Double Decker preparations underway

About 55,000 residents throughout the South will find themselves in Oxford on April 29 and 30 for the 16th Annual Double Decker Art Festival.

The event is hosted by the Oxford Convention and Visitors Bureau and will be stretched over two days and feature a headlining musical guest.  

Musical guests will appear Friday night on the south stage with an admission fee. The price has yet to be determined.

Mary Kathryn Millner, Oxford Convention and Vistors Bureau director of tourism said they hope to confirm an artist by Thursday.

She said that this year is a learning year and that if things aren’t successful they will consider going back to having the event on one night.

The main event will take place Saturday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., with no admission fee and will feature many art vendors, food vendors and the children’s Square Fair.  

“We are planning on having a bigger music headline that’s still in the works, but we haven’t confirmed anything yet,” said Mary Allyn Roulhac, tourism manager at the Oxford Convention and Visitors Bureau.  

The musical lineup has not yet been determined, but will feature music from a broad range of genres including bluegrass, jazz, gospel, blues, country, folk, zydeco and regional rock-and-roll groups.

The art vendors for the event have already been selected, and can be found on the website.

Roulhac said the vendors each bring a following from their cities and states. The food vendors have yet to be posted, and will be limited by food category.  

Saturday is known to bring families with its free admission.

For the kids, the Square Fair, sponsored by the Mississippi Arts Commission, will feature an array of activities, including face painting, musicians, clowns, storytelling and a train. It will be held behind the Oxford University Club and Thompson building.

One of the main events is the pet costume contest in the afternoon.  

“The event really brings out families because they can enjoy everything from shopping for art, food and the children’s area,” Roulhac said. “I think (free admission) definitely attracts a lot more visitors than probably if we had an admissions festival.”  

Roulhac said, Double Decker is a great tourism attraction for Oxford, and most hotels are already booked. She said they are expecting between 50,000 to 55,000 people to attend.

The past two years have seen a large number of guests, but Roulhac said she expects an even larger crowd with the addition of the Friday night musical performance.  

Double Decker has developed into an Oxford tradition. The name comes from the arrival of the city’s very own Double Decker bus from England in 1994.  

“Since we have the double decker buses, it becomes a staple in Oxford,” Roulhac said. “I think people have made it their tradition in the spring. I know a lot of people plan their trips to come to Oxford that particular weekend.”

The Convention and Visitors Bureau will also partner with the Oxford Bike Association and Chamber of Commerce as they host a Spring Run and Road Ride.   

“A lot of people come down for these specific events and then end up staying for the festival,” Roulhac said.  

For more information on Double Decker visit www.oxfordcvb.com/doubledecker. To register for the run visit www.doubledeckerspringrun.com, and to register for the road ride visit  www.doubledeckerride.com.