Happy "Daze" are Here Again

It is that time of year again. Toad Suck Daze is this weekend. It is one of Arkansas' biggest festivals. My boys love it. We are planning on going there this afternoon after school. We will look at all the crafts, watch performances, and eat fried food on a stick. Aren't you jealous?

Legend has it: Long ago, steamboats traveled the Arkansas River when the water was at the right depth. When it wasn't, the captains and their crew tied up to wait where the Toad Suck Lock and Dam now spans the river. (Near Conway, Arkansas.) While they waited, they refreshed themselves at the local tavern there, to the dismay of the folks living nearby, who said "They suck on the bottle 'til they swell up like toads." Hence, the name Toad Suck. The tavern is long gone, but the legend and fun live on at Toad Suck Daze.

One of the biggest draws is a relatively new contest called Stuck on a Truck. The idea is that the person who can keep their hands on the truck the longest wins the truck. These people are crazy. They get breaks every hour and a longer break every 4 hours or so. The contest lasts longer than the festival. Toad Suck Daze is over by Sunday evening. These "stuck" people will be there into Monday and maybe Tuesday. They start to hallucinate and fall asleep standing up. I don't want a truck that badly. More power to them, I guess. You can watch them by clicking on the link above.

This is the 26th Annual Toad Suck Daze. And yes, the boys are wearing their festival t-shirts at school today. Everybody has them, it is the thing to do. Don't you want one?