Conway, Arkansas hopping for Toad Suck DazeMay 2, 1997Web posted at: 12:00 a.m. EDT (0400 GMT) (CNN) -- Conway, Arkansas isn't waiting for its prince to come. It'll just as happily take the frog, warts and all -- and throw a big party in the green guy's honor. The city kicks off its 16th annual Toad Suck Daze on Friday. The festival draws its oddball name from the days when ferries and riverboats dominated the Arkansas River, according to Deanna Ott of the Conway Chamber of Commerce. "When the water wasn't the right depth for the boats to go through, the captains would tie up and wait," she explains. "While they waited, they would 'refresh' themselves at the local tavern, and people said they would drink until they swelled up like toads." Libations take a back seat to amphibians, these days. The festival prides itself on its family and froggy focus, offering such wholesome activities as a parade, Toad Jam (a three-on-three basketball tournament), a softball tournament, and Daze of Praze (a Sunday morning gathering of church congregations). And, of course, there are toad jumping races. Two hundred hoppers compete each year. According to organizers, the number of jumps the toads have made over the past 15 years exceeds the number of jumps Olympic hurdlers have made since the games began. The toads, however, aren't landing any athletic shoe contracts at the finish line. Toad Suck Daze runs May 2-4 in Conway, Arkansas. Organizers say it is the state's third largest festival. 150,000 people are expected to attend. 
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