The Lafayette County Courthouse is seen on The Square in Oxford, Miss., Thursday, Aug. 22, 2013. (Photo/Thomas Graning)
The Lafayette County Courthouse is seen on The Square in Oxford, Ala., Thursday, Aug. 22, 2013. (Photo/Thomas Graning)
The Oxford Downtown Council will host its third annual Spring Open House this weekend on the Oxford Square. Events will include live music Friday night and family-friendly events will be held throughout the day Saturday, all of which will be on the courthouse lawn.
The George McConnell Acoustic Duo will kick off the festivities Friday night with a free concert from 6-8 p.m. This will be the first time the Spring Open House has featured live music the Friday before.
Mark Huelse, president of the Oxford Downtown Council, said the council tries to improve the event every year.
“Every year we try to add something to it, and that’s where the members get involved,” Downtown Council President Mark Huelse said. “The music this year was an idea recommended by one of the members.”
Saturday’s festivities will include many family-friendly events open to the public. Belles & Beaus will sponsor free pictures with the Easter Bunny from 10 a.m. until noon. An egg decoration station sponsored by Cannon Motor Company will be set up during that time, and immediately following will be an Easter egg hunt at 12:15 p.m. The springtime sponsors of the event include University Sporting Goods, Trustmark National Bank, Neilson’s Department Store and Holli’s Sweet Tooth.
The Oxford Downtown Council consists of more than 60 businesses within the Oxford community, including restaurants, bars, banks, clothing shops and others. Its purpose is to support merchants and businesses around the Square, according to Will Hunt, CEO and president of William G. Hunt & Associates.
Hunt said the open house was created to make a family-friendly spring event.
“Downtown Council wanted to implement a spring event diving into a family theme, a family event for kids to come out and have fun,” Hunt said. “It’s definitely a thank you for the community and a way for families to come out and enjoy a day on the Square and hopefully dine and shop around the Square while they’re here.”
Sophomore marketing major Caroline Griffin tutors at Oxford Middle School three to five days a week.
“I think this Easter egg hunt will be a huge hit, especially with the bunny,” Griffin said. “The way they incorporated a night of music for the parents to enjoy and then a fun day for the kids was very smart. It shows both the nightlife and the family-friendly atmosphere the Square has to offer.”
Huelse said the open house is a great way for families to experience all that Oxford has to offer.
“It’s more of a celebration of spring and the Easter season after a long winter to let the families get out and enjoy the great things that we have in Oxford,” he said. “The Square is a special place that can’t be replicated.”
— Will Crockett
jwcrocke@go.olemiss.edu
