OXFORD — What started with a little music in the bed of an old pickup truck and a handful of art and food vendors has evolved into one of the most popular festivals in the Southeast. Oxford, Mississippi, is celebrating the 24th year of its award-winning Double Decker Arts Fest on April 26 and 27.

About an hour from Memphis, Tennessee, off of Interstate 55, Oxford is named for Oxford, England, the inspiration for importing the red double-decker buses in 1994. They serve as the centerpiece of the two-day celebration of arts, music and food that takes place on the historic Courthouse Square. Now the recipient of more than 25 awards, including “Best Festival” by Mississippi Magazine and a “Top 20 Event” by the Southeast Tourism Society, Double Decker brings in over 65,000 attendees for a celebratory weekend. 

A Southern showcase —from mouthwatering bites to inspiring art

The festival has grown into a Southern tradition while preserving its original integrity. On Saturday, local vendors serve tasty temptations from snow cones to roast beef sandwiches to pizza by the slice, including specialty items that can only be found during the event. An artist showcase is selected by a jury of local artists, bringing more than 160 art vendors spanning a variety of media including drawings, glass, jewelry, mixed media, painting, photography, printmaking and sculpture. Children can gather at the Square Fair, located in the public parking lot on the North side of the Lafayette County Chancery Building, for fun ticketed rides. Children can find free games offered by the Oxford Fire Dept. on the east side of the same building.

Tune in for toe-tapping, colorful fun on April 26 and 27

The weekend kicks off on Friday with art demonstrations around the historic square by the Mississippi Plein Air Painters from 9 a.m.-4:40 p.m. Two historic guided Oxford bus tours depart from the Visit Oxford office (1013 Jackson Ave E) at 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for kids. Call 662-232-2477 ASAP, as seats sell out early. Friday evening the award-winning Thacker Mountain Radio hosts a live show with singer-songwriter Lilly Hiatt (6 p.m.) followed by the Thacker Mountain Radio Hour at 7 p.m. and Eric Gales, Memphis guitarist (8 p.m.), on the Square, along with Helen Ellis, author of the hilarious “Southern Lady Code.” For the full schedule and more details, go to https://doubledeckerfestival.com/schedule/

On Saturday, a generous mix of both local and touring musicians take to the stage from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., including Grammy Award winner Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit. The lineup includes crowd favorites in every genre from Americana alternative rock, alternative country to blues and Southern rock. Lawn chairs, or locally-dubbed “Grove chairs” are encouraged.

Saturday, April 27 Schedule

7:30 a.m.

5k and 10k run/walk, The Double Decker Spring Run, followed by a kids’ fun run at 9 a.m. For registration and more info click here.

10 a.m. Festival opens; art vendors open; shuttle service runs until 10 p.m., $5 round-trip; children under 12 ride free. Shuttles run from Oxford High School & old Baptist Hospital parking garage (now the University of Mississippi South Campus parking lot).       

The Double Decker buses will be running a short version of the regular public tours without a guide. $5/person to sit on the upper deck. Free to ride on the bottom.

Square Fair kids’ area with ticketed rides will be open 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

10:15 a.m. UM Salsa Project 

11:30 a.m. Kate Teague         

1 p.m. Cedric Burnside, four-time winner of the Blues Music Awards honor as Drummer of the Year

2:30 p.m. Emily King

4 p.m. Durand Jones and the Indications, original music and reinterpretations of Old School 70s sounds

5:30 p.m. Art and food vendors close; Lucero, “Distinctively Memphis” sound of alternative rock, alternative country and blues rock 

7 p.m. Shovels and Rope, American folk duo with seven albums and several awards

8:30 p.m. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Grammy Award winner, CMA Award nominee, Americana alternative country Southern rock

10 p.m. Festival closes, shuttles stop running

For a rundown of all the bands, go to https://doubledeckerfestival.com/music/

The festival’s 2019 Main Sponsor is The University of Mississippi Museum, an opportunity gifted to them by Ole Miss Athletics. Faulkner Sponsors include C Spire, Winchester, Nicholas Air and Specialty Orthopedic Group.

If you go

Take in even more music and art. On the Square, don’t miss the Mississippi Blues Trail marker, which commemorates many of Oxford’s musicians and the blues heritage that exists in the Mississippi Hills. The University of Mississippi Museum and Historic Houses showcase the finest collection of Greek and Roman antiquities in the South. The Museum also houses the permanent Theora Hamblett folk art collection. Admission to The University of Mississippi Museum is free; hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Tues.-Sat.

Named after Oxford, England, Oxford, Mississippi, is also the home to Nobel Prize-winning author William Faulkner. Travel the Bailey’s Woods Trail, a National Recreation Trail, from the Museum to Rowan Oak, the writer’s home built in 1844. Be sure to peek at the outline of his award-winning novel, “A Fable,” handwritten on the wall of his study. Later, pay homage to the literary great with a visit to his grave site located in nearby St. Peter’s Cemetery.

Don’t miss Square Books, voted “Best Bookstore in the Nation” by Publishers Weekly. The Thacker Mountain Radio show is hosted live from their nearby sister store, Off Square Books.

Inspiring other literary greats, author John Grisham also left his mark in Oxford, attending The University of Mississippi Law School. Catch a performance at the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts or at the Powerhouse, built in 1928 as the home of the Oxford Electric Department, featuring eight rotating art exhibits throughout the year, which are free to the public. Art exhibits highlight Mississippi artists, as well as artists inspired by the South. Be sure to check the schedule at The Lyric, situated just off the square, which originally opened in 1913 as a silent movie theatre and was renovated to provide premier live music and event space in Oxford and the Southeast.