OK, this should be the last column on Toad Suck Daze (until next year's festival). But since it is the largest annual influx of businesses into Conway, I thought it would be an appropriate topic of discussion. I thought it would be fun for you to hear about some of the people I talked to, so here is the scoop.
I walked into downtown, crossing the giant toad painted at Toad Suck Square, looking for a booth that looked like a good conversation waiting to happen.
First I happened upon Brad Boyd of Kansas City, Mo., who runs a funnel cake and lemonade stand. He has been in the business since his parents, Billy and Joyce Boyd of Searcy, started it in 1987. He said they have been coming to Toad Suck Daze at least 18 years.
"With this weather, it'll be a busy night," he said on Friday afternoon, which was quite sunny.
Craig Wood of Damascus runs the Rodeo Style Mud Bugs booth, which sells crawfish, catfish, alligator on a stick and etouffee. This was Wood's second year at Toad Suck Daze. He said he and his family will be attending many other festivals, including Riverfest, the Mountain View Folk Festival and the Atkins Pickle Fest.
There were plenty of other food vendors, but I won't go into all of them. I'm sure many of you checked out some of their wares, and at some point a review of the many treats available has appeared or will appear in our newspaper.
I strolled around the Toad Market for a while, trying to decide which of the vendors and artisans I wanted to talk to. I would talk to many of them for a separate story, but for just a preview, I talked to a couple.
Judy Venema of Springtown, Texas, travels to 32 shows a year in nine states showing her hand crafted garden chimes and hummingbird feeders. This was her second year to come to Toad Suck Daze. On Friday she said business had been very good and she expected it to continue being good.
Mary O'Dell of Tyler, Texas, is a henna body artist. She had a wealth of knowledge about henna. She said she goes to a festival every weekend within a 500-mile radius of Tyler, Texas.
Henna is a plant that grows in the Middle East. Its leaves are ground and made into a paste that acts as a natural dye. It is a reddish brown. She said she can create about 5,000 designs, and they will last on the skin up to six weeks. Henna is traditionally used in the Middle East for weddings and other ceremonies, O'Dell said.
She added, "We really enjoy being here at Toad Suck. It's one of our favorite festivals."
After I spent some time getting to know a few vendors, I spent a few Toad Bucks to get my annual bag of kettle corn.
Next week I'll most likely write about something non-toad related. Call or e-mail me with any questions.
(Staff writer Rachel Parker Dickerson can be reached by e-mail at rachel.dickerson@thecabin.net or by phone at 505-1277. Send us your news at www.thecabin.net/submit)
