Sucker Days back after year off

An annual Nixa festival with tens of thousands of guests is coming back this month after a forced one-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Nixa Area Chamber of Commerce is scheduled to host the 63rd Sucker Days Music, Arts and Crafts Festival May 21-22, according to a news release.

“This is the second year that the Nixa Chamber of Commerce has hosted the event, but Sucker Days has been a longstanding Nixa tradition since 1957 and we are honored to host and continue to bring this to Nixa, especially after missing last year," said Chris Russell, CEO of the Nixa chamber, in the release.

Russell said the chamber is investing $40,000 to put on the event in downtown Nixa. He said the event in 2019 brought in an estimated 20,000 people.

Features this year include rides, a petting zoo, entertainment stages, a beer garden and a dog show, according to the release. The event's name refers to a type of fish.