Oxford revolves around the University of Mississippi and its traditions. The University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) and the Grove tailgating lawn anchor fall weekends, when the Grove becomes a sea of tents and tailgates before Vaught-Hemingway Stadium games. The Oxford Square is the heart of downtown, home to the iconic courthouse, local shops, and Square Books, one of the South's most celebrated independent bookstores. Literary pilgrims visit Rowan Oak, William Faulkner's historic home, to walk the grounds where the Nobel Prize winner lived and wrote. Culture thrives at The University of Mississippi Museum and the Ford Center, while live music and dining pulse through The Lyric Oxford and the Square's nightlife. Spring brings Ole Miss baseball at Swayze Field, and the Double Decker Arts Festival fills the Square with artists and performers. Beyond campus, Sardis Lake and the Holly Springs National Forest offer water recreation and hiking, while the literary trail and Double Decker arts heritage make Oxford a destination for both sports fans and culture seekers.
There is more within easy reach: The Oxford Square — the courthouse, shops, and Square Books. Seasonal highlights include Ole Miss football game days and the Grove tailgating (fall), The Double Decker Arts Festival on the Square (spring), The Oxford Film Festival and the literary events at Square Books. Oxford rewards visits in every season, from green-season hiking and water days to brilliant autumn foliage and quiet, snow-dusted winters. And because Oxford sits within easy reach of Tupelo, Southaven, Olive Branch, it works well as a base for wider day trips across the region.