Toad Suck Daze Announces Plans for 45th Annual Festival; Baptist Health a Presenting Sponsor

 CONWAY, Ark. – Toad Suck Daze announced today more than $138,000 in charitable giving, as well as headline entertainment and key programming for its 45th annual festival in downtown Conway on May 1-3.

 

Toad Suck Daze is the largest, free family festival in Arkansas with more than 100,000 attendees every year. Since its inception in 1982, it has contributed more than $2.7 million in scholarships, endowments, STEM education, preschool funding, arts education, and community development. Toad Suck Daze is presented by Baptist Health, Chris Crain Hyundai, and Genesis of Conway.

 

"This year is particularly special for Baptist Health Medical Center-Conway, as we celebrate our 10th anniversary right here in Conway," said April Bennett, president of Baptist Health Medical Center-Conway. "Like Toad Suck Daze, we are deeply committed to the well-being and growth of this community, and we are proud to be a key part of what makes Conway a great place to live."

 

“Community is our number one priority at Chris Crain Hyundai and Genesis of Conway, and you can’t be involved in the community without being involved in Toad Suck Daze,” said Brett Berry, general manager of Chris Crain Hyundai. “We enjoy displaying our vehicles, passing out balloons to all the kids, and meeting all the locals and visitors during the festival. It is a big part of our year, and we always look forward to it.”

 

The festival announced planned giving to further its tradition of supporting scholarships, endowments, STEM education, pre-K reading initiatives, arts education, and community development.

 

Contributions announced today include:

 

This year’s entertainment is headlined by Uncle Kracker, a multi-platinum artist whose easygoing blend of country, pop, and rock has produced hits across three decades. He has reached No. 1 in three different genres — pop, adult contemporary, and country — with singles like “Follow Me,” When the Sun Goes Down” with Kenny Chesney, and “Drift Away,” which made history with 28 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the adult contemporary charts. Uncle Kracker will take the Toad Suck Daze Main Stage on Saturday night. 

 

Opening for Uncle Kracker will be Shane Profitt, a rising country artist whose blue-collar roots and heavy-duty vocal have earned him sold-out shows, and Trey Pendley, a Toad Suck, Arkansas native, whose outlaw country-rooted sound explores themes of fatherhood, identity, and rural life. Other local acts on Saturday include Zach Mackenzie and Charlie Rock.

 

Friday night’s entertainment will be headlined by Mr. Sipp, a Mississippi native who has become one of the most electrifying performers on the blues and roots circuit. He combines powerful vocals, elite guitar work, and an outlandish stage show that has filled venues and festivals across the world. He was a 2024 GRAMMY Award winner as part of the Count Basie Orchestra, and the 2025 B.B. King Entertainer of the Year.

 

Opening for Mr. Sipp is Zach Person, an indie rock artist known for his loud, raw sound and a live show that blends high-energy rock anthems with funk. He won the prestigious Eddie’s Attic Bi-Annual Shootout — a distinction shared by artists including John Mayer and Tyler Childers — and has performed at events like Austin City Limits and Experience Hendrix.

 

More acts, including Sunday’s entertainment lineup, will be announced in the coming weeks in the leadup to the festival. All festival entertainment is presented by Choctaw Casino & Resort Pocola. Headline entertainment is presented by Green Bay Packaging and Car-Son Construction.

 

Toad Suck Daze festival programming will feature traditional favorites like the World Championship Toad Races, and as always, new activities to help continue to grow the festival’s reach. Popular and familiar programming and attractions returning this year include Westrock Coffee Tinkerfest with programming provided by the Museum of Discovery, and the Caldwell Toyota and Turbare Manufacturing Toadal Kids Zone.

 

A new attraction added this year is a behind-the-scenes experience open to children through the Bargain Brothers Green Ticket Toadal Kid Experience. The contest will select two students from each Conway Public Schools elementary school, as well as St. Joseph and Conway Christian schools, for a behind-the-scenes Toad Suck Daze experience that includes rides, games, and festival food. Parents can enter their children at bidbargainbros.com/toadsuckdaze by Friday, April 24. 

 

For a full schedule of entertainment and other attractions, visit ToadSuck.org or follow Toad Suck Daze on Facebook.

 

For more than 40 years, a central Arkansas festival with a quirky name has contributed more than $2.7 million to scholarships, scholarship endowments, preschool funding, and arts education. As Arkansas’s largest festival, Toad Suck Daze attracts more than 100,000 festivalgoers of all ages to downtown Conway the first weekend of May for national and local musical entertainment, food-on-a-stick, retail and arts-and-crafts vendors, and most notably, the World Championship Toad Races. For more information, visit ToadSuck.org.