May means Toad Suck Daze

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.

Spring blooming at Garvan Woodland Gardens

 

Photo by Cheré Coen

I had the distinct pleasure of visiting Garvan Woodland Gardens at the onset of spring, viewing what seemed like endless rolling hills of daffodils and other spring flowers such as crocus and hyacinths. I’m a daffodil fan but I’ve been told that tulip days at the gardens outside Hot Springs, Ark., are a sight to see as well.

That’s why Garvan Woodland Gardens offers Tulip Extravaganza through April 30, showcasing more than 150,000 Dutch tulips, in addition to other spring annuals and azaleas in bloom. Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily with admission, $15 for adults, $5 for ages 6-12 and tykes 5 and under admitted free.

The gardens also offer a wide variety of workshops, special events such as bridal expos and musical performances, such as the upcoming “Celtic Spring” concert by the Muses Creative Artistry Project on March 12. Be sure and visit their website for more information at http://www.garvangardens.org.

Now enjoy the following spring fashion show:

Photo by Garvan Gardens

Photo by Cheré Coen

Photo by Cheré Coen

Photo by Cheré Coen

Photo by Cheré Coen

Cheré Dastugue Coen is a food and travel writer living in South Louisiana who is the author of several Louisiana romances under the pen name of Cherie Claire and the author of “Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History,” “Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana” and “Exploring Cajun Country” and co-author of “Magic’s in the Bag: Creating Spellbinding Gris Gris Bags and Sachets.” Write her at cherecoen@gmail.com.