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Conway, AR

Recreation & Tourism

The area’s abundance of natural beauty makes Conway a great place for outdoor adventure. Home to scenic lakes and parks, the area has great fishing, boating, hiking and swimming opportunites. There are also parks and rec centers for sports and recreational activities. Both visitors and residents alike enjoy the many festivals, events and other tourist attractions.

• The Arkansas River is a great location for bass, crappie, catfish and brim fishing.
• Beaverfork Lake, covering 900 acres, has a boat ramp available for boating, fishing and skiing. The park also has picnic and swimming areas.
• Cadron Creek is a favorite central Arkansas float stream with numerous put-in points and gentle floats.
• Lake Bennett, located in the center of Woolly Hollow State Park, is a popular recreation lake for swimming, boating, camping and picnicking. There are also canoes, pedal boats, fishing boats and motors available to rent.
• Lake Conway was built in 1951 by the Game and Fish Commission for recreational purposes. The lake covers almost 6,700 acres and is the largest man-made game and fish lake in the United States. It is one of the state’s favorite fishing spots. Lake Conway boasts various bass, crappie and catfish and is also the only lake in Arkansas where hybrid bream (a bluegill/green sunfish cross) have been stocked.

Parks
• Airport Park has one unlighted softball field, a small playground and a basketball goal.
• Bainbridge Park has a pavilion with a table, three basketball goals and a small playground.
• Cadron Settlement Park has a boat-launching site, picnic areas, a pavilion and camping areas. It also has the Block House restoration, several historical markers and the Cherokee Trail of Tears Memorial Hike.
• Curtis Walker Park has a baseball field, two basketball courts, a playground and a youth football field.
• Fifth Avenue Park has two pavilions, a softball field, two tennis courts, two basketball goals, a playground and a volleyball net.
• Fifth Avenue Park has two pavilions, a softball field, two tennis courts, two basketball goals, a playground and a volleyball net.
• Gatling Park has a basketball court, two tennis courts, a playground and a large green space.
• Laurel Park has a state-of-the-art playground, three basketball goals, four tennis courts, a soccer field, a pavilion and a 7/10 mile jogging track.
• Old Ferry Landing Park has a boat ramp, picnic areas and a playground. The Toad Suck Lock and Dam is located in the park, and you can stop and watch the river barges come through.
• Simon Park, located downtown by City Hall, has as its main attraction a covered band shell and caboose. There is also a water spray fountain and plenty of park benches.
• Toad Suck Park has a boat ramp, picnic areas, pavilions, and tent and trailer spaces. There are also basketball courts, softball and soccer fields, and a playground.
• Woody Hollow State Park is the site of the area’s first settlers. It offers areas for fishing, swimming, paddle boating, camping and picnicking.
• Young Business Men’s Association Fairgrounds has a practice field, baseball fields, soccer fields, pavilions, picnic tables and exhibit areas. It is the venue for the Farmers Market and the Faulkner County Fair.

Soccer
First State Park was created out of the vision of the John W. Allison family. Being soccer fans and having children playing the game at high levels, the Allisons realized that the 2,000+ youth soccer players in the area had no dedicated place to play. Teams were playing anywhere they could find an open field of grass. The Allisons purchased the land and formed a partnership between First State Bank, the City of Conway and the Conway United Soccer Association to create a first-class soccer complex for Arkansas and the surrounding states.

A tremendous amount of time and effort was put forth to ensure the facility had top-notch features, including superior lighting, sufficient drainage and irrigated sodded fields. Conway Corporation was very instrumental in the design and implementation of all the utilities at the park.

First State Park is the realization of the Allison family’s dream. The 51-acre park features 10 full-size soccer fields, two U-10 size soccer fields, four championship lighted fields, a concession stand and a Soccer Mania retail store.

Sports Centers and Skateboarding
The Conway Parks and Recreation Department operates two recreational centers: the Conway Sports Center and the McGee Center. Both centers offer a variety of activities for all ages.

The Don Owen Complex houses the Conway Sports Center, tee-ball and softball fields, and the Faulkner County rodeo arena, which consists of two barns, an arena and a corral area. The Sports Center has basketball, volleyball and racquetball courts; a track; and meeting rooms. The center hosts many sports programs throughout the year.

McGee Center has three basketball courts, a walking rack with three lanes, and four racquetball courts. Adjacent to the center is the Conway Skate Park. Opened in March 2002, the park is in a fenced area next to the McGee Center. The park is on a 14,000-square-foot pad and has a half-pipe ramp, roll-in ramp, bank ramp, street spine, jump box, half pyramid, grind rail, quarter pie, kinked grind rail, grind box and sub box. The park is open to skateboarders and in-line skaters six days a week and to bikes one day a week.

Youth and Adult Sports
If you enjoy participating in sports, there is a large variety of sporting opportunities for both youth and adults here in Conway. There are various sports associations that help organize team sports and individual sports. Youth sports include baseball, tee-ball, softball, pee-wee football, soccer, basketball, cheerleading, swimming and volleyball. Adult sports include softball, volleyball, basketball, running club and tennis.

School Sports
With numerous high school teams and three colleges, there is always a game on in Conway. Conway Public Schools and St. Joseph Catholic School compete in the Arkansas Activities Association. Conway is a 5A school and St. Joseph is a 2A school. Conway Christian School competes in the Arkansas Christian Conference.

College sports abound as well. The University of Central Arkansas is a member of the Southland Conference and is classified as a Division I school by the NCAA. Hendrix College is a member of the Southern Collegiate Athletic conference and is classified as a Division III school. Central Baptist College is a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association and has Division I status.

Walking/Biking Trails
The Tucker Creek Walking and Bike Trail system is a 30-acre trail system stretching 1.2 miles along the banks of Tucker Creek. The trail is paved and lighted and has benches along the way.

Golf Courses
Centennial Valley Golf and Athletic Club offers membership to a private club that includes an 18-hole course, swimming pool, restaurant and workout facility. Conway Country Club is also a private club and features an 18-hole golf course. It also has four USTA-approved tennis courts, three swimming pools, two dining options and a pro shop.

Festivals and Events
Each year thousands of people come to Conway and Faulkner County to take part in one of the largest and most colorful festivals in Central Arkansas — Toad Suck Daze.

A unique appeal, creative approach and family atmosphere have made Toad Suck Daze popular with folks from Arkansas as well as visitors from the entire country and beyond. They turn out for what promises to be one of the most interesting and entertaining weekends of the year.

The festival’s name comes from a colorful legend from the heyday of steamboats on the Arkansas River. As the legend goes, 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. While they waited, they refreshed themselves at the local tavern. The dismayed folks living nearby were heard to say, “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.

Held the first weekend in May, the goal of Toad Suck Daze is to provide a family festival at little or no cost while raising money to finance the festival and provide community scholarships to Faulkner County students attending one of the local higher-learning institutions.

Toad Suck Daze also has its own store, called the Toad Store, where the official Toad Suck Daze T-shirts and other toad items can be purchased.

The activities and events planned in conjunction with the festival include the World Famous Toad Races; tournaments for basketball, softball, golf and tennis; a Toad pageant; carnival rides; live entertainment; Stuck on a Truck Contest; Toad Market; and, of course, food.

Toad Suck Daze really has a language all its own, which has raised an eyebrow or two with newcomers, but everyone is treated like a V.I.T. — very important toad!

Dazzle Daze is Conway Regional Women’s Council’s annual fundraiser that features a three-day shopping extravaganza. It features a variety of special shopping at the Don Owen Sports Complex. Dozens of merchants offer antiques, gourmet food, home and holiday items, jewelry, clothing, collectibles, and more. Proceeds from the event go to the Conway Regional Hospital.

Greater Arkansas’ Hard Working Vehicle Show is a new festival to the area and offers fun for all ages. Antique trucks, RVs, buses and emergency vehicles are on display.

Other Attractions
Conway Family Bowl is a great place to spend your time. They offer 24 bowling lanes, automated scoring and a snack bar. Tournaments are also held at this location.

Conway Roller Rink is wholesome fun for the entire family. Not only is there a large skating floor with roller racers, but there is also an arcade area with games, pool tables and skeeball. It is also home to the largest maze in the state.

Pickles Gap Village is a quaint little Ozark village getting its unique name from the legend of a German immigrant crossing the creek and overturning his wagon load of pickles. A favorite rest stop for folks heading for the Ozarks and Branson, this quaint little village offers a variety of gifts and souvenirs, a music shop, antique and craft shops, a card shop, a knife shop, a kiddie-land, Gina’s Jewel Restaurant, and Pickle Barrel Fudge Factory, which features homemade fudge and pies.