YAC Celebrating 50 Years With Ghostly Gala Halloween Party

The Yoknapatawpha Arts Council is celebrating 50 years of Art in Oxford by hosting The Ghostly Gala on October 28 from 7 pm – 12 a.m. at The Powerhouse Community Arts Center.

All community members are invited to come out to support the arts and dress in their best costume attire.

To enter the party, attendees will walk through a spooky maze through the gala followed by dinner by Delta Pride and drinks by Iron Bartender champions Alli Watts & Paige Garrett from Harvey’s Tupelo. Mississippi’s very own Cadillac Funk will open up the night with a concert from 7 – 10 p.m.

The night will include an array of Halloween-themed activities such as spooky sideshow performers and an aerial bartender. Special prizes will also be given out to those in the best-dressed costumes.

Later into the night, the party will be open to the public from 10 p.m. to midnight for $25. The end of the night will include a special Halloween-themed performance by Code Pink and a DJ. A bar will be open as well as late-night snacks for attendees.

Jeffery Grimes, a YAC events committee member, expressed how hard they have worked to make this night memorable for all Oxford community members.

“The events committee has worked very hard to make this a night to remember for everyone. YAC has made a name for itself in encouraging creativity throughout the community and we want to celebrate that.” Grimes said.

For 50 years, YAC has supported artists and arts organizations like the Oxford Artists’ Guild, Theatre Oxford, and Oxford Film Festival. YAC manages spaces like the Powerhouse, Old Armory Pavilion, and Lafayette County Multipurpose Arena so that artists can teach classes and hold community programs. YAC also supports community nonprofits, like the Oxford Community Market, Brushstrokes for Bramlett, and Doors of Hope, providing low-cost space for fundraisers and community space.

The Ghostly Gala also highlights YAC’s efforts to serve Lafayette Co. further with a new humanities space on the site of the old shed on the east side of the Powerhouse property. The humanities space will offer additional classroom, performance, and gathering space to artists and humanities scholars.

“We couldn’t have grown at YAC without the talented and unique artists who have shaped North MS and Oxford. We hope to serve our residents and visitors better, especially underserved members and our creative economy small business owners. The new space will bring people together and continue to demonstrate Oxford’s leadership as an arts destination in the state. Supporting the Gala will support our arts’ future,” said Wayne Andrews, executive director of YAC.

Sponsors of the event are Oxford Dental, Delta Pride Catfish, Party Waitin’ to Happen, Magnolia Rentals and John Welty Realty.

Courtesy of YAC