Arts & Entertainment
Double Decades for Double Decker’s 20th Anniversary
It’s not spring in Oxford without the Double Decker Arts Festival, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.
Painting courtesy Double Decker vendor Judy Seay
Booth near Round Table
The festival, inspired by the bright red Double Decker bus imported from England in 1994 and now seen as a tour vehicle for the city, showcases the beauty of the arts around Oxford, including music, painting, sculptures, jewelry and more.
Since its inception April 27, 1996, the festival has become the highlight of the year not only for Oxonians, but also for Mississippians and Southerners alike, bringing thousands of tourists into town to enjoy a weekend of arts and entertainment. From its humble beginnings with a music stage set in a truck bed and a handful of vendors, it has grown into a two-day celebration, this year taking over town on April 24-25 with dozens of booths and a number of performers throughout both days.
For the bulk of a long weekend, the historic Oxford Square is shut down to cars and covered in pedestrians and vendors, selling the unique art and delicious foods of the area. Students mingle with locals, enjoying a cold drink on a warm spring day leading into a night of music and partying throughout the downtown area.
This year, music group Water Liars kicks off the music portion of the weekend at 6 p.m. Friday, featuring Andrew Bryant from Mississippi and Justin Kinkel-Schuster from Arkansas. The Double Decker Spring Runs — 10K, 5K and Fun Run — are early Saturday morning, giving participants a tour of the beautiful antebellum homes, the Ole Miss campus, as well as the historic home of William Faulkner before a second day of festivities, ending with a performance at 8:30 p.m. on the Graduate Hotel Stage by Trampled by Turtles out of Duluth, Minnesota.
Fun for young and old, Double Decker is bound to be a weekend to remember for the whole family — until next year.
Amelia Camurati is editor of HottyToddy.com and can be reached at amelia.camurati@hottytoddy.com.
| Sat, Aug 31 |  | vs Furman | W, 76-0 |
| Sat, Sep 7 |  | vs Middle Tennessee | W, 52-3 |
| Sat, Sep 14 |  | @ Wake Forest | W, 40-6 |
| Sat, Sep 21 |  | vs Georgia Southern | W, 52-13 |
| Sat, Sep 28 |  | vs Kentucky | L, 20-17 |
| Sat, Oct 5 |  | @ South Carolina | W, 27-3 |
| Sat, Oct 12 |  | vs LSU | L, 29-26 (2 OT) |
| Sat, Oct 26 |  | vs Oklahoma | W, 26-14 |
| Sat, Nov 2 |  | @ Arkansas | W, 63-35 |
| Sat, Nov 16 |  | vs Georgia | W, 28-10 |
| Sat, Nov 23 |  | @ Florida | L, 24-17 |
| Sat, Nov 30 |  | vs Mississippi State | W, 26-14 |
| Thu, Jan 2 |  | vs Duke (Gator Bowl) | W, 52-20 |
| Mon, Nov 4 |  | vs Long Island University | W, 90-60 |
| Fri, Nov 8 |  | vs Grambling | W, 66-64 |
| Tue, Nov 12 |  | vs South Alabama | W, 64-54 |
| Sat, Nov 16 |  | vs Colorado State | W, 84-69 |
| Thu, Nov 21 |  | vs Oral Roberts | L, 100-68 |
| Thu, Nov 28 |  | vs BYU | W, 96-85 OT |
| Fri, Nov 29 |  | vs 13 Purdue | L, 80-78 |
| Tue, Dec 3 |  | @ Louisville | W, 86-63 |
| Sat, Dec 7 |  | vs Lindenwood | W, 86-53 |
| Sat, Dec 14 |  | vs Southern Miss | W, 77-46 |
| Tue, Dec 17 |  | vs Southern | W, 74-61 |
| Sat, Dec 21 |  | vs Queens University | W, 80-62 |
| Sat, Dec 28 |  | @ Memphis | L, 87-70 |
| Sat, Jan 4 |  | vs Georgia | 11:00 AM SECN |
| Wed, Jan 8 |  | @ 23 Arkansas | 6:00 PM TBA |
| Sat, Jan 11 |  | vs LSU | 5:00 PM SECN |
| Tue, Jan 14 |  | @ 5 Alabama | 6:00 PM TBA |
| Sat, Jan 18 |  | @ 17 Mississippi State | 5:00 PM TBA |
| Wed, Jan 22 |  | vs 13 Texas A&M | 8:00 PM TBA |
| Sat, Jan 25 |  | @ Missouri | 5:00 PM SECN |
| Wed, Jan 29 |  | vs Texas | 8:00 PM ESPN2 |
| Sat, Feb 1 |  | vs 2 Auburn | 3:00 PM TBA |
| Tue, Feb 4 |  | vs 10 Kentucky | 6:00 PM ESPN |
| Sat, Feb 8 | | @ LSU | 7:30 PM SECN |
| Wed, Feb 12 |  | @ South Carolina | 6:00 PM SECN |
| Sat, Feb 15 | | vs 17 Mississippi State | 5:00 PM TBA |
| Sat, Feb 22 |  | @ Vanderbilt | 2:30 PM SECN |
| Wed, Feb 26 | | @ 2 Auburn | 6:00 PM TBA |
| Sat, Mar 1 |  | vs 12 Oklahoma | 1:00 PM TBA |
| Wed, Mar 5 |  | vs 1 Tennessee | 8:00 PM TBA |
| Sat, Mar 8 |  | @ 6 Florida | 5:00 PM SECN |
Jim Hays
April 15, 2015 at 8:09 am
Back in the 40’s, there was a student orchestra named “the Mississippians” They played “big-band” music and were in much demand, esp. from fraternities & sororities for their dances. I just wonder if a band by that name is still around