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Toad Suck Daze 2019 is coming right up, May 3rd through the 5th, in Conway, AR. This annual event attracts up to 150,000 visitors each year with live music, carnival rides, and of course, Toad Races!

Toad Suck Daze has been entertaining folks the first weekend of every May since 1982. What began as one man’s idea on how to forget the recession has become a beloved annual festival that attracts visitors from all over.

The event is named after a historic crossing on the Arkansas River, just outside of Conway. “Daze” was added as a play on the word “days” and to call out “the euphoria of spring.” The festival was originally held in Toad Suck Park but was moved to downtown Conway after spring flooding made the park unavailable one year.

The name “Toad Suck” itself, remains somewhat of a mystery. Theories abound as to the source. The most accepted theory is that, while steamboat crews waited for their loads to be transferred, they’d frequent a tavern on the spot and commence to “… suck on the bottle ’til they swell up like toads.”