American Indie rock band, Cold War Kids, will be this year’s headliner at the annual Double Decker Arts Festival on April 27 and 28.

The full musical lineup was announced at a press announcement this morning at the Visit Oxford off the Square.

Cold War Kids will take the stage at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 28. From Long Beach, California the band credits such artists as Radiohead and Bob Dylan as influences on the group’s sound. Their sixth album was released just last April and hit the top 100 album chart in the U.S., peaking at the ninth and tenth spots under the Alternative and Rock charts.

This year’s 23rd annual Double Decker Arts Festival will feature the same great food, music and art that has made the event one of the most popular in north Mississippi, and some could argue one of the best attended in the state of Mississippi with crowds that top 50,000 in past years.

A two-day event, the festival has become a regional tourist attraction that brings in visitors from hundreds of miles away. Yet, it has also managed to retain the local festival vibe, and it’s still a place where people come each year to see familiar friendly faces, listen to great music, buy some one-of-a-kind art and sample Oxford’s well-known food offerings.

Also revealed this morning was the official Double Decker poster artwork that will be printed on festival T-shirts and the art for the official Double Decker Arts Festival poster. The artist is Sarah Kathryn Dossett, who owns Studio Whimsy.

The poster features the iconic double-decker bus along with the red phone booth and a colorful snapshot of the Square, surrounded by musical notes and a painter’s pallet.

The festival is sponsored by the University of Mississippi Museum, who was gifted the sponsorship by Ole Miss Athletics.

Taking its name from the town’s authentic double-decker bus imported from England in 1994, this year’s festival will be held April 27 and 28 on the Square.

This year’s Friday night concert will again take place in conjunction with Thacker Mountain Radio Hour and will be free and open to the public. This will be the sixth year for the partnership between Thacker and the festival.

Thacker Mountain Radio Hour will be held on the Ole Miss Student Activities Association stage on at 6 p.m., kicking off with singer Liz Brasher followed by a special edition of the Thacker Mountain Radio hour at 7 p.m. and The Delta Saints rounding out the evening at 8 p.m.

Before Cold War Kids take the stage Saturday night, the day’s musical entertainment will begin at 10 a.m. and go all day.

All music will be performed on the stage located on North Lamar Boulevard off the downtown Square.

To start off the main event Saturday morning, Sharde Thomas will perform at 10:15 a.m. Other Saturday daytime acts will include the Como Mamas, Don Bryant, Squirrel Nut Zippers, and Tank and the Bangas.

Evening acts will include Whitey Morgan and the 78’s, followed by Houndmouth before Cold War Kids take the stage to end the night.

In addition to music, there will be more than 160 art vendors from around the region selling creative wares for the anticipated 60,000 festival attendees. Selected by Oxford’s Yoknapatawpha Arts Council, the vendors include drawings, glass, jewelry, mixed media, painting, photography, printmaking and sculptures.

This year’s food court will feature a sampling of culinary treats from local restaurateurs who will offer special menu items that are special to the Double Decker Arts Festival.

Saturday activities will kick off at 8 a.m. with the Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce Spring Run 5k walk and 10k run. Winding through the University of Mississippi campus and nearby Oxford neighborhoods, the two courses are fun for both beginner joggers as well as experienced athletes. There is also a Kid’s Run at 8 a.m. The Spring Run is also celebrating its 20th anniversary.

“This is a great way to kickoff Double Decker with a fun, healthy event,” said Pam Swain, Spring Run chairwoman.

For more information on the festival, visit the festival’s website at www.doubledeckerfestival.com.

 

The complete Double Decker Arts Festival musical lineup:

Friday, April 27

• 8 p.m.- The Delta Saints
• 7 p.m. – Thacker Mountain Radio Hour
• 6 p.m.- Liz Brasher

Saturday, April 28

• 8:30 p.m.: Cold War Kids
• 7 p.m.: Houndmouth
• 5:30 p.m.: Whitey Morgan and The 78’s
• 4 p.m.: Tank and the Bangas
• 2:30 p.m.: Squirrel Nut Zippers
• 1 p.m.: Don Bryant
• 11:30 a.m.: Como Mamas
• 10:15 a.m.: Sharde Thomas