. Proceeds benefit a scholarship program to promote
higher education in the county. And admission is free.
 |
| Downtown Conway |
“To date,” according to the
festival website, “$1.7 million was raised for scholarships, scholarship endowments and, more recently, preschool funding.
Don’t be put off by the name; this
is one great festival. Conway’s Toad Suck Daze Festival has won numerous
medals, including three gold, from the International
Festivals and Events Association Convention.
For more information on the Toad
Suck Daze, visit http://toadsuck.org/.
Cheré Coen is an award-winning
travel writer specializing in the Deep South. She is also the author of “Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History,” “Haunted
Lafayette, Louisiana” and “Exploring Cajun Country: A Historic Guide to Acadiana” and co-author of “Magic’s
in the Bag: Creating Spellbinding Gris Gris Bags and Sachets.” Write her at cherecoen@gmail.com.
