Historic Main Street Oxford hosted a Downtown Block Party at Simmons Park on Saturday, June 6, 2026, bringing fun, food, and smiles on a weather-friendly summer day.

DJ Big Bus began cranking party music from the gazebo just as members of the Oxford Festival of Lights staff completed inflating slides and a bounce house for the kids.

The free, family-friendly event also provided a reason to shop downtown as Ulti-Mutt Bakery, Southern Girl Coffee, and Longleaf Books and Bindery, and others all had special events scheduled for the day.

Chief Daniel Phipps and members of the Oxford Police Department were on hand helping to keep the area safe while greeting the public and deputizing every kid who came by with an official Oxford Police “stick-on” badge.

The Oxford Fire Department, led by Chief Ben Stewart, was also there to meet and greet while offering special fire helmets to youngsters. They also offered a special “splash time” as kids were able throw on some swimming trunks and get splashed with water from a fire hose atop a fire truck.

Oxford Health Systems and Paramedics were there to make sure no one got hurt, while OHS CEO Tom Dixon and his staff manned tables to say hello and offer free sunglasses along with colored “play slime” for the kids.

Sparky the Fire Dog and Chase from Paw Patrol made appearances, taking time for selfies with their young and “young at heart” fans and cutting up with the several living, four-legged counterparts who were also there to enjoy some time outside with their owners.

Oxford Public Library director Amy Henderson set up a literary stop where children were entertained by her reading some of the stories they can find when they visit the library.

Jeremy Cruse hit the power switches and worked the controls for the Terrortorium Haunted House & Amusements Giant Ferris Wheel and Spider rides to add some free carnival fun to the day.

Even the food was free as 200 hot dogs, grilled by members of the Oxford Fire Department, were offered along with chips and drinks.

The team from Baxley Maniscalco Attorneys at Law made their case for needing their free frozen multi-flavored snow cones as a way to cool down.

One of the most asked questions of the day was, “Is this really all free?”

The answer to that question was, “Yes,” and all because of the generous sponsorships of Coca-Cola United, Frito-Lay, The Rankin Family, and Fresh Value Oxford.

The day of free downtown fun continued at dusk as the Oxford Performing Arts Center began its free Outdoor Summer Movie Series on the lawn at 230 East Choccolocco Street, with a showing of the animated family favorite, “Shrek.” The series is sponsored by R&R Travel Service and will run each weather-friendly Saturday night (except June 27 and July 4) through August 8. There will be one Friday night presentation, “A Minecraft Movie,” on June 26. The complete lineup of movies is available at oxfordpac.org