Lafayette County Roundabout: Oxford Fiber Festival, Antique Show, Live Music

Weekend and weeklong events in Oxford and Lafayette County drew residents into local venues, supporting small businesses and reinforcing cultural and civic networks across town. The Powerhouse hosted the Oxford Fiber Festival January 23-24, running 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., while the Oxford Conference Center staged the Oxford Antique Show Friday through Sunday with schedules of 10 a.m.–5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m.–4 p.m. on Sunday.

Live music filled bars, restaurants and public spaces throughout the week. Proud Larry’s featured Guy Vincent on Thursday night and presented Pothole Paradise Friday, followed by The Crowns and Van Buren on Saturday. Rhythm & Rye booked Daniel Roebuck Friday and Jamie Baker Saturday, and The Library listed live music slots on Friday and Saturday nights. Bill Perry performed at Old Henry on Sunday morning. Several open-mic and trivia nights kept smaller stages active, including Moe’s BINGO and trivia nights, Circle & Square Brewing trivia, and Moe’s Penny Bar open mic.

The Lafayette County & Oxford Public Library maintained a busy public program schedule, underscoring its role as community infrastructure. The library hosted afterschool Afterschool Zone sessions with the UM PANDAA Lab, a baby storytime, Panels & Pages with Jackson Comics on Saturday morning, a conversation cafe with Barbara Wortham, and a full-day LOU Project Connect on Wednesday. The library also scheduled a public talk titled “Autism Connection” with Dr. Anne Kristen Glaser on Monday evening. These programs illustrate how public institutions continue to provide educational and civic programming alongside entertainment offerings.

Not all planned events proceeded as scheduled. The Ford Center cancellation of earspace, Chamber Ensemble on Monday reduced cultural offerings for the evening, and Proud Larry’s postponed a scheduled celebration of life for Jeff Callaway from Sunday to February 1. Employment and university events added to the week's civic mix: AutoZone ran a hiring event Monday, and the SJB Pavilion hosted Ole Miss women’s basketball versus Tennessee Monday evening.

The concentration of festivals, shows and public programs provided economic activity for downtown restaurants, bars and hotels and offered multiple entry points for civic engagement from infants’ storytimes to arts panels. Local organizers and venue operators continue to balance programming across private and public spaces, affecting traffic, parking and late-night activity in the courthouse square and University area.

For community organizations and individuals planning events, send listings to The Local Voice for inclusion in Roundabout Oxford to Editor-in-Chief Nature Humphries at nature@thelocalvoice.net. The week’s calendar reflects an active cultural economy in Lafayette County and signals continued opportunities for civic participation and local commerce as the community moves into February.