By Alyssa Schnugg
News editor
With the 25th Double Decker Arts Festival just a few short days away, Visit Oxford went over some last-minute details with Oxford Tourism Council Monday.
“We’re just dotting our Is and crossing our Ts at this point,” said Visit Oxford Executive Director Kinney Ferris.
Visit Oxford is spending the next few days trying to get the word out about shuttles to the popular festival and when and where people should, and shouldn’t park around the Square.
At 4 a.m. on Friday, North Lamar Boulevard and Monroe Avenue will be closed to allow crews to set up the Double Decker Stage on North Lamar. Any vehicles remaining on those streets at 4 a.m. will be towed.
All other metered parking spots will be closed to the public at 4 a.m. Saturday morning. All vehicles that remained parked on the Square by 4 a.m. will be towed.
“We’re mostly worried about reaching Ole Miss students as three-quarters of them have never attended Double Decker, whereas local people mostly know not to park on the Square,” Ferris said.
Due to COVID-19, the festival was canceled in 2020 and 2021.
Visit Oxford, the city of Oxford and the Oxford Police Department will be regularly posting the parking rules on their social media pages to get the word out.
The Downtown Parking Garage will remain open during the festival for parking. Parking will also be available in the water tower lot and the DHS lot on the corner of East Jackson Avenue and Ninth Street.
ADA spots are available on a first-come-first-serve basis in the parking lot behind Something Southern on East Jackson Avenue.
Shuttles will be provided to the event starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday that will run to 11 p.m. Saturday night. The cost is $5 round-trip. The shuttles will run from the Oxford High School and South Oxford Center (old Baptist hospital).
Music, art, fun for all
The weekend kicks off with music on the Ole Miss Student Activities Association stage on Friday, April 22 at 6:15 p.m. with the headliner being country crooner, and former Ole Miss baseball pitcher, Brett Young.
On Saturday a full day of music with bands and performers including Happy Landing, Maggie Rose, Mavis Staples and more taking the stage. The headliner this year will be The Revivalists.
In addition to music, there will be more than 140 art vendors from around the region and dozens of food vendors.
The Square Fair for children will be located in the Lafayette County Chancery Building. The cost is $20 per child for unlimited games and rides.
But before food, music and art on Saturday, visitors can get a healthy start to their Double Decker day with the annual Spring Run 5K and 10K runs and the Kids Fun Run, presented by Oxford Orthopedics Sports Medicine and the Oxford-Lafayette Chamber of Commerce.
As spring in north Mississippi is forever unpredictable, the festival will go on rain or shine, Ferris said. However, some musical performances may be delayed if it is raining.
For more information about Double Decker, visit https://doubledeckerfestival.com/.
