Rayne’s Frog Festival is celebrating its 44th year starting Thursday.

Some changes have been made, like the month its held in.

Last year was the first in 42 years that the frog festival was held in May instead of September, and was a huge success.

This year will continue the new tradition, all made possible with a special permit from Wildlife and Fisheries.

The permit allows for frog festival officials, to collect up to 75 frogs during the off-season months of April and May.

Bullfrogs are one of the biggest frogs and they are used for the festivals activities.

They weigh roughly 2 pounds and are about a foot long each.

Their history runs deep throughout the city of Rayne.

Everywhere you turn, there’s a frog smiling back at you.

These frogs used to be sold out of Rayne back in the day.

Jimmy Prevost, A member of the committee tells us that “There is no longer a frog buying business out of this area but its tradition that Rayne was the frog capital of the world.”

Last year was the first in 42 years that the frog festival was held in May instead of September, and was a huge success.

This year will continue the new tradition, all made possible with a special permit from Wildlife and Fisheries.

The permit allows for frog festival officials, to collect up to 75 frogs during the off-season months of April and May.

Prevost says they catch the biggest frogs that they can and only try to catch males. They leave the females out in the field to have eggs. “That’s going to be our future frogs for the years to come”, Prevost says.

They can only be caught at night, two days before the festival.

They were able to catch 45 frogs and 45 is enough for this year.

Prevost says the catching process is a lot of fun. They go out to crawfish ponds in the area and Prevost says the frogs are not scared of the noises that the boats make.

They have a light they shine on them and it makes the frogs freeze in place.

Then they drive up next to them and they catch them by hand.

These frogs will be participating in the frog race, frog jumping contest, queen contest and more.

The festival will have tons of music, rides, frog petting, and over 50 food vendors.

Don’t worry, these frogs are are not the guys you’ll be eating.

Prevost tells us that the frogs will be released Sunday morning right in the same crawfish pond we caught them in.

Thursday night is free admission. There is a $5 entrance fee Friday and Saturday.