Houndmouth performs during the 2018 Double Decker Arts Festival.
Double Decker has seen tremendous growth in the last 24 years, and for the past five years, Lee Ann Stubbs has been the coordinator for everything Double Decker. Lee Ann Stubbs, Double Decker Coordinator, said, ” I think it is a weekend people look forward to whether it is a family reunion or college reunion and we like to keep it kid-friendly for families. I definitely think Double Decker brings people from outside of Oxford.” One of the main sponsors of Double Decker is the Student Activity Association at Ole Miss as well as Ole Miss athletics. Sponsors give anywhere from 200 to 25,000 dollars. “I start planning the festival in September and sometimes even late August,” Stubbs said. “It takes a lot more time than people think.” Because of a festival this size, there is now a jury that votes on vendors to be selected. This year, 273 people applied to be vendors who will display their artwork, jewelry, wood cutting, food, and more. To get the
weekend started, tow trucks arrive at The Square on Saturday morning at 4 a.m. to bring Double Decker to life. “If you are up at 4 a.m. on the Saturday of Double Decker, come look at The Square and the tow trucks come out,” Stubbs said. “You would not even know it was 4 in the morning.” Similarly to football weekends, the clean-up crew is able to tear down and clean up The Square by Sunday morning, making The Square look as if nothing ever happened. “By the time the next morning you are up for church, you would not know there was a festival there,” Stubbs said. The 24th Annual Double Decker Festival is set to kick-off on Friday, April 26 with art demonstrations and a special “Thacker Mountain Radio Hour” at 7 p.m. The Festival will open on Saturday morning at 10 a.m. following the 5K and 10K run/walk and the Kid’s Fun Run.
Circle & Square 17