There’s never a bad time to visit Oxford. But Oxford locals and students both know how pricey it can be for a weekend here. So if you get the chance for a mini vacation, why not visit Oxford during the week?
First off, it’s way cheaper. Room rates can be anywhere from $20 cheaper for the chain hotels like Marriott and Holiday Inn, up to hundreds cheaper for the local mac-daddy rooms at the Graduate, Inn at Ole Miss and Chancellor’s House. Weekdays are prime time to take advantage of the luxury hotels that are often expensive and booked out on the weekends. You know what else is cheaper? The food and drinks! Oxford is known for its amazing local cuisine from catfish and soul food to steaks and seafood. It’s off the charts delicious and in the 5 years I’ve been here, I haven’t been to one bad restaurant. Many of the local steakhouses and pricier restaurants have great deals - but only on the weekdays. One of my personal favorites is a local steakhouse and seafood joint right on the square called Bacchus. Mondays through Thursdays they have killer deals like happy hour with ½ priced oysters and $10 steak filets over mashed potatoes, just to name a few.
Another reason Oxford is a great weekday getaway? Events! There are plenty of events year-round but many of the ongoing events are only during the weekdays, like the infamous Art Crawl. The fourth Tuesday of every month, the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council hosts a free Art Crawl. The crawl starts at the home base, The Powerhouse, where there is art, hor-d'oeuvres and drinks. Then, the open-air double decker busses take crawlers on a route of local museums and event spaces that all feature art exhibits, snacks and drinks. It’s the perfect event on a warm and sunny afternoon. Other weekday activities include theater shows, concerts, a tour of William Faulkner’s Rowan Oak, shopping and free double decker bus tours on Friday afternoons. Of course, any Ole Miss sporting events are always fun to attend!
Weekdays are great on the square if you want the experience without the crowd. The food is rocking, rates are cheaper, and you don’t have to miss out on a Sunday last minute shopping trip considering most stores on the square are closed on Sundays. Want to know what events and festivals are coming soon? There’s something for everyone, check it out here.