David Magee has lived in Oxford so long that the Double Decker Arts Festival still feels kind of new—and it’s been around since 1996. A native Oxonian, Magee attended Ole Miss, and met his wife, Kent, there, too. So now, each April when the Double Decker Festival rolls around, it’s a family tradition for the Magees to host three generations of family—including six grandchildren—at his Oxford home, located just off the Square.
“Oxford is my home; I’m an Oxford native,” he said. “We’re all proud of our homes. The festival is really Oxford’s finest time to shine because it is just true community.”
Magee is no stranger to a good, old-fashioned Southern festival, and maintains that Double Decker is simply like no other. He advises that the way to enjoy the festival to the fullest is to go all in. Don’t just pop by the festivities for a morning, or an afternoon. Arrive bright and early on Saturday and stay late into the night, soaking up the music, food, and the breathtaking beauty of Oxford’s thriving city center. “I think the people that really get the most out of it, you just come soak it in,” he said. “You have to just sit there, and be there when the sun is setting and the bands are playing, and it turns into that kind of magical night—and see that through.”
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The Double Decker Art Festival's kid zone
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The Double Decker Art Festival's kid zone
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The Double Decker Art Festival's kid zone
His grandchildren, in particular, enjoy waking at dawn to make the most of Double Decker’s impressive kid zone, giving their accompanying adults a chance to meander around the Square as art and food vendors arrive to set up. Magee says that Double Decker is his chance to act like an out-of-towner—ambling in and out of bookshops and boutiques, grabbing a coffee here, an ice cream there, or a pastry at one of the eateries or vendors set up on site. For locals like himself, Magee says, the festival serves as a welcome annual reminder to appreciate the walkability, the abundance of culture, and the creative flair of their town, with fresh eyes.
“It’s like this big community party. There’s honestly nothing like it,” he said. “For us, especially with three generations—how many things can you even do that the whole family participates in, with the same eagerness and vigor and enjoyment?”
With all the family, friends, locals, and visitors, the festival doesn’t feel exactly crowded, but rather welcoming. “There’s one degree of separation in the South,” Magee said, laughing. “We get to see a lot of friends and people. It feels like one giant reunion in a lot of ways.”
At the heart of Double Decker lies an unmistakable and powerful sense of togetherness—a critical, intrinsic bond that flows through the streets, joining artisans, musicians, and festival-goers alike.
“Community is really just one of our greatest gifts,” Magee mused. “There are few things that bring it all together like this. It just hits all the senses in a warm and rich way. It’s friends, family, new people, new experiences, art, music, food—and it’s all in this picturesque, quaint community, where you think, man, I could do this forever. Why should this ever end?”
