Spring is never truly underway in Oxford until the arrival of the Double Decker Arts Festival

Presented by C Spire, on the last weekend of April. The event, April 26 and April 27, is a chance for Oxonians and visitors to throw off the chains of winter with a cathartic

sigh of relief and a jolt of pure fun.

The seeds have been planted, and the music lineup, art vendors, kids’ area details, and much more

have been announced, giving folks a glimpse of what to expect, and you’ll see that inside this handy guide to the

festival.

The festival draws 55,000 people to Oxford annually for food, music, and art, and you’ll want to be a part of it. Use this guide to make sure you don’t miss a thing amidst all the sights, sounds, smells, and flavors of

Oxford’s signature spring celebration.

2013 Double Decker Poster by Thomas Grosskopf, a professional artist living in Abbeville whose work varies from portraiture and illustration to sculpture and abstracts. He

received his BFA in painting from the University of Mississippi in 2010.

hottytoddy.comdouble decker guide

PUBLISHEREd Meek

EDITORMichael Harrelson

WRITERSTad Wilkes

Hillary Houston

NIGHTLIFE & LIFESTYLE EDITOR

Tad Wilkes

CREATIVE DIRECTORChelsea Williams

ADVERTISING MANAGERCindy Harkins

PHOTOGRAPHERMike Stanton

HOTTYTODDY.COM307 West Jackson Avenue

Oxford, MS 38655

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Double Decker 2013 Nearing Full Bloom

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Schedule of EventsStudio Tours on the Double Decker bus departing from Skipwith Cottage at 1 p.m, 3 p.m, and 5 p.m

Tour includes stops at the following artists' studios:Ron Dale, Jere Allen, Jason Bouldin, and Paula Temple

Tickets for the studio tours are $8.00. Click here to purchase tickets for the studio tours.

Museum on the Square12 p.m-5 p.m

Create a quick project inspired by the Museum's collection of Theora Hamblett paintings.

Painting What You See1 p.m-5 p.m

The Oxford Artists Guild will be doing a plein air painting demonstration. Festival goers can watch multiple artists cre-ate a work of art as they, paint “whatever they see.”

Andi Bedsworth Mixed Media Stitch Demonstration12 p.m-12:30 p.m

.Janet Barnes Watercolor Demonstration

12:30 p.m-1 p.m

Double Decker Painting Class1 p.m-2 p.m

Studio Whimzy will be teaching a popular Z-event style class. The subject of the painting is Double Decker Bus and the cost is $25 and will include supplies.

Mark Barnes' Kudzu Basket Weaving Demonstration1 p.m-1:30 p.m

Pottery demonstration with Sheri Marshall of Marshall Pottery1:30 p.m-2:15 p.m

Make It, Take It Cards Class with Andi Bedsworth2:15 p.m-3 p.m

Toni Joyner Oil Painting Demonstration3:15 p.m-4 p.m

Pottery demonstration with Sheri Marshall of Marshall Pottery**Above events take place on the Courthouse Lawn**

4 p.m-4:45 p.m

Eco-Fashion Show7:00 p.m at Jackson Avenue Center

All clothing is all natural and recycled. The show costs $5.

event schedule

Friday, April 26th

event schedule

Letterpress Demonstration1 p.m.-2:30 p.m at Meek Hall Room 113

The Ole Miss Art Department Printmakers will be doing letterpress demonstration.Meek Hall is located on the Ole Miss campus.

Offerings1 p.m-4 p.m at Meek Hall Gallery 130

Meek Hall will be hosting a Norma Acord ceramics show titled, “Offerings”.

Mud Daubers1 p.m-4 p.m at Meek Hall

There will be a ceramics demonstration on the front lawn of Meek Hall, located on the Ole Miss Campus.

Mold Making1 p.m-4 p.m at Meek Hall

The Rebel Sculpture Society will be offering mold-making class using a cauldron and hot molten metals. It will take place in the sculpture lawn at Meek Hall on the Ole Miss campus. The cost is between $30 and $110 depending on

what kind of project you want to do.

“Muses and Metaphor” Panel Discussion12 p.m-1 p.m at The University of Mississippi Museum

The University of Mississippi Department of Art will be hosting a Brown Bag Panel discussion featuring internationally acclaimed, American realist painter, Bo Barlett; Betsy Eby, American encaustic painter; and William Dunlap, Southern

painter.

Bo Barlett Artist's LectureThe University of Mississippi Department of Art will be hosting an Artist's Lecture with Bo Barlett an internationally acclaimed, American realist painter. His lecture will be on Thursday, April 25th at 3:00 PM at the Jackson Events

Center (next to the Malco Theater,) 2530 West Jackson Avenue. Reception will follow the lecture.

Mold Making10 a.m-1 pm at Meek Hall

The Rebel Sculpture Society will be offering mold-making class using a cauldron and hot molten metals. The cost is between $30 and $110 depending on what kind of project you want to do.

Double Decker Spring Run Race Times:

10K Run/Walk - 7:30 a.m5K Run/Walk - 7:45 a.mKids Fun Run - 9:00 a.m

For more information call Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce at 662.234.4651 or register online at www.doubledeckerspringrun.com.

Saturday, April 27th

event schedule

Music LIneup

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Friday, April 26 – 6:00-9:00 p.mThacker Mountain Radio Show

Free Concert featuring the Eric Deaton Trio and Blue Mountain

Saturday, April 27 – 10:00 a.m-10:00 p.mUniversity of Mississippi Steel Drum Orchestra – 10:00 a.m.

Chimney Choir – 11:30 a.m Shannon McNally – 1:00 p.m

The Stooges Brass Band – 2:30 p.m Kopecky Family Band – 4:00 p.m

J Roddy Walston and the Business – 5:30 p.mLee Fields and the Expressions – 7:00 p.m

Drive By Truckers – 8:30 p.m

Double Decker Road Ride9:00 a.m. from the Whirlpool parking lot (take Coliseum exit off Hwy 6, head ¼ mile south

into Whirlpool parking lot) in Oxford, MS.

Pre-registration is available online with RacesOnLine:https://www.racesonline.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=public.race_detail&race_id=6654

Event day sign-in and registration begins at 7:30 a.m at Whirlpool.Our sponsors provide pre-ride breakfast and post-ride pizza.

Shuttles Shuttles will run from the Oxford Conference Center to the Square 10 a.m - 11 p.m on Saturday, April 28th. The

shuttles will run every 15 minutes. $5 per person and free to children 13 & under.

** Escape the heat during Double Decker! The University Museum will be free to the public on Friday, April 26 and Saturday, April 27 from 10 AM to 6 PM. Come view our two new exhibitions, Portraits as Landscapes, Landscapes

as Portraits: Yoknapatawpha County in the 1960s and Into the Flatland: Photographs by Kathleen Robbins

Sunday, April 28th

Sunday, April 28th at 3pm Gospel Choir Showcase to benefit Good Food For Oxford’s Schools featuring the Ole Miss Gospel Choir along with more of North Mississippi’s finest! On the Square on the steps of City Hall, hosted by JoVon

Reed

Activities include:Taste Test of New School Menus, Zumba, & Kids’ Present-Learn What They’re Learning

Double Decker Gets RealAnnouncement of music lineup, unveiling

of poster, and more news make DD 2013 more than a date on the calendar.

The flu. Sniffles. Dreary, cold, grey days. It’s been enough to make a person cuss the groundhog’s questionable prediction and cram one’s head into a microwave oven—until now. Back away from the Samsung. Spring is now officially on the horizon. Flowers. Shorts. Beverages. Loooooove. Greasy, Southern electric guitars. The will to boogie. Even the ghost of L. Q. C. Lamar will soon strap on Chacos, clutch a Newk’s cup full of Bulleit and water, and do the Lawn Mower on the pavement in front of High Point Coffee. The announced music lineup of the 18th annual Oxford Double Decker Arts Festival presented by C Spire Wireless, scheduled for April 26 and 27, 2013, gives Oxford a spring landmark to look forward to. Friday night’s music will be free of charge, and all live music will be presented on one stage, on North Lamar. The Friday paid ticketing format used in 2012 proved unworkable, as did disparate stages, said Mary-Kathryn Herrington, festival director. The festival, which was recognized by the Association of Destination Management Executives International as the best public event in 2012, will again feature a two-day format that includes a special edition of Thacker Mountain Radio on Friday evening and a free concert by hometown heroes Blue Mountain—in a public farewell by the group, which announced in mid February that it is breaking up. Saturday

activities include art, food, and more music, including a jam-packed day of eclectic music on Caterpillar Stage. The festival will culminate Saturday evening with a performance by the Drive-By Truckers. Here’s the full lineup—a tightly focused assemblage of acts to be featured on just one stage, on North Lamar:

Friday, April 26 – 6:00-9:00 p.m.Thacker Mountain Radio Show

Free Concert featuring the Eric Deaton Trio and Blue Mountain

Saturday, April 27 – 10:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m.University of Mississippi Steel Drum Orchestra – 10:00 a.m.

Chimney Choir – 11:30 a.m. Shannon McNally – 1:00 p.m.

The Stooges Brass Band – 2:30 p.m. Kopecky Family Band – 4:00 p.m.

J Roddy Walston and the Business – 5:30 p.m. Lee Fields and the Expressions – 7:00 p.m.

Drive By Truckers – 8:30 p.m.

Drive-By Truckers frontman Patterson Hood performed solo at the Double Decker Arts Festival in 2012. This

year, he returns with Southern stalwarts DBT to headline the 2013 fest.

Photo by Mike Stanton, www.fairtrade-photos.com

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C Spire’s presence at the festival will be focused on its suite of personalized services for wireless customers, including:

SCOUTAn entertainment recommendations and personalization tool for apps, movies, books and music.

PERCSA consumer engagement-based program that rewards customers for personalizing their wireless

experience.

CIRCLEA unique “destination” online community where C Spire customers and prospective customers go to share

ideas, opinions and actively participate in shaping and developing their wireless experience.

NEWSLINKA fully integrated and personalized news delivery service that finds the news and information relevant to

each individual and delivers it daily.

“We’re excited about supporting a dynamic and entertaining program like the Oxford Double Decker Arts Festival that combines the charm of Oxford with a first-class event that focuses on the region’s best in music, food, and the arts,” said Jim Richmond, vice president of Corporate Communications for C Spire

Wireless. The 18th annual Oxford Double Decker Arts Festival presented by C Spire Wireless will be held on Friday evening, April 26 and all day Saturday April 27, 2013. For an event schedule,

In addition to music, more than 150 art vendors from around the region will sell creative wares for the anticipated 55,000 festival attendees. Selected by Oxford’s Yoknapatawpha Arts Council, the vendors include potters, glass craftsmen, woodworkers, painters, and self-taught artists working in a variety of mediums. The festival organizers also unveiled this year’s poster by Abbeville painter Thomas Grosskopf. The “Taste of Oxford” food court will feature a sampling of culinary treats from 25 local restaurateurs. The Children’s Square Fair will be organized by the University of Mississippi Hospitality Management department and will offer activities for children of all ages—face painting, games, arts activities, and more.

The highlight of the afternoon is the Best Dressed Pet Contest when participants, hoping to win the coveted first prize, parade their dogs, cats, rabbits, and even chickens dressed in elaborate costumes. Saturday activities kick off at 8 a.m. with the Chamber of Commerce 5k walk and 10k run. Winding through the University of Mississippi campus and nearby Oxford neighborhoods, the two courses provide a morning afoot for beginner joggers as well as experienced athletes. “We are very excited about this year’s event. We hope each year we can evolve to improve programming and make the festival more fun, but still maintain the event that everyone loves so much,” said Herrington.

Double Decker Gets Real

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click here.

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2013 Double Decker Bands

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University of MIssissippiSteel Orchestra Ricky Burkhead formed “UMISSO” (University Of Mississippi Steel Orchestra) in 1995. It is the first world music ensemble organized at the University of Mississippi. UMISSO features five instruments from the nine-member steel band family (tenor, double tenor, double second, triple guitar, and six bass) used in the band. The percussion section (engine room) consists of drum set, congas, brake drum, tube shaker, and other accessories. The group’s repertoire is comprised of Caribbean, jazz, funk, classical and popular music. www.olemiss.edu/depts/music/steeldrum.html

Lee Fields & the Expressions There aren’t too many artists making soul music today who had a release in 1969, back when R&B was first beginning to give the drummer some, but Lee Fields is an exception. Since the late 1960s, the North Carolina native has amassed a prolific catalog of albums and has toured and played with numerous music legends. With a catalog that ranges from James Brown-style funk to lo-fi blues to contemporary Southern soul to collaborations with French house DJ/producer Martin Solveig, Lee Fields has done it all. Today, with The Expressions—Truth & Soul’s house band—Lee Fields continues to evolve. Their latest full-length, Faithful Man, released in March 2012. www.leefieldsandtheexpressions.com

DrivE- By Truckers Boasting a mix of Southern pride and erudite lyrics, Drive-By Truckers became one of the most well-respected alternative country-rock bands of the 2000s. The band is led by frontmen Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley and features a rotating cast of Georgia and Alabama natives. History, folklore, politics, and character studies all share equal space in the band’s catalog. After being on tour for some time, the band released The Big To-Do and Go- Go Boots, both on ATO Records. Meanwhile, New West Records combed through the band’s first decade of material to help compile Ugly Buildings, Whores, and Politicians: Greatest Hits 1998-2009, which marked the band’s final release for the record label in August 2011. www.drivebytruckers.com

Drive-By Truckers (L-R) Jay Gonzalez, Patterson Hood, Mike Cooley, Brad Morgan and Matt Patton of Drive-By Truckers at Tipitina’s on January 27, 2013, in New

Orleans. (Erika Goldring Photo)

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2013 Double Decker Bands

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Blue Mountain was formed in Los Angeles in the early 1990s before relocating to Oxford. After the band released their first self-titled album on their own 4-Barrel Records in 1993, they signed with Roadrunner Records label and released their second album, Dog Days. After a five-year hiatus, Blue Mountain reunited in the summer of 2007 and they released Midnight in Mississippi one year later. The band is preparing to part ways again to pursue separate projects. www.bluemountainband.net

Blue Mountain

Photo courtesy of Music in the Hall.

Stooges Brass Band Since 1996, the Stooges Brass Band has engaged audiences with its innovative blend of traditional New Orleans brass sounds and contemporary hip-hop beats. They immerse crowds in a high-energy, cut-loose vibe that is contemporary yet deeply rooted in the culturally rich musical legacy of city of New Orleans. www.stoogesmusicgroup.com

Kopecky Family Band This six-member band from Nashville undoubtedly captures the attention of their audience with their unmistakable power and presence. Their music is emotive, the lyrics evoking raw honesty. In 2012 the band began working on their debut full-length album Kids Raising Kids which was released in October. www.kopeckyfamilyband.com

. . . . . This Denver-based group of multi-instrumentalists, writers, and singers skillfully interweave genres resulting in a “folk meets world music sound, steeped in psychedelia.” Often changing instruments between songs, they combine computer synths with traditional acoustic instrumentation and junkyard percussion. In 2012, the band released their first full-length album, a recording of a live performance that took place in an old pipe organ chapel. Chimney Choir tours extensively in the United States and Europe and will be releasing a new album this summer. www.chimneychoir.com

Chimney Choir

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Deaton Does Double Decker

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Burnside and Kimbrough student is now the teacher, and class is in session this Friday night

When you think of Mississippi bluesmen, you might not imagine a man like Eric Deaton—a lily white, straight-haired guitar player born and raised in Garner, North Carolina. But, if you close your eyes and take in his smooth grooves and sweet riffs, you may be transported to a different time and place where music was felt out in the smoky back rooms of former sharecropper cabins over corn whiskey and gin. It was there that Eric learned the blues, and now he will be carrying those memories and sweet strains of north Mississippi hill country blues with him to the Double Decker Arts Festival Presented by C Spire. With a classically trained pianist as a mother, Eric was born into music. He got his first guitar at 13 and quickly fell for the Mississippi blues. The music

became his passion, but there was not much of a scene in North Carolina—a state known more for its twangy folk music and bluegrass than for the blues. “You start playing music just like any kid would, because it’s the sound that you like … and I learned quickly that I wanted to play the blues,” Deaton says. “Blues is probably the most expressive way to play guitar.” Deaton decided in high school to move to Mississippi to apprentice himself to the music he loved, but his parents had different ideas. “You’ve got to go to college,” they said. So, Eric picked up a map of Mississippi, pointed to the closest college to Junior Kimbrough’s juke joint and enrolled himself there, at Ole Miss. “I think if I had waited until I was older to move, that I might have been a bit more hesitant,

Story and Photos by Phillip Waller

Eric Deaton

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Deaton Does Double Decker

but I was young enough and enthusiastic and crazy enough that I said, ‘That’s exactly what I need to do.’” Through the week he was a college student and weekends he was a guitarist picking out tunes with some of the blues greats of the time. T-Model Ford, Junior Kimbrough and R.L. Burnside were his prophets and he was their disciple. “Those families were the only people I knew in Mississippi, but they were who I wanted to know. Being able to play music with them made me the musician I am today,” said Deaton. The hill country blues is a riff-oriented style of music that really relies on the musicians working together to put the song together. “R. L. (Burnside) was really into showing up with a crowd, plugging in, and playing,” says Deaton. There never really were practice sessions, so he had to learn everything he knew on the fly. “That’s the really cool thing about blues music is that you can just jump in with people you have never met and start.” Since then, Eric has been keeping busy, developing his own style of blues with hints of African music from his time with the band Afro-sippi. Other

pieces include notes from the sitar, a stringed guitar-like instrument used in Indian folk-music. “I definitely haven’t heard anyone else do that,” he said. Deaton never really plays any song exactly the same way twice. The crowd gets a unique experience at every concert. “Blues is really a background for improvising. It’s definitely not a songwriter’s art,” he says. Though he plays fairly often in the Oxford area, Deaton is looking forward to playing for a hometown crowd again at the Double Decker fest. He’s had the opportunity to play for Double Decker with other bands, but this will be his first time as his own act, the Eric Deaton Trio, with Junior’s son Kinney Kimbrough on drums and journeyman bassist Nate Robbins. “It’s so much more meaningful playing for a crowd,” he says. “If the crowd is giving you love, if they’re dancing, then that means its moving them.” The Eric Deaton Trio will play a free show before Blue Mountain Friday, April 26, on the Double Decker stage starting around 7 p.m. after Thacker Mountain Radio.

Bidding Farewell to Blue Mountain

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Legends sing Oxford swan song Friday and Saturday

Blue Mountain announced in February that they are again calling it quits, but not before they sling a handful of farewell performances. Oxford can soak up the last notes from the group in three opportunities this week. Blue Mountain founders Cary Hudson and Laurie Stirratt will do some acoustic songs Friday at a special outdoor Thacker Mountain Radio show on the Oxford Square at 6 p.m. Then, the band plays at the Double Decker Arts Festival Presented by C Spire at 8 p.m. Friday and gives it one last go at Proud Larrys’ on Saturday night after the Double Decker music ends, around 10 p.m. Click here for a video of Blue Mountain performing “Midnight in Mississippi” in a filming of Oxford Sounds, a 10-part video series featuring groups performing original works and talking about their music and what Oxford means to their art. Oxford Sounds is a project of the Meek School of Journalism and New Media that draws upon the

talent of students and professionals in the Oxford area to discover and document the music of the Oxford area. This last year, the project has captured 19 musicians, songwriters, and groups that are from Oxford or are a part of the Oxford musical scene. Oxford is home not only to great musicians and musical venues, but many are unaware of the very vibrant music recording industry that exists in Oxford. These studios opened their doors to Oxford Sounds, which will give its audience a look inside studios such as Tweed Recording, Sweet Tea, Fat Possum and Black Wings. Oxford Sounds is made possible by grants from the Oxford Tourism and Convention Bureau, the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council, and the Ed and Becky Meek Foundation.

For more information, contact Marie Antoon at MarieAntoon@gmail.com.

Courtesy of Oxford Artist Vicki Stevens

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Double decker PICSPhotos By John R. Allison.

Best Creative Events – Best Recreational ActivityArrangers, a DMC Network Company: No Water… Now What?

Best Creative Events – Corporate Social ResponsibilityHosts Chicago: Sprint on State

Best Creative Events – Best Public EventLEO Events: Double Decker Arts Festival 2012

Best Creative Events – Best Teambuilding ActivityArrangers, a DMC Network Company: Outdoor Games

Best Creative Events – Best Tour ProgramDestination Tahoe Meetings & Events: Custom African-American Cultural Tour

Best Logistics – Best Logistics – TransportationHosts Las Vegas: Dinner in a Dash- Dine Around Shuttle

Best Innovative Events – Best Innovative Events under $50,000FM&A Events (Faith Moore and Associates, LTD.): Back to College: Field Trip to the Aquarium

Best Innovative Events – Best Innovative Events $50,000 – $100,000Destination Nashville: MINI Launch with Maximum Results

Best Innovative Events – Best Innovative Events $100,001 – $200,000MAC Meetings & Events: MPI Opening Reception

Best Innovative Events – Best Innovative Events $200,000 and aboveCSI-Capitol Services, Inc., a DMC Network Company: A Passion for Food

Best Innovative Events – Best Destination MarketingHosts New Orleans: New Orleans Wine & Food Experience

Best Creative Events – Best Overall ProgramArrangers, a DMC Network Company: Project 50

The Association of Destination Management Executives International selected the Double Decker Arts Festival Presented by C Spire Wireless as “Best Public Event” among Best Creative Events globally. The ADMEI Achievement Award winners for 2013 were announced February 9 at a gala event at the end of the ADMEI’s conference in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. A global panel of judges reviewed more than 90 entries received for events held between September 1, 2011, and August 31, 2012.

“Our event partner Leo Events, that helps us with staging, booking, etc., nominated us, and we won,” said Mary-Kathryn Herrington, director of tourism and marketing for the Oxford Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Many very large destinations were honored at these awards, so this is quite an honor for Oxford and the Double Decker Festival.” The festival draws 55,000 people to Oxford annually for food, music, and art.

Double Decker Fest Named Best Public Event Globally

International panel of judges honors Oxford’s arts and music festival

The full list of the ADMEI award winners is as follows:

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Double Decker Rolling Closer

Well folks, it’s about that time again. Rain or shine, come hell or high water, on April 26 and 27, there will be a Double Decker Arts Festival, Presented by C Spire Wireless. For the past 18 years, the Oxford Tourism Council and Oxford Convention & Visitors Bureau has put on the event, which has grown into one of the largest events hosted here. “I think it is the signature spring event for the community,” said Oxford Mayor Pat Patterson. With an estimated 55,000 attendees, 160 art vendors, and nationally known and up-and-coming music guests, Oxford’s baby is now of voting age, off to college, and finding itself. “I was on the Tourism Council when we founded Double Decker, and I’ve just seen it grow unbelievably,” said Patterson. Throughout the years a lot has changed from what the festival once was. “Double Decker has grown. It’s gotten bigger

and bigger, and we’ve changed locations of things,” said Jimmy Phillips, Oxford’s Director of Emergency Services. “It’s a lot of behind the scenes, logistics.” Whether a Double Decker veteran, or bright-eyed newcomer, one may have some things to learn about this year’s event. For instance, this year’s Friday night get-down will be free, unlike last year’s admission fee experiment. Friday night kicks off with the Thacker Mountain Radio Show at 6 p.m., followed by the Eric Deaton Trio and Blue Mountain until 9 p.m. All live music will be presented on the festival’s one and only stage on North Lamar. Saturday brings a full lineup, headlined by the Drive-By Truckers, and Sunday wraps things up on a spiritual note with live gospel music. Another major change for the 2013 Double Decker Festival is the food vendor qualifications. This year, each dish served at the festival must in some way have a local story to tell, providing a “taste of

April’s here, and the time is right for dancing in the streets

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Double Decker Rolling Closer

Oxford.” One new feature many people may not know about is the Double Decker radio broadcast. Festival visitors can tune in to AM 1630 for parking information, directions for handicap parking and off the square parking, traffic information, and information on which roads are closed and open. Festival set up will start as early as 5 a.m. on Friday for the North Lamar stage, so be aware that some portions of Oxford Square’s streets will be closed as early as Friday morning. “We’re trying to make it a better experience for everyone,” said Phillips,” and a safe one.” Festival shuttles will run from the Oxford Conference Center to the Square from 10 a.m. until 11 p.m. on Saturday, April 27. The shuttles run every 15 minutes for $5 a person or free for children under the

age of 13. And speaking of children, there is now a “Meet Me Area” set up by the Emergency Services Department. Whether it is a lost child or simply a designated spot to meet friends and family, the Meet Me Tent can be very helpful. “It’s great, for when parents and kids do come up here, the parents can say, ‘Look meet me at the Meet Me Area at one o’clock,’” said Phillips. “There’s now a designated spot for that. That’s one of the improvements we’ve made over the years.” Also, the University of Mississippi’s Department of Nutrition and Hospitality Management is partnering with the festival to provide its students event management experience in the children’s Square Fair component of the festival.

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Photos By John R. Allison.

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Double decker 2012

Double decker 2012

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NameAlton Holden & Earnestine HoldenWalter (Red) ByrdJay LunaJenny BarnesJesse RushingJim SmithJimmie FloydJoe Mac Hudspeth, Jr.John SchneiderJoseph EcklesJoshua DuncanJudy VandergriftKatie ToombsKatherine Thompson & Suzie FullerKathleen BeardenKen DaleyKristen LeyLarry WambleLaura McCroryLaura PennebakerLauren Dunn & Nathan DunnLeonard WilsonLeslie MartinLester JonesLisa HudsonKate ThomasLiz LandgrenElizabeth BrowneLois Arrechea, Sarah Robertson, & Katherine ReedLorrie DrennanLucas BullingtonKiona van Rhee-WilsonBubba RobinsonLynn DunlapMichael SchwadeMarilyn InnmanMary CaldwellMary Margaret PierceMartha BeadleMegan MarascalcoConnie Hulsey & Mike HulseyMike HIllMolly WebsterJohn CatletteJerry McLennan & Margaret McLennanMud DaubersMustard Seed Inc.Nancy BladesJimmy CriddleKelli SmithHolly JohnsonPeyton Hutchinson

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BOOTH157 & 15838589731686746191485414713735 & 365614917064116127

5712315013611813893169581126614651161108 & 1097128 & 2996 & 971107075130735582 & 832414269135

BusinessPattie Yancey Perfect PiecePersonal TouchPerspective PhotographyPipedreamsstudioPlatypusfilePMDesignsPoplar Ridge PotteryQuail Creek Graphics, LLCReagan Thames PotteryReason To Believe DesignRichard JacobusRobert Mccarroll CeramicsRock, Paper, ScissorsRodney Claxton Designs BirdhouseRoger Poer & Renea PoerShirley CottonSilhouette StudioSoDeltaSong Jinsheng ArtStained Glassworks

Studio WhimzyT-Bob’s PotteryT. A. BowenTay MurrayTennessee Pewter CompanyThe Button FloristThe Carter PotteryThe Fun CompanyThe Gordon GalleryThe Wooden Bowl ShopThomas GrasskoffThompson FarmsTom HenryTommy PattonTreenware and PotteryTroy CrisswellTwo ToadsUniversity of Mississippi Art Dept.Unk Works Glass StudioVicki Shipley ArtVintage Linen ClothingWhere My HeArt IsWhimsical Iron DesignWindhma’s WoodworksWinfrey Works StudioWired - Jewelry By JennaWood SpeakWyne ChimeYour City Prints LLC

NamePattie Yancey Lisa RobinsonLisa TylerKathryn GilchristPatrick TranumJanae EastonPaula MistrettaTracy Wilson & Craig WIlsonCindy Aune & Katie GriffinReagan ThamesSarah Beth WileyRichard JacobusRobert MccarrollColleen Couch-Smith & Kelly LindseyRodney ClaxtonRoger Poer & Renea PoerShirley CottonWoody Smith & Judy SmithLea Margaret HamiltonJinsheng SongJane Crawford, Charley White, Stephania Evers, & Leslie TurnerSarah Kathryn DossettBarbara Harris & Tom HarrisT. A. BowenTay MurrayKathleen Armour WalkerCelia BarbieriJan CarterBrian GreerBradley GordonHerbert JohnstonThomas GrasskoffMike Thompson & Michelle ThompsonTom HenryTommy PattonJo Smith & Marvin SmithTroy CrisswellJennifer Burford & Annette SmytheUniversity of Mississippi Art Dept.Deirdre UncapherVicki ShipleyLenora ThomasJudy SeayJennifer HyattSteve WindhamJen Winfrey & John WinfreyJenna ElshamyMelissa ChipmanScott DavidsonKaren Bryant

VENDORS

Village TailorSquare Books

Proud Larry’s

Soulshine Pizza

Rooster’s Blues House

Boure´ First National Bank

MerchandiseTent

Rib Cage

Neilson’s Department Store

City Hall

SOUTH

NORTHFOOD VENDORS

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COURT HOUSE

Double DeckerBus Rides

Downtown CouncilPicnic Area

Stage&

Square FairKids Area

Map

27

Q&A With Double Decker Poster Artist Thomas Grosskopf

Framed Double Decker posters from over the years have become coveted mementos on the walls of those with ties to Oxford. The artist behind this year’s poster is Thomas Grosskopf, a professional artist living in Abbeville whose work varies from portraiture and illustration to sculpture and abstracts. He received his BFA in painting from the University of Mississippi in 2010.

HT: What artists are your greatest inspiration? Grosskopf: I take influence from illustrators of the mid-20th century, such as Andrew Loomis and Frank Frazetta. Those guys could draw anything.

HT: Are there any subjects you like painting more than others?Grosskopf: As far as subjects go, I like drawing anything with people. My main interest is illustration. I love creating images that are pure fantasy.

HT: What inspired you for what you designed for the Double Decker poster?Grosskopf: My Double Decker poster was influenced by commercial posters of the Art Nouveau period. They were great for catching the eye of the passerby.

Thomas Grosskopf

“ I Am The Batman” By Thomas Grosskopt2013 Double Decker Poster By Thomas Grosskopt

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Over the years, the Double Decker Arts Festival Presented by C Spire Wireless has adjusted and toyed with different ways of presenting live music and other details of operating this much anticipated event. This year, the Double Decker team changed the way it vetted artists for the Saturday art displays. The festival features 160 vendor spots on the Square. “We switched to an online application system called Zapplication this year,” explains Mary-Kathryn Herrington, Oxford Convention and Visitors Bureau director of tourism and marketing, says. “Arts festivals all over the country use it.” Herrington says Zapplication made the process easier both for the organizers and the artists. “(Artists) aren’t charged anything to set up a Zapp profile, and then they can see shows all over the country that are seeking applicants.”

And the Double Decker organizers have added another way to expose festival-goers to works by artists who may not be participating as Saturday vendors. “We’ll have a studio tour that is coordinated by the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council, and people can either buy tickets to get on the Double Decker bus, which will make a loop to the studios on Friday [April 26], or they can buy a map to the studios from us. Those ticket prices and times are to be determined, but we are definitely doing the tours. We will also have some artists that are doing demonstrations on the courthouse lawn on Saturday, which is an element we’ve never had before.” Art vendors will display and sell their work all day Saturday; live music will rock on both Friday and Saturday.

Double Decker TweaksArt Opportunity

Art vendors at the Double Decker Arts Festival offer myriad pieces, from paintings, to sculptures, to furnishings and decor, and beyond. Photo from 2012

29

UM Students Partner for Double Decker Kids’ Area

Changes in Square Fair at festival will be ‘out of this world’

The University of Mississippi’s Department of Nutrition and Hospitality Management is partnering with the 2013 Double Decker Arts Festival Presented by C Spire to provide its students event management experience in the children’s Square Fair component of the festival. Students will manage the Square Fair. Students majoring in nutrition and hospitality management, enrolled in NHM 312: Event Management, are spearheading this event, explains Jeremy Roberts, adjunct instructor and event management coordinator in the Department of Nutrition and Hospitality Management at the University of Mississippi. “We are going with space theme—it will be out of this world,” he says. “The event is changing a bit, too; the time will be 10 a.m. until 3 p.m., instead of in the past of ending at 5 p.m.” “We are really excited to partner with the Ole Miss hospitality program for Square Fair,” says Mary-Kathryn Herrington, director of tourism and marketing with the Oxford Convention and Visitors Bureau. “We

anticipate the enthusiasm they are bringing to this project will make this area better than it has been in years.” Roberts notes that this year’s Square Fair location moves to the parking lot of the Lafayette County Chancery Courthouse (at the intersection of North Lamar and Jefferson). “We will have a variety of vendors, all incorporating a space theme into their display, activities, and events,” Roberts continues. “There will be face painting, arts and crafts, and photo opportunities. We will have our very own alien and astronaut there, too.” Other changes include moving to a ticket system, “much like a true fair experience,” Roberts says. Each ticket will be $1 and will be used at for all vendors, activities, and events within the Square Fair. However, a number of free activities will also be offered. “Other students within the department will be volunteering for the entire Double Decker festival, either assisting with Square Fair, or other aspects of the festival, to gain a great event management experience. The faculty and staff within the department will also be a part of the event.”

30

With Double Decker Comes Spring Run

Hill country foot race starts the day with a sweat

The 18th Annual Double Decker Spring Run, sponsored by the Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce, is gaining speed. This year’s 10K Run, 5K Run, and Kids Fun Run are scheduled for Saturday, April 27 at 7:30 a.m. The event is held in conjunction with the Double Decker Arts Festival Presented By C Spire.

Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi returns in the role of presenting sponsor again this year.

Organizers say the race has grown to nearly 1,200 racers coming to Oxford from all around the region. The Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce has partnered again this year with Start2Finish health-oriented event management company for this year’s race. Start2Finish is the premier health-oriented event management company in the Mid-South.

The race takes participants through the tradition-rich rolling hills of Oxford early in the morning, so they can stick around after the race for a day full of arts, crafts, and music at the annual Double Decker Arts Festival.

For more information on the race or to register visit: www.doubledeckerspringrun.com

Photo courtesy of Oxford Double Decker Spring Run.

31

New Art Programs Added to Friday of Double Decker

Many opportunities including bus tour of artists’ studios scheduled

Museum On The SquareCreate a quick project inspired by the University Museum’s collection of Theora Hamblett paintings noon until 5 p.m.

Muses and Metaphor Panel DiscussionThe University of Mississippi Department of Art will host a brown bag panel discussion featuring internationally acclaimed American realist painter Bo Bartlett; Betsy Eby, American encaustic painter; and William Dunlap, Southern painter. The panel discussion is noon to 1 p.m. at the University Museum.

Yoknapatawpha County in the 1960sThe University Museum will hold an exhibit of photos in the museum that depict Yoknapatawpha County in the 1960s. The museum will be open from noon until 5 p.m.

Painting What You SeeThe Oxford Artists Guild will host plein air painting demonstrations on the courthouse lawn. Festival goers can watch multiple artists create a work of art as they paint “whatever they see.” This event will go from 1 o 5 p.m.

Andi Bedsworth DemonstrationPopular local artist and owner of Art To Go, Andi Bedsworth will do a demonstration of a mixed media stitch from noon until 12:30 p.m. on the courthouse lawn.

Watercolor DemonstrationLocal artist Janet Barnes will be creating a watercolor of the Square from 12:30 p.m. until 1 p.m. The demonstration will be taking place on the courthouse lawn.

Double Decker Painting ClassStudio Whimzy will be teaching a popular Z-Event style class on the courthouse lawn from 1 to 2 p.m. The subject of the painting will be a Double Decker Bus. The class will cost $25 and includes all necessary supplies.

Kudzu Basket Weaving DemonstrationMark Barnes will do a kudzu basket weaving demonstration on the courthouse lawn from 1 to 1:30 p.m.

Pottery DemonstrationSheri Marshall of Marshall Pottery will make pottery on the courthouse lawn from 1:30 to 2:15 p.m. and from 4 to 4:45 p.m.

Make It, Take It Cards ClassAndi Bedsworth will teach a class on Make It, Take It Cards. on the courthouse lawn from 2:15 to 3 p.m.

Oil Painting DemonstrationToni Joyner will demonstrate oil painting on a porcelain canvas on the courthouse lawn from 3:15 to 4:00 p.m.

The Double Decker Arts Festival Presented by C Spire Wireless and the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council have added a number of new art programs, including a bus tour of local artists’ studios, throughout the day on Friday, April 26, as part of the festival. Each program described below takes place on Friday unless otherwise noted. . . . . .

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New Art Programs Added to Friday of Double Decker

Eco-Fashion ShowThere will be a Eco-Fashion Show at the Jackson Avenue Center at 7 p.m. All clothing is all-natural and recycled. The show costs $5.

Letterpress DemonstrationThe Ole Miss Art Department Printmakers will hold a letterpress demonstration at Meek Hall on the Ole Miss campus. It will be in room 113 from 1 to 2:30 p.m.

OfferingsMeek Hall will host a Norma Acord ceramics show titled Offerings Gallery 130 in Meek Hall on the Ole Miss campus from 1 to 4 p.m.

Mud DaubersThere will be a ceramics demonstration on the front lawn of Meek Hall, located on the Ole Miss Campus, from 1 to 4 p.m.

Mold MakingThe Rebel Sculpture Society will offer a mold-making class using a cauldron and hot molten metals. It will take place in the sculpture lawn at Meek Hall on the Ole Miss campus from 1 to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. It costs between $30 and $110 depending on what kind of project you want to do.

Bo Bartlett Panel DiscussionThe University Museum will host a brown bag panel discussion featuring American realist painter Bo Bartlett. This panel will take place at the museum and will start at noon.

Bo Bartlett Lecture and DiscussionThe University of Mississippi Department of Art will host a lecture and discussion featuring American

realist painter Bo Bartlett at the museum on Thursday at 3 p.m. at the Jackson Events Center (next to Malco Theater), 2530 West Jackson Avenue. A reception will follow the lecture.

Into The FlatlandsThe University Museum will host an exhibit called Into the Flatlands on Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m.

Local Artist Studio ToursThere will also be local artists studio tours on Friday. Folks can buy a ticket for $8 to ride on the Double Decker bus to the studios at 1, 3 and 5 p.m. They’ll visit the studios of artists Ron Dale, Jere Allen, Jason Boulden, and Paula Temple.

For Tickets Visithttp://doubledeckerartsfestival.eventbrite.com

Painting Courtesy of Studio Whimzy

33

Mistaken for Miriam: An Oxford Whodunnit

Cracking the case of the would-be Miriam Weems painting

Its not everyday an artist’s work is mistakenly credited to the distinguished Merriam Weems. Once maybe, twice is quite a mix up, but after three times someone has some explaining to do. It all started as soon as Double Decker season rolled around, when a vibrant, color-splashed Double Decker bus scene was used in several Double Decker news articles and publicity promotions. The painting was featured in Invitation Oxford magazine and the HottyToddy.com Double Decker Guide as a Weems original from her book, Mostly Mississippi. After several confused phone call complaints from concerned readers, an investigation to find the painting’s real artist was well underway. First stop: Quail Ridge Press, the publishers of Mostly Mississippi. After a second confirmation from Quail Creek Press that the Double Decker painting was in fact Weems’s, there was only one thing left to do: find Weems’s book and settle the issue once and for all. I knew exactly where I could find a copy, and rushed to my grandmother’s coffee table. For years, I’ve flipped through the hot pink hardback, admiring each entry, but this time was different. I was on a mission. My fingers couldn’t move quickly enough, page after page after page, until there it was, “Double Decker” by Merriam Weems. Just one problem: It was not the same painting. Crazy? Maybe. Impossible? Not a chance. I was at a loss, a dead end, and then my phone rang. The answer I had been looking for found me. Folks, meet Vicki Stevens, the Oxford painter and mother of the 2012 Double Decker painting commissioned by Something Southern, a shop on the Square. “Something Southern has asked me for the past three years to do a special painting for Double Decker,” said Stevens. “They put it in their store, and they use it for t-shirts. They sell the original and prints and even little postcard prints for souvenirs.”

With bold-colored Oxford scenes and some pups and tots for good measure, it’s a wonder how many times Stevens’ work has been misidentified. Stevens chuckled while admitting she could see how someone might have mistaken her work for Weems’s. Overall, the artist’s credit mix-up was quite the compliment and surprise. “She (Weems) was a wonderful artist. It’s flattering to even be compared to her,” said Stevens. “It was kind of funny and amusing how it happened.” Now that we know the truth about Vicki Stevens, perhaps this year’s commissioned piece will be remembered as none other than a Stevens. “Each year, we try to make it look a little different,” said Stevens. “This year, we decided to go with more of a candid with the people and the tents, because you know how Double Decker is chaos and fun.” Stevens, a mother of three and successful artist, knows a thing or two about chaos and fun. “Since I’ve had three kids, I put a tarp out between the dining room and living room, and I sit in the middle. That way I can call out spelling words, and take care of being a mom too,” said Stevens. “I paint

Painter Vicki Stevens

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Mistaken for Miriam: An Oxford Whodunnit

right in the big chaos of my house.” With her painting process often as colorful as her work, Stevens credits her own work to her love for color. “I’ve always loved color. I know it sounds silly, but there are feelings you get from color,” said Stevens. “I really like to look at something, pull the

colors from it, that maybe other people don’t notice at first glance.” It’s funny how those tricky first glances can be sometimes. It may only take one to make a mistake, or create a masterpiece. In the Stevens case, I think its safe to say the crime that was committed was the best of both mistake and masterpiece.

“This year, we decided to go with more of a candid with the people and the tents, because you know how Double Decker is chaos and fun.” - Vicki Stevens

Vicki Stevens’ 2013 Cmmision Piece.

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Downtown Council Hosts Picnic Area

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Fest-goers can sit and chill as handcrafted furniture is silent-auctioned

The Oxford Downtown Council will host its second annual Double Decker Picnic Area in the parking lot adjacent to City Hall during the Double Decker Arts Festival Presented by C Spire Wireless on Saturday, April 27. Local artists will feature painted six-foot picnic tables, Adirondack rockers, and folding chairs that will be auctioned off via a silent auction on Saturday, with proceeds benefiting the local Boys & Girls Club. “The Council is proud to continue what proved to be a tremendous success at last year’s Double Decker festival,” said its president Mark Huelse. “Last year we were able to raise money for the Boys & Girls Club by auctioning off beautifully painted picnic tables, and this year we’ve added Adirondack rockers and folding chairs to the auction.” In addition to benefitting the Boys & Girls Club

by selling these artistic pieces of furniture, crafted in Pontotoc, the picnic area serves as a space for festival-goers to sit and enjoy their food, Huelse said. The silent auction will last from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Local artists who have donated their time and talent to paint items include Lucius Lamar, Jeffrey Allen, Whitney Allen, Nicole Lamar, Vicki Stevens, Pam Locke, Kara Giles of Nest Paper Studio, Ian Cleary, Sarah Kathryn Dossett of Studio Whimzy, Summer Vanderboegh’s OUS class, Andi Bedsworth’s Art to Go classes, Nancy Mitchell, and Hannah McCormick. Some of the art items will be displayed around the Square leading up to Saturday. Interested Oxonians may follow the Oxford Downtown Council on Facebook and Twitter for updates.

Andi Bedsworth’s Art to Go class painted this Adirondack rocker tiled “Mustache Man” for the Double Decker Picnic Area on Saturday, April 27. Silent auction bids on the chair start at $100.

Downtown Council Hosts Picnic Area

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• Ajax• Amelia• Amy Head Cosmetics• BancorpSouth• Belles & Beaus• CambinoTech Computer Services• CSR Real Estate• Dwight N. Ball• Elite Cabinetry• Endurance Athletics• Ferriday McClatchy Events• First National Bank of Oxford• Grantham Poole,• High Point Coffee• Hinton & Hinton• Holcomb Dunbar• Holli’s Sweet Tooth• Ice Core Fitness• Indigo’s• Knit 1 Oxford

The Oxford Downtown Council strives to support the merchants and businesses around the historic Oxford Square. Council members include:

• La Paz Restaurant & Cantina• LuLu’s, Marchbanks Real Estate• McEwen’s Oxford• M&F Bank• Mid South Financial Group• Miss Behavin’• Miss Monogram• Mitchell• McNutt & Sams• Nella• Nest Paper Studio• Oxford Bridal• Oxford Convention & Visitor’s Bureau• Oxford Floral• Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce• Pink and Proper• Private Galley

• Proud Larry’s• Regions Bank• Rooster’s Blues House• Square Books• Something Southern• Stash• The Frame Up• The J.E. Neilson Co.• The Kaleidoscope• The Lily Pad• The Oxford Eagle• Therapy• Tollison Law Firm• Trout Law Firm• University Sporting Goods• Village Tailor• Warehouse 605• YaYa’s• Yoknapatawpha Art Council• Zoe of Oxford

Among other artists, Nicole Lamar will paint an Adirondack rocker that will be auctioned in the Double Decker Picnic Area. Last year she painted this table, titled “Oh, Say, Can You See?”

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Double decker PICSPhotos By John R. Allison.

Double Decker Goal: Food to Be as Much a Draw as Music

The Double Decker Arts Festival Presented by C Spire Wireless has taken a new tact in selecting and approving food vendors for the 2013 event, to be held April 26 and 27 in Oxford. The application process and criteria required have caused some initial confusion and frustration for some restaurateurs, but the net result will be a win for the festival and Oxford, said John T. Edge, a member of the Double Decker Food Vendor Committee. “The Tourism Council asked us to develop a process to improve food at Double Decker,” said Edge, whose appointment to the committee certainly was not at random. His day job is as director of the Southern Foodways Alliance, and he’s the author or editor of more than 10 books, including the foodways volume of the New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture, Cornbread Nation: the Best of Southern Food Writing, and Southern Belly: The Ultimate Food Lover’s Companion to the South. The new vendor criteria, Edge said, are aimed at developing the food component of the Double Decker fest into more than just an afterthought. “The idea was to curate a roster of vendors to serve dishes that prove as much a draw as the music,” he explained. One of the committee’s inspirations was the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, where the foods reflect the peoples, places, and ingredients of Louisiana. “We’re working toward an Oxford version of that ideal,” Edge said. “And we’re encouraging vendors to source local ingredients for dishes. Buying locally grown ingredients, as we all now know, drives local economies.” The culture shock some applicants have felt at first is worth the growing pains, Edge believes. “Any change comes with challenges,” he said. “It’s been very gratifying to see the great majority of applicants embrace the idea and rise to the challenge. To date, no applicants have been denied, even though some did not even attempt to address the

new guidelines. The reality is we had more applicants than we have vendor slots. If we’re going to curate the vendor roster, we’ll be forced to say no to some vendors, just as art curators accept and reject artists for a group gallery show.” “We’re excited about supporting a dynamic and entertaining program like the Oxford Double Decker Arts Festival that combines the charm of Oxford with a first-class event that focuses on the region’s best in music, food, and the arts,” said Jim Richmond, vice president of Corporate Communications for C Spire Wireless, earlier this year. The 18th annual Oxford Double Decker Arts Festival presented by C Spire Wireless will be held on Friday evening, April 26 and all day Saturday April 27, 2013. For an event schedule, click here.

Vendor committee says most applicants have risen to its challenge

40

Gospel Event Slated Sunday After Double Decker

Festival dovetails into fundraiser for healthy school food initiative

The Good Food for Oxford Schools initiative is spearheading a gospel event on the Sunday following the Double Decker Arts Festival Presented by C Spire to raise funds and awareness for the organization’s mission.

The Gospel Choir Showcase fundraiser will highlight some of North Mississippi’s gospel choirs and inform the public about Oxford School District Food Service’s new program Good Food for Oxford Schools, says Project Coordinator Sunny Young. The event will be held the Sunday (April 28) of Double Decker weekend from 3 to 6 p.m. in front of City Hall.

“The event will be free and open to all,” Young says, “but we will be encouraging everyone to donate what they can to the project. ‘Offering plates’ will be passed around to collect donations and a booth will be set up to collect as well. We need to raise $5,000 to send our Oxford High School Food Club leaders to the Rooted in Community summit in Los Angeles this summer.”

Good Food for Oxford Schools increases knowledge of delicious, healthy, fresh, local foods and extends this learning from the classroom to the cafeteria to home.

More information, visit http://www.oxford.k12.ms.us/GFOS

On Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/goodfoodforoxfordschools

Photo courtesy of Good Food for Oxford Students.

41

Double Decker Revamps Food Vendor Criteria

New approach requires local twists for festival dishes

Oxford’s hallmark spring arts festival has redefined the kind of food it wants vendors to present this year, with the intent of guaranteeing all dishes have local ties. But this first year of the new vendor specs has sparked a dialogue about what exactly “local” means. Even though Tate Moore grew up in Ohio, he’s lived in Oxford for about 20 years. As leader of beloved Oxford music group the Kudzu Kings, Moore, many would suggest, has earned his local stripes. His Square Pizza restaurant is inspired by the pies of the

Ohio Valley; he opened a few years ago excited to introduce this, his favorite style, as a unique offering among other styles of pizza in town. More often than not, Moore is the one making and baking the pies, ringing up the orders, pouring the Cokes, and conversing with the patrons. It’s not a chain. That’s why Moore says he was taken aback when, after applying to be a food vendor at the Double Decker Festival Presented by C Spire, to be held April 26 and 27 in Oxford, he received the following letter:

. . . . .Square Pizza Owner Tate Moore applied to be a vendor at the Double Decker fest and interpreted his initial rejection

as implying he isn’t “unique enough to Oxford,” he posted on Facebook. Photo by John R. Allison.

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Double Decker Revamps Food Vendor Criteria

Soon after receiving the letter, which was dated March 25, Moore aired his frustration on Facebook, posting, “Looks like Square Pizza will not have a booth at Double Decker this year. Clearly I’m not unique enough to Oxford.” One comment to Moore’s post was by Oxford-

raised Lamar Lounge Chef Charles Owens, who said, “funny……chicken and pork and catfish and many other products that we purchase from sysco or us foods ARE raised and packed here in mississippi for logistical reasons.”

Dear Tate:

Thank you for applying to be a 2013 Double Decker Arts Festival food vendor. As you know, Double Decker has formed a food vendor committee to improve the selection process, revamp the food vendor guidelines, and help make Double Decker a food-lover’s festival, just as the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival is now as renowned for food as it is for music. To do that, we need your help.

We encourage you to submit a revised application. We want to make sure that food served on Saturday is unique to Oxford. What’s more, we want to showcase foods that are unique to Double Decker.

Here’s how we put it in the initial call for vendors: “Does your dish use local goods? If you’re serving a burger, do you use ground beef from a local farmer? Does your dish leverage local recipes? If you’re serving a hot dog, do you cap it with chow chow, made from your Aunt’s recipe? That’s what we want.”A number of vendors rose to that challenge. A pizza franchisee developed a pizza topped with Mississippi Gulf Coast shrimp. A corn dog vendor decided to use sausages, made with pork from Lafayette County pigs. A cake company pledged to use butter from Lafayette County cows. A hotdog vendor, accustomed to selling ketchup- and mustard-slathered dogs, developed a homemade chow chow. The goal of our committee is to encourage and enable food vendors to sell unique dishes that are not available elsewhere. After reviewing your application, the committee asks you to take another look at what you plan to serve. We encourage you to develop and serve Double Decker-only dishes that reflect the unique culture of Oxford and Mississippi.

A number of businesses have submitted applications to sell pizza and we’re encouraging all to do something special, something that will be different, something that will be exceptional for Double Decker. What can you do? Use locally raised spinach on your pie? Incorporate locally-made sausage? Try a pimento cheese calzone?

We have enclosed another application with a complete list of guidelines. To be reconsidered for the festival, please return a revised application to us by Monday, April 1. Please feel free to call the Oxford Tourism Council if you have any questions about the guidelines or the application. We know that these changes present challenges for some vendors. And we thank you for working with us to showcase foods that will make Double Decker a destination for culinary tourists as well as music tourists.

Thank you for working with us. We are confident that the end result will be worth it.Sincerely, Double Decker Food Vendor Committee

Shannon Adams; Liz Coppola; John Currence; John T Edge; Richmond Smith

. . . . .

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Double Decker Revamps Food Vendor Criteria

Dish as Narrative

The changes in what decision-makers are looking for in Double Decker dishes are aimed at making sure festival-goers get a true taste of the town, the area, and the state. “We’ve overhauled our food vendor process this year in an attempt to make this portion of the festival better reflect Oxford’s culinary story,” read the cover letter applicants received from Double Decker organizers in February. Only 25 vendors ultimately will be selected in the final lineup for Double Decker food, the form application states. The panel of five, which has been vetting the applications and sent the letters, includes

John Currence (City Grocery), Liz Coppola (Farmers Market), Shannon Adams (Honeybee Bakery), Richmond Smith (Oxford School District), and John T. Edge (Southern Foodways Alliance). The application advised aspirants to “Think of your dish as a narrative. Does it tell a story of Oxford? Does your dish spin a tale about Mississippi?” The mission stated in the application is to showcase “the dishes that define this place.”

. . . . .

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Double Decker Revamps Food Vendor Criteria

Though local businessman and mayoral candidate Jason Plunk recently closed his Taylor’s Pub, he continues to operate a mobile hot dog stand with the name Taylor’s Pub Dogs in the downtown area and applied to include his stand among Double Decker’s food vendors. Like many food and beverage purveyors in Oxford, Plunk says he depends on the crowd the festival attracts for a big chunk of his spring revenue. But he opened his mail on Wednesday, March 27, to find the same letter Moore got. “I’ve got three days to revamp my menu, and I have no choice,” Plunk said Thursday afternoon. “I’m going to, because that’s a huge payday.” He added that the letter “confused” him, since on the music side of the festival, organizers enlisted a Memphis firm to book and produce the live music, rather than employing local management. Plunk also questions why John Currence, owner of four restaurants in Oxford, including two on the Square, is on the committee—and thereby, in Plunk’s view, is in a position to “pick his competition.” But Plunk has chosen to take the open-ended letter as not so much a rejection but a challenge and an opportunity. Already having planned to refurbish his hot dog stand, he said that after he received the letter, he sat “staring at the computer” screen brainstorming. A lifelong Oxonian, the outspoken Plunk is seldom at a loss to “tell a story of Oxford,” and a new idea came pretty quickly. “The interesting thing for me that has come out of this is I have renamed the hot dog stand and

will have a new logo and everything out by Double Decker,” Plunk said. “I’m renaming the stand ‘the Double Decker Dog.’ That’s one of the ways I’m going to keep it local. I’m going to keep that name year-round.” Beyond a new marketing angle and cosmetic updates to his cart, the rest of Plunk’s plan is in line with the mission stated in the vendor application instructions, as it likely will “reflect the vitality of the local food economy”—per language from the application—when put into action. But executing his vision won’t be without feeling the adjustments that must be made, at least for this one event. Despite that Plunk typically buys his hot dogs from local merchants, the items aren’t from local farms—though Plunk boils the franks in Oxford tap water from the city supply. Sourcing instead now from local farms and purveyors, “My costs will skyrocket,” Plunk said. He interprets the requirements as not dictating 100 percent use of local ingredients but to simply add some local flair into the menu. “If that’s the case, my thought is to get some local brats or sausages—or what I’m able to find—and add them onto my menu along with my regular menu. So, I’m expanding the menu to meet the criteria … The letter came yesterday. I’ve got one day, and then Good Friday, and then a weekend to figure this out—basically two business days.” “I need the money, and I’m going to do whatever it takes to make sure the Double Decker Dog stand is set up.”

When a Letter Gives You Lemons…

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The Double Deckers

Photo by lucianvenutian, via Flickr

Imported from England to Oxford in 1994, the Double Decker buses are icons in the City of Oxford. The Oxford Convention and Visitors Bureau offers seasonal bus tours with local historian Jack Mayfield to points of interest on the University of Mississippi campus and around the City including William Faulkner historic sites.

The Yoknapatawpha Arts Council also makes use the bus for their monthly Oxford Art Crawls, traveling to different art galleries in town and the University.

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Double decker PICS

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