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Festivals & Conferences
Oxford’s annual schedule is about much more than football games in the fall and graduation in the spring. Festivals, celebrations and conferences bring culture daily.
FESTIVALS & CONFERENCES
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JANUARY
POP-UP OXFORD Pop Up Oxford has various events, speakers, exhibits and musical components all of which Oxford has become known for in celebrating its literary, musical and cultural heritage. FIBER ARTS FESTIVAL http://oxfordarts.com/events/fiberfest - The Oxford Fiber Arts Festival is a threeday event with exhibits, workshops, classes, demonstrations and a diverse variety of vendors. Presented by Yoknapatawpha Arts Council, Jan. 21-24, 2021.
FEBRUARY
OXFORD FILM FESTIVAL
www.oxfordfilmfest.com Oxford Film Festival has become a favorite with film buffs and movie fans. Four days of screenings, panels and parties. Malco Oxford Commons Cinema. March. 18-22.
BLUES TODAY: A LIVING BLUES SYMPOSIUM
www.livingblues.com Held on the square in downtown Oxford, the symposium includes film screenings, lectures, tours, evening blues performances, a special broadcast of Thacker Mountain Radio, and more celebrating the birth of the blues in the Mississippi Delta.
MARCH
OXFORD CONFERENCE FOR THE BOOK www.oxfordconferenceforthebook.com Held at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, the conference includes notable authors, editors, publishers, educators, and book lovers giving addresses, panel discussions, and readings to celebrate reading, writing, and books along with the practical concerns of the publishing world upon which the literary arts depend.
INSIDE OXFORD
MISS-I-SIPPIN’ Miss-I-Sippin’ is the official festival of the Mississippi Brewer’s Guild and Oxford’s original craft beer festival. All proceeds will benefit the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council and the Mississippi Craft Brewer’s Guild.
APRIL
DOUBLE DECKER ARTS FESTIVAL www.doubledeckerfestival. com
Held in Courthouse Square in downtown Oxford on the last Saturday of April each year, the Double Decker Festival is named for the town’s highly visible and beloved authentic English tour bus, the festival draws more than 50,000 people to celebrate and enjoy music by a dozen groups, food presented by more than 30 vendors, and the work of over 100 artists.
MAY
YOKSHOP
Annual writers conference and workshop.
JUNE
SUMMER SUNSET SERIES Sunday evenings in June, Performances in The Grove.
OXFORD CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL www.oxfordbeerfest.com – Raise pints of craft beer and enjoy food pairings. Library Sports Bar & Grill on the Square.
SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL
The production of Shakespearean masterpieces are brought to the stage at the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts and Meek Hall Auditorium in Oxford.
OXFORD RHYTHM REVIVAL A fundraiser for Oxford Medical Ministries featuring bands on multiple stages at local bars and pubs in the Oxford Square plus a Saturday full of festival offerings that include art vendors, food, and family activities such as face painting, story time for children, and health screenings.
INSIDE OXFORD
INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION - Family-focused parade, celebration in the Grove at 6 p.m. annual fireworks at Oxford-University Stadium.
OXFORD BLUES FESTIVAL www.oxfordbluesfest.com
Celebration of American blues-based music on the grounds of the Grove stage and Overby center on the
Ole Miss campus.
FAULKNER AND YOKNAPATAWPHA CONFERENCE http://www.outreach. olemiss.edu/events/ faulkner/ - Scholars and fans from around the world ponder and discuss the author’s work.
AUGUST
WATER VALLEY WATERMELON CARNIVAL
ART-ER LIMITS: OXFORD
FRINGE FESTIVAL
www.oxfordfringefest.com – Sampling of arts; music, spoken word. Variety of venues include the Powerhouse Community Arts Center, local restaurants, the new
Armory Pavilion and more. Aug 6-8, 2020.
YOCONA INTERNATIONAL FOLK FESTIVAL
www.yoconafestival.org - Authentic folk musicians and dancers from countries all over the world perform in venues across north Mississippi for a week. works in a variety of media at the one-day show in the Downtown Square North in Oxford.
HOMECOMING GAME AND PARADE Ole Miss homecoming game and annual parade.
OCTOBER
SEPTEMBER
LAFAYETTE PRCA RODEO. Professional rodeo inaugural event. Lafayette County Multipurpose Arena, Sept 25-26, 2020.
OXFORD’S ARTIST GUILD SHOW Local artists display and sell their
ABBEVILLE AUTUMNFEST www.abbevilleautumnfest.com - Day of music, games, arts and crafts.
3 BLIND WINES http://oxfordarts.com/ events/3blindwines Wine tasting event presented by the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council and the Rotary Club of Oxford, October 6, 2020.
SOUTHERN FOODWAYS SYMPOSIUM
www.southernfoodways.com - The UM-based group hosts events year-round.
DECEMBER
CHRISTMAS PARADE The Lion’s Club Christmas Parade brings out hundreds of local families to revel in the twinkling lights and quaint costumes of each float display. Dec. 5.
HOLIDAY ART MARKET Dec. 2-4, 2020, The Holiday Art Market is a multi-day art market at the Powerhouse featuring local vendors.
YAC HOLIDAY PARTY AND ORNAMENT AUCTION http://oxfordarts.com/events/ ornaments - Samples from local chefs and bid for one of kind ornaments. Dec. 8, 2020.
