BY CATY CAMBRON
cjcambro@go.olemiss.edu
One of the most anticipated weekends in Oxford has finally arrived. Friday will mark the beginning of the 18th Annual Double Decker Arts Festival. With almost a year of planning for the event, the weekend allows artists, musicians and food vendors to share their talents in the city of Oxford.
The Oxford Tourism Council is responsible for planning the festival and chose two separate committees for art vendors and food vendors. The Yoknapatawpha Arts Council selected more than 150 artists from around the region such as potters, painters and craftsmen to showcase their work.
David Bergeron, a woodworker from Thibodaux, La., said it takes him about a month to prepare inventory for the show. Bergeron creates one-of-a-kind furniture from salvaged materials, and this will be his third year participating in the festival.
“The goal of the show is to sell my furniture and hopefully pick up a few new wholesale accounts and custom furniture orders,” Bergeron said.
The food vendor committee, comprised of local restaurant owners and culinary instructors, selects which vendors will sell food. This year, the committee changed its criteria for food vendors in order to “reflect the vitality of the local food economy and pay tribute to Mississippi farmers, artisans and cooks,” according to a statement released by the Oxford Tourism Council.
“The festival was started to celebrate Oxford — specifically through food, music and art,” festival director Mary-Kathryn Herrington said.
Herrington said that this is still the main goal of the festival.
“Part of the draw to the event is the location in Oxford, and we want visitors to have a unique experience once they get here,” Herrington said.
The new criteria required food vendors to incorporate local ingredients while offering food that was exclusive to Oxford. More than 20 food vendors will give festival attendees a “taste of Oxford” as they set up booths around the courthouse.
“Our menu and how we’re going to do it has been planned, but a lot of (preparation) will end up being last-minute, mostly due to weather,” said Buck Cunningham, owner of LBs. Meat Market.
Although he had to tailor LBs.’s menu in order to meet the new criteria, Cunningham said he is still just as excited about this weekend.
“I basically get a fantastic Square location for a day,” he said. “It’s a festival atmosphere, it’s a lot of exposure and it’s a lot of people coming up.”
Other changes to this year’s festival include the addition of Thacker Mountain Radio Friday night at 6 p.m. and Saturday’s children’s Square Fair organized by The University of Mississippi Department of Nutrition and Hospitality Management.
“We are excited to see what creative ideas they bring to the table,” Herrington said.
Perhaps the biggest change to this year’s Double Decker, with the exception of specialty art activities and studio tours on Friday, is that all of the music is free.
“The music is such a huge element of the festival, and with the concerts being free, it will allow a lot more people, including myself, to enjoy the full experience of Double Decker,” senior journalism major McClure Brooks-Tolley said.