Busy weekend ahead for Oxford
Friday, September 15, 2006
Just because the weather's starting to cool off doesn't mean the number of events going on around Oxford is. This weekend is chock full activities from spectator sports and participant sporting events, to art and music events.
Everything kicks off tonight with the fifth annual Art All Over Tour public/artist reception at 5 p.m. The reception allows tourists and guests to meet the participating artists in a social setting. It will be held at the Oxford Community Arts Center, and there will be live music featuring the Oxford Gourd & Drum Ensemble. The Art All Over Tour will be on Saturday and Sunday at various shops and galleries from noon until 5 p.m.
Extras
Art All Over ties together the Oxford Community Arts Center, Miami University's Art Center at Rowan Hall, artists' home galleries, and independent galleries within a 15-mile radius of Oxford, allowing tourists to enjoy some beautiful scenic driving between stops.
On top of Art All Over, Saturday is overflowing with happenings on the Miami campus, Uptown and all over Oxford. The 23rd annual Oxford Odyssey bike ride will be starting rides at 8 and 9 in the morning, with the longer 65 and 100 mile routes starting the earlier hour. All the routes of the Odyssey start and end at Oxford Community Park.
BikeWise and the Oxford Chain Gang bike club are organizing, making sure routes are clearly marked, roads are good and snacks are available often. All the proceeds of the Odyssey go toward the funding of a nine-mile bike and walk trail that would connect many of the main parts of the Oxford community.
On campus, Miami football is back at Yager Stadium as the RedHawks host Kent State. Game day will be full of special events, though, as it is both Band Day and Hall of Fame Day. Several regional high school bands, including Talawanda, will be showing their skill at the stadium.
A little removed from Oxford, at Hannon's Camp America in College Corner, the first night of the Camp Buzz music festival will be on Saturday. The two-day event merging jam music, free camping, food, crafts, nature and a lot more enters its 12th year of existence. The event has grown massively in popularity over the years, now featuring many prominent regional funk and jam bands.
This year, Freekbass, One Under, Rumpke Mountain Boys, and Bockman are just some of the featured performers. In addition Camp Buzz will team up with the Earthdance Peace Celebration this year for the International Day of Peace on Saturday.
Also on Saturday is the 16th year of the Warren L. Nelson Memorial CROP walk, a part of Miami's Greek Week, in which fraternities and sororities compete in sporting and skill events, as well as participate in philanthropic events like the CROP walk and blood drive. The CROP walk raises awareness about hunger issues around the globe and raises money to help alleviate them. Anyone is welcome to sign up and participate.
The CROP walk begins at 12:30 p.m., which is a change in the starting time announced late last week.
Sunday wraps up the weekend with the fourth annual State-to-State 5k and half-marathon. This year's seems like it will be a record event.
"Right now we have 37 percent more (registered) than last year," said Diana Durr, executive director of the Oxford Visitors and Convention Bureau. "The last two years, we've had around 1,100 (runners). So, if the projections hold up, we'll have maybe 1,400 or 1,500."
There will be a half-marathon walk, half-marathon run, a 5k walk/run, a kids 1k Fun Run, and a toddler and preschool dash. All the proceeds go to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training and the Oxford Area Trails System.



