When artist Larry Wamble sets up his booth at the 2025 Double Decker Arts Festival later this month, he’ll be returning to a tradition he’s helped shape since the festival’s earliest days. 

Wamble, a longtime participant and local artist, has only missed one Double Decker Arts Festival since it began in 1996.

“I remember the very first one,” Wamble said. “I only had the one art print at that time. I think I had a card table and was out in the middle of the street, kind of in front of the bookstore, and stood out there all day in the sun. People were so kind. It’s been a grand experience.”

Now retired from two successful careers as a pharmacist and as a professional speaker with the Washington Speakers Bureau, Wamble focuses full-time on his art — a talent he’s had since childhood.

“I’ve always been able to draw things,” he said. “I’ve never had a course or lesson. Ever since they gave me a fat pencil in the first grade, I’ve just been able to draw.”

What began as a spontaneous sketch for his wife, Connie, during a cold winter night in 1995 has grown into a body of work that has become popular among his customers and fans. 

That first drawing — inspired by a joking wish that all their favorite Oxford spots were on the same block — turned into “The Perfect Block,” a fun print featuring popular businesses nestled side by side around the Square. It quickly became a hit, especially when paired with Wamble’s now-signature slogan: “We may not win every game, but we ain’t never lost a party.”

Using colored pencils, he has also expanded his series to more than 30 cities. In addition to original illustrations, he sells photography prints and posters on his website, www.larrywamble.com; however, the Double Decker Arts Festival remains his signature showcase. 

“We’re just exclusive to Double Decker,” he says. “It’s not just about selling prints. It’s about seeing people we only catch up with once a year. It’s a reunion of sorts.”

This year’s Double Decker Arts Festival, now in its 28th year, will take place April 25–26 in downtown Oxford. 

The event features a juried artist showcase with approximately 140 vendors offering hand-made works in a range of media including drawing, glass, jewelry, mixed media, painting, photography, printmaking, and sculpture.

A hallmark of Oxford’s cultural calendar, the festival also includes live music, children’s activities and local food. Headlining the Saturday night concert is Grace Potter, a renowned American singer-songwriter known for her electrifying stage presence and genre-defying sound.

The festivities kick off Saturday morning with the Double Decker Spring Run — a 10k, 5k, and kids’ fun run that raised funds for local nonprofits, including the YMCA. In 2024, the run saw over 2,300 participants from 39 states, making it one of the area’s largest community events.

This year’s presenting sponsor is the University Museum through Ole Miss Athletics. Other major sponsors include Nicholas Air, Specialty Orthopedic Group, North East SPARC, and Riverland Roofing.

For Wamble, it’s the people, the energy, and the memories that keep bringing him back year after year.

“We’re not only down there to sell art prints and try and make a living, but we’re renewing old acquaintances and seeing people that are important to us,” he said.

For more information about the festival, visit DoubleDeckerArts.com. To learn more about the Spring Run, visit doubledeckerspringrun.raceroster.com.

Double Decker Music Line-up

Friday

The Great Dying, 5 p.m.

The Band of Heathens, 6:15 p.m.

Ole 60, 7:30 p.m.

Headliner: Charlie Crockett, 9 p.m.

Saturday

Rust College Acapella Choir, 10 a.m.

Cedric Burnside, 11:30 a.m.

Seratones, 1 p.m.

Water Liars, 2:30 p.m.

Cimafunk, 4 p.m.

The Record Company, 5:30 p.m.

Houndmouth, 7 p.m.

Headliner: Grace Potter, 8:30 p.m.