Double Decker Arts Festival April 22-23, 2022
Festival was postponed since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic
Oxford, Mississippi is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its award-winning Double Decker Arts Festival on April 22 and 23, 2022. The red double-decker bus, imported from England in 1994, serves as the inspiration and centerpiece of the two-day celebration of arts, music, and food that takes place in the historic Courthouse Square. Now the recipient of more than 25 awards, including “Best Festival” by Mississippi Magazine and a Top 20 event by the Southeast Tourism Society, Double Decker brings in over 65,000 attendees for a weekend celebrating food, music and the arts.
Beginning with the 2015 event, each year a local artist is selected from multiple submissions to be featured as the festival’s “official art,” which is printed on the festival t-shirts and posters. 2022’s featured artist is Hannah McCormick. McCormick attended school at the University of Mississippi and has been a local resident for over 10 years, while she has been working as a commissioned portrait artist for over 15 years. Her work also includes creating live event paintings at weddings and her artwork is featured in many galleries around Oxford and Jackson, Mississippi. She has taught private art lessons for all ages since living in Oxford and has participated in the Double Decker Festival in previous years by sharing a booth with other local artists. McCormick’s artwork was previously selected for the 2020 festival, but because that festival was cancelled and the artwork was not showcased, festival organizers decided to carry over the artwork to the 2022 festival.
A Southern showcase – from mouthwatering bites to inspiring art
Like any respected Southern tradition, the festival has grown while preserving its original integrity and charm. Tried and true tasty temptations, from snow cones to roast beef sandwiches to pizza by the slice, all from local vendors—many offering a specialty item that can only be found during the event. An artist showcase is juried by a panel of local artists, bringing more than 140 arts vendors to the event, spanning a variety of media including drawings, glass, jewelry, mixed media, painting, photography, print making, and sculpture.
Tune in for toe-tapping fun on the Ole Miss Student Activities Association stage on April 22 and April 23
The weekend kicks off with music on the Ole Miss Student Activities Association stage on Friday, April 22 at 6:15 pm with The Wilkins Sisters. Born in Memphis, the three sisters were raised singing in the church and now mix gospel, blues, and R&B to make music that is moving, soulful, and uplifting.
At 7:45 pm, alt-country soul band 49 Winchester take the stage. Hailing from Virginia, 49 Winchester delivers the poetically straightforward songs of singer/guitarist Isaac Gibson in a soulful electric live show.
The headliner for Friday night is country crooner, and former Ole Miss baseball pitcher, Brett Young. Young has captured the hearts of fans everywhere through his honest lyrics and West Coast-meets-Southern sound; he’s also amassed nominations from Teen Choice, ACM, Billboard, CMT, and CMA Awards. After racking seven consecutive No. 1 hits, Rolling Stone deemed Young “one of country’s most consistent radio stars.”
To start off the main event Saturday morning, Oxford’s own Happy Landing, an alternative folk band, will perform at 11 am. Blues artist Buffalo Nichols will perform at 12:30 pm.
Singer songwriter Maggie Rose will take the stage at 2 pm. In 2018, Rose released her highly anticipated album, Change the Whole Thing which was named by Rolling Stone as one of the “Best Albums of 2018.”
At 3:30 pm, singer-songwriter and guitarist, Samantha Fish takes the stage. While oftentimes categorized as a blues artist, Fish blends blues, rock, country, funk, bluegrass, and ballads into her live shows.
Going into the night portion of the acts, legendary R&B and gospel singer Mavis Staples takes the stage at 5 pm. Staples is both a Blues and a Rock and Rock Hall of Famer; a Grammy award-winner, a National Arts Awards Lifetime Achievement recipient, a Kennedy Center honoree, as well as a chart-topping soul/gospel/R&B pioneer. Her 2019 album, We Get By was her twelfth studio album and first full-length collaboration with multi-Grammy award-winner, Ben Harper.
At 6:30 pm, New Orleans jazz and funk sensation, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue take the stage which include brass band blare and deep-grove funk, to bluesy beauty and hip hop/pop swagger.
The final performance of the evening is The Revivalists who take the stage at 8:30 pm. The chart topping rock band have been nominated for a Billboard award, two iHeartRadio Music awards and were named Billboard’s Top New Rock Artists of 2017. Renowned for their powerful live performances, soulful alt-rock anthems and their distinct mix of many of the classic styles of American music, the 8-piece ensemble of pedal steel guitar, unique two-drummer set-up, horns and more is led by the incredible voice of front man, David Shaw.
Catch all the bands as they perform throughout the weekend:
Friday April 22, 2022:
9:00 PM – Brett Young
7:45 PM – 49 Winchester
6:15 PM – The Wilkins Sisters
Saturday April 23, 2022:
8:30 PM – The Revivalists
6:30 PM – Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue
5:00 PM – Mavis Staples
3:30 PM – Samantha Fish
2:00 PM – Maggie Rose
12:30 PM – Buffalo Nichols
11:00 AM – Happy Landing
The festival’s 2022 Presenting Sponsor is The University of Mississippi Museum gifted to them by Ole Miss Athletics. The Ole Miss Student Activities Association is sponsoring the stage, and Faulkner Sponsors include Specialty Orthopedic Group, NE Sparc, and Nicholas Air.
