One of Oxford’s biggest tourist attractions, the 21st-annual Double Decker Arts Festival, kicks off tomorrow. The time-honored festival began in 1996 and takes its inspiration from the Double Decker bus, which Oxford imported from England in 1994.
(Courtesy: DoubleDeckerFestival.com)
The Double Decker festival has evolved throughout the years. Double Decker started as a way to support the arts and has since become a massive tourist attraction. Founders of the festival, including Alderman Robyn Tannehill, wanted a way to celebrate talented artists and musicians in Oxford.
Double Decker’s growth and popularity is astronomical, bringing in multiple art vendors, food vendors and musical performers as well as thousands of tourists and locals.
According to Lee Ann Stubbs, the festival’s coordinator, Double Decker attracts more than 60,000 people from all over. The festival also consists of 173 art vendors, 26 food vendors, and features live music both Friday night and Saturday.
Stubbs said the number of both tourists and participating vendors continues to grow from year to year. This year, Stubbs said, the number of artists who applied to participate in the festival was well above the designated amount.
“The festival grows bigger each year and we have more interest every year in people not only wanting to come to the festival, but more people wanting to be a part of the festival,” Stubbs said. “This year we had over 266 art vendors apply to the show and only 173 vendors got in.”
The festival planning typically begins as early as August and takes months to finalize vendors and musical performances.
“Lee Ann begins planning in August and the Visit Oxford staff supports her in numerous ways,” Mary Allyn, director of Visit Oxford, said. “She starts raising sponsorships in the fall, art vendor applications go out in November and the music lineup is usually finalized in December. After the first of the year, our office is full steam ahead in finalizing plans for the festival.”
Allyn also partnered with Thacker Mountain Radio, who will put on a special edition of their weekly show.
“It’s the perfect tie-in to the festival since the show has all the elements Oxford has become known for,” Allyn said.
Another event associated with Double Decker that many locals and tourist look forward to is the annual Double Decker Spring Run 5k and 10k. Double Decker’s spring run is funded through various local sponsorships, with the presenting sponsors of 21 years being the Baptist Memorial Hospital.
Double Decker Spring Run Director Pam Swain said 1,500 runners are expected to participate this year.
“Five years ago the event grew beyond our local volunteer management capabilities, and the race reached a level that it needed a professional touch,” Swain said. “So, we now work with an event management team, Start2Finish, the mid-South’s premier health-related event management company, to put on our event in conjunction with our local volunteers.”
Double Decker attendance is expected to skyrocket this year, Stubbs said, as regulars and newcomers come out to experience the festival.
“It is a festival that is unique to Oxford and a very family friendly event at that,” Stubbs said. “It’s a weekend when family comes to town and everyone gets together on the Square to enjoy good food, great art, lots of music and just a fun weekend for everybody.”
