HOPPIN’ HONORS
Toad Suck Daze named 2016 Festival of the Year
Toad Suck Daze hopped to the front of the festival line and won gold for 2016 Festival of the Year by the Arkansas Festivals and Events Association, and it also received top awards in the T-shirt/sweatshirt and souvenir categories.
The awards were handed out during the 2017 Arkansans Love Festivals and Events Awards Luncheon in January. Winning the title as the Festival of the Year was a goal, but somewhat unexpected, said Mary Margaret Satterfield, director of Toad Suck Daze and events at the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce.
“There are tons of great festivals in the state of Arkansas, and it has been an honor to place each year, but it is always a goal to try and actually be named the Festival of the Year,” she said.
Toad Suck Daze has been bringing deepfried happiness and harmony to the community since 1982.
This year’s judging panel was composed of representatives from various sectors of the Department of Arkansas Heritage, said Jenna Friday, executive director of the Arkansas Festivals & Events Association.
“Winners of the AFEA Festival of theYear Award specifically stand out among all the festivals in Arkansas by its creative approach, crowd appeal, media coverage, and/or enhancement of community pride, thus benefiting the state’s quality of life,” Friday said. There’s a specific criteria each festival submission must make before consideration. Each submission requires a three-ring binder organized on a 100-point scale, which discusses a plethora of topics such as introductory information, promotional and marketing campaign/media outreach, sponsorship program, critical-component programs and much more.
“From the outside, I love the giving-back mentality of the event and the commitment to their unique theme — toads,” Friday said.
There were five Department of Heritage employees who served on the judging panel this year, one of whom was Shelby Brewer, special projects coordinator.
“Toad Suck Daze stood out to us just because of the outstanding variety of things to do,” Brewer said. “There are hundreds of activities for the whole family. We liked that it included regional and national entertainment, along with performance art, visual art, sports activities and, of course, the toad races.”
Brewer also noted that one panel member said they especially liked that [the festival] was mostly staffed by volunteers.
“Another thing we really liked was that it’s free and has been so since 1982,” she added. “It brings the entire community together and attracts people from all over. Even though it’s free, it still raises money for scholarships.”
The powers that be have no desire to stop the festival’s growth now.
“Every year, we make small changes to Toad Suck Daze; it may be adding a new event or changing the layout some,” Satterfield said. “The Toad Suck Daze Committee and the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce want all who attend Toad Suck Daze to believe that it is the top festival in the state. This year, we have some new and different vendors as well as activities for festival attendees to enjoy in addition to all the favorites.”
Those who attend the festival can purchase multiple souvenirs, such as T-shirts, cups, toys and more.
The Toad Suck Daze T-shirt is designed by an ad agency with input from the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce leadership. In addition, Toad Suck Daze has a merchandise committee that works with local ad-specialty stores to determine other festival souvenirs and the design, Satterfield said.
“I think that winning Festival of the Year helps boost community pride for the festival,” Satterfield said. “Residents in Conway and Faulkner County already know that Toad Suck Daze is a great festival, and this award reinforces that.”