By Andi Bedsworth

Double Decker Arts Festival is this weekend, and many of you locals know that it is an arts festival not to miss.

If you are new to Oxford, get ready as this is the weekend to get out and enjoy live music, great art, children’s activities and community spirit. This year the festival is presented by the University Museum and Rowan Oak thanks to a generous donation and collaboration with Ole Miss Athletics.

If you are not sure where to start, think about getting out on Friday to enjoy the festivities available on that day. Previously the festival was held on one day, and after a storm created chaos in 2010, part of the festival was moved to Sunday with some of the music continuing on Saturday. The festival rethought the idea of offering events over two days.

The Oxford Artists’ Guild has been providing an arts market and demonstration area for the last several years on the Friday before the fest, and this year they will continue that tradition but in a new location. They will be stationed between Neilson’s and City Hall.

At 9 a.m., one can stop by and catch Janet Barnes painting in watercolor and her son, Mark Barnes, creating his popular kudzu baskets. Pat Gillenwater will be knitting at 10 a.m., Susan Patton will paint in oil from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., and Debbie Meyers will start a string of watercolor painting demos starting at 1 p.m. and continuing with Pam Locke at 2 p.m. and wrapping up with a demo by Marge McCauley at 3 p.m. There will be art for sale on both days by the guild in this location.

If music is your thing, check out the music starting at 6 p.m. and continuing with Thacker Mountain Radio Hour at 7 p.m. and wrapping up after an 8 p.m. set on the Specialty Orthopedic Group Stage between Highpointe Coffee and the Chancery offices. The music lineup for Saturday begins at 10:15 a.m. and concludes with the closing band starting at 8:30 p.m.

On Saturday, make sure you check out the numerous artists’ booths featuring work by artists regionally and locally. More than 160 booths are included in this year’s event, and though it seems like a lot to cover, it is worth it to take a peek at each and every one, as the selection process to get in is rigorous meaning that the offerings are the best the region has to offer.

Everything from pottery, hand crafted jewelry, yard ornaments, woodworking, ceramics, watercolor, acrylic, and oil paintings, photographs and much more.

If you have kids, there is plenty for them to do including the Square Fair Kids Area, which is on the other side of the Chancery Building and the music stage. For those with small babies and toddlers, Organic Mother’s has set up a Changing and Nursing Station behind the Chancery Building and behind the Hotty Toddy Potty area.

Happy Double Decker Weekend!

Andi Bedsworth is the owner of Art To Go, which brings free art opportunities to children in the community.