This year, Nixa’s age-old tradition of the Sucker Days festival will take place on May 16 and 17. It is hosted by the Nixa Chamber of Commerce, offering people of all ages rides, trinkets, entertainment and food.
“This year, the kids’ rides will look a little different,” events and marketing coordinator Cayman Ott said. “We will be bringing in some bounce houses and some obstacle course-type rides. Friday and Saturday, there will be a main stage band playing both nights and then throughout the day. Saturday, we will also have different bands playing all throughout the day as well. We will have our parade on Friday, [which] will start at the [Nixa] Junior High and then make its way down Main Street.”
For entertainment, there will be live performances by various local bands.
“[So far] we only have one [band] … confirmed, and that would be The Mixtapes on Saturday, which [is] an ’80s cover band,” Ott said. “I know on Friday they’re looking to bring in … more country-oriented music.”
The biggest change compared to the previous year’s Sucker Days festival is the event has been shortened to two days instead of the three the community has seen in the past.
“The festival used to be only two days, and we had expanded it [previously],” Ott said. “But now we’re bringing it back down to ensure that the quality is still great, and also with the interference of graduation, we just want everybody to be able to attend … without any conflicts.”