Calendar of Events : Oxford Mississippi Convention & Visitors Bureau, Oxford, MS

Visitors and residents alike can take advantage of events at any time, such as the Artist Series, Thacker Mountain Radio at Off Square Books, Brown Bag Luncheons, Lecture Series, and Southeastern Conference (SEC) Sporting Events. No matter the time, no matter the occasion, there is something for everyone in Oxford.

Summer
• Lafayette-Oxford University (LOU) Summer Sunset Series

• Yoknapatawpha Summer Writer’s Workshop

• Yocona International Folk Festival

Fall
• Friday Football Concert Series

February
• Living Blues Symposium

• Oxford Film Festival

March
• Oxford Conference of the Book

April
• Red and Blue Weekend
• Double Decker Arts Festival

May
• University of Mississippi Graduation
• Civil War Conference

June
• University of Mississippi Parents & Freshman Orientation
• Shakespeare Festival

July
• Fourth of July Celebration
• Faulkner and Yoknapatawpha Conference
• Ole Miss Filmmaking Workshop

• Downtown Council Sidewalk Sale

August
• Ole Miss Welcome Week

September

• 2008 Presidential Debate

• Oxford Artist's Guild Show

October

• Oxford's Town BBQ Throwdown
• University of Mississippi Homecoming Game
• Homecoming Parade
• Southern Foodways Symposium

• Square Toast for Scholarships

November
• Downtown Council Open House

December
• Christmas Parade

Big Truck Theater
Taylor, MS (across the street from Taylor Grocery)
(662) 234-7958 • www.bigtrucktheater.com
First Saturday of every month, 7-10pm. You just have to see it! Over a dozen talented musicians and performers of all ages and genres take part in the three-hour show. The music, skits, and antics begin at 7 p.m. on the back of a 1960 Ford flatbed truck. After the opening acts, the truck leaves the theater with the musicians still playing. That clears the dance floor for the audience to get up and groove as the red curtains open on the main stage to the jumped-up music of big bands such as the Hot Dangs. Bring a date, an armload of friends, family, and neighbors. The show never stops, so you're free to come and go as you like. Admission at the door is $15 for adults, $10 for children. Check out Taylor Grocery and Taylor Arts while you're there!

Double Decker Arts Festival
Oxford Convention & Visitors Bureau
(800) 758-9177 • www.doubledeckerfestival.com
Held annually on the last Saturday in April. The festival is a day-long celebration of music, food, and the arts held on the historic Courthouse Square. Local food vendors, regional artists, and national music acts convene each year, along with over 50,000 visitors, to make this an enjoyable day for the whole family.

Faulkner and Yoknapatawpha Conference
University of Mississippi Center for the Study of Southern Culture
(662) 915-5993 • www.outreach.olemiss.edu/events/faulkner
Held annually in late July. This annual conference draws scholars and enthusiasts from all over the world to celebrate and explore themes in William Faulkner’s writings.

The Lyric Oxford
On the Square, Oxford, MS • www.thelyricoxford.com
Live music and entertainment on the Sqaure in Downtown Oxford. This historic theatre was recently rennovated and opened summer of 2008. For schedule of concerts and events or for ticket information visit the website.

Oxford Conference for the Book
Center for the Study of Southern Culture
(662) 915-5993 • www.oxfordconferenceforthebook.com
Held annually in March. Begun in 1993, the Oxford Conference for the Book celebrates books, writing and reading, and deals with the practical concerns on which the literary arts and the humanities depend. Notable authors, editors, publishers, as well as educators, literacy advocates, and book lovers gather on the University of Mississippi campus to attend discussion panels, addresses, and readings. The conference is dedicated to a different author each year.

Thacker Mountain Radio
Square Books • (662) 236-2262 • www.thackermountain.com
Thursday evenings during the Spring and Fall school semesters.
Two of Oxford’s greatest thriving arts – music and literature - come together in a cavernous old bookshop off the Oxford square. The Thacker Mountain crew brings the “fire tower radio hour” to a live audience as well as radio listeners. Nationally recognized authors and musicians join the Thacker House Band and the quick-witted host, Jim Dees for a completely unique Oxford event that is free and should not be missed. The show is broadcast live at 5:30 pm on local station Bull’s-Eye 95.5 FM and is rebroadcast statewide on Mississippi Public Broadcasting on Sunday afternoons at 5:00 pm.

Oxford Film Festival
Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Arts
(662) 236-6429 • www.oxfordfilmfest.com

Held annually.
Individual tickets or weekend passes are available at the venue.
This weekend-long celebration of the art of filmmaking accepts over ninety films from around the world. Categories for competition include Feature, Short, Documentary, Animation, Experimental, Youth and Music Video. The festival also features workshops and panels led and moderated by industry leaders as well as interaction with some of the directors themselves.

Oxford's Town BBQ Throwdown
Oxford Conference Center
(662) 232-2367• www.oxfordbbq.com
October 24-25, 2008.
The inaugral Oxford's Town BBQ Throwdown will be held September 28-29, 2007 at the Oxford Conference Center. This Memphis in May sanctioned event will include a Patio Porker Division, People's Choice and Ancillary Contests. There will also be live entertainment, concessions, and a children's carnival.

Southeastern Conference (SEC) Sports
(662) 915-7241 • www.olemisssports.com
The population of Oxford nearly triples on football game weekends. The fall can be an exciting time with electricity in the air. Experiencing the Grove and Vaught-Hemingway Stadium is a must for visitors. However division I-A NCAA football is only a part of what Ole Miss athletics has to offer. Boasting some of the country’s finest sports facilities, Oxford has hosted the SEC Tennis Championships, NCAA regionals in baseball, the women’s SEC soccer tournament, and the SEC track and field championship.

Yocona International Folk Festival

July 29-August 3, 2008 • www.yoconafestival.org

For more events in Oxford and around the area visit:
• LOU Community Calendar
• Oxford-Lafayette Chamber of Commerce
• City Hall
• Lafayette County
• University of Mississippi (Ole Miss)
• Yoknapatawpha Arts Council
• Mississippi Tourism Association
• Center for the Study of Southern Culture

To submit information changes or request inclusion on this page,
email the Oxford Convention & Visitors Center or call 662/232-2477.