When the college students are away, the townies come out to play.
The Yoknapatawpha Arts Council will host its annual Townie Takeover bar crawl sponsored by Cathead Distillery and Coors from 4 to 7 p.m. on July 29.
Locals can enjoy a round of drinks at popular bars including The Green at Harrisons, The Annex, Tangos, Funkys, The Roundtable and Quacks.
Tickets include one round of drinks at each bar and a Quack’s gourmet hot dog. The “crawl” will begin at The Green at Harrisons for yard games and end at Quack’s for gourmet hot dogs and Oxford Trivia.
When the college students leave to return home, the bustling downtown seems to die down during the summer months. YAC’s events committee wanted a fun way to support local “college bars” during this quiet season. That’s when they thought of Townie Takeover, a bar crawl for locals.
This popular event provides an opportunity for locals to celebrate businesses and enjoy each other’s company. Jeffrey Grimes, an Oxford local and member of the YAC Events committee, shares how this event is an opportunity to provide support to a community of businesses local residents may not frequently visit.
“The support of local community members comes to light during the summer months when the students are gone,” Grimes said. “Townie Takeover celebrates locals and encourages them to get out of their comfort zone to visit businesses that college students popularize during the school year.”
At the end of the night, event attendees will have an opportunity to test their townie knowledge at Quack’s with an Oxford-themed trivia game. The game will include prizes from the newest local brewery, Circle & Square, as well as gift cards from other restaurants.
While the event may be targeted toward locals, there is always room for those visiting the community to attend as well.
Caroline Parker, a former Ole Miss graduate turned full-time resident, shares how exciting this event is for community members and visitors alike.
“Oxford is a town full of lively nightlife, great food, and company,” Parker said. “Townie Takeover celebrates this town while providing local residents and visitors an opportunity to reminisce on their college years.”
You can purchase your tickets for these events or donate to YAC by visiting www.oxfordarts.com.
Staff report
