Arts & Entertainment
Oxford Bourbon Festival Brings Education, Entertainment in Tasty Fashion

If you’re a Bourbon-loving foodie and want to taste some savory Oxford eats while listening to incredible live music, then mark your calendars for this year’s inaugural Oxford Bourbon Festival.
Set to take place March 30-31, the bourbon festival entertains with community events, tastings, food seminars and workshops while educating on the role of Bourbon in the American culinary experience. In addition, all of the net proceeds benefit the Exchange Club Family Center of Oxford.
“The Oxford Bourbon Festival is exceptionally pleased to forge a partnership with King’s Steak House, Rich Grain Distillery and Old Dominick Distillery, in the first ever event in the state of Mississippi which celebrates Bourbon as an American Spirit,” said Jan Linders,
festival director.
The festival kicks off at 7 p.m. Friday, March 30, at King’s Steak House with a four-course Bourbon dinner and Bourbon pairing with Chef Corby King. Later that night from 9:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., the festival moves to Tallahatchie Gourmet with an after-dinner “Blues Jam” featuring Grammy Nominated bluesman R. L. Boyce and bluesman Lightnin’ Malcolm.
Saturday, the festival begins at 11 a.m. at The Lyric Theatre with keynote speaker Alex Castle, head distiller of Old Dominick Distillery.
The last event of the festival will be the Grand Tasting. From 6:30-10:30 p.m., attendees will have the opportunity to mingle with Bourbon distillers, ambassadors and local chefs while enjoying delectable treats along with Bourbon, the great American Spirit.
For a full list of events planned for the weekend, see below. To purchase your tickets, click here. You must be 21 or older to purchase a ticket.
Oxford Bourbon Festival Schedule of Events
Friday, March 30
Bourbon Dinner featuring Chef Corby King
First Course: Bourbon infused Pork Belly served with a Pomegranate Bourbon Glaze. (With Old Dominick High Rye Bourbon)
Second Course: Bourbon Poached Lobster Tail served with Polenta Cake topped with Bourbon Brown Butter Sauce. (Rich Grain Bourbon Whiskey)
Third Course: Bourbon Marinated Heart of Ribeye served with Sweet potato Gratin and Cold Smoked Bourbon Gouda Cheese. (Knob Creek Single Barrel)
Fourth Course: Fresh Grilled Peaches topped with Homemade Vanilla Bean Ice Cream & Smoked Bourbon Butter Scotch Sauce. (With Pennington’s Rye Whiskey)
After Dinner Bourbon Jam: Concert with Grammy Nominated Bluesman, R. L. Boyce & Lightnin’ Malcolm
This concert features North Mississippi Hill Country Bluesmen who have been recognized for their hard work and dedication to their craft of music performance.
Where: Tallahatchie Gourmet
When: 9:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.
Saturday, March 31
BourbonTalk Seminars & Sessions at The Lyric Theatre
11 – 11:45 a.m. – Keynote Address: Alex Castle, Head Distiller – Old Dominick Distillery
Noon – 1:15 p.m. – Bourbon: How it is made. A Crash Course in the Past and present Manufacturing Methods of America’s Favorite Spirit – featuring David Rich, owner of Rich Grain Distillery.
1:30 – 2:30 p.m. – Bourbon Cocktail Creations: How to influence friends and family with mixed drinks. – Mixologists, Nick Spiller and Jeff Callaway.
2:45 – 4:15 p.m. – Explore the Bourbon Flavor Map with Award-winning writer and Bourbon expert, Susan Reigler. She will help to reveal the intriguing layers of flavors in bourbon with an expertly guided tasting of a trio of bourbons, each with its own unique flavor profile. Fruit, spice, nuts, candy, grains, and more will be well-represented. At the end of the session, participate in a blind tasting to find out if women and men have different or similar tastes in bourbon whiskey.
4:30 – 5:30 p.m. – Bourbon Bootleg & Blues featuring Greg Johnson, Director of the Blues Archives at the University of Mississippi.
6:30 – 10:30 p.m. – GRAND TASTING – Sample Bourbons and taste small bites of delicious food prepared by local restaurants and chefs from the surrounding area.
For more information, visit the Oxford Bourbon Festival Facebook Page or their website, oxfordbourbonfestival.com.
By Randall Haley, Editor-in-Chief of HottyToddy.com. She can be reached at randall.haley@hottytoddy.com.
Arts & Entertainment
Gulf Coast Jam Gives Post Malone Fans a New 2026 Date to Circle
Last week it was announced Grammy award-winning artist Post Malone cancelled the Oxford stop that was part of his Big Ass Stadium Tour Part 2.
That concert was going to be held inside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, giving the iconic venue an interesting, temporary environment.
But fans of Post Malone will have a chance to see the artist without having to travel across the country.
Post Malone will be a headlining act at the 2026 Gulf Coast Jam Presented by Jim Beam in Panama City Beach. Malone will cap off the four-day music festival as main performer on Sunday, May 31.
pov: you thought you missed Post Malone… but he’s still headlining in PCB on May 31 🤠
don’t miss him at Gulf Coast Jam — grab your tickets now 🎟️#posty #cancelledshow #gulfcoastjam #pcb #panamacitybeach pic.twitter.com/6P5LX6Xfwu
— Gulf Coast Jam (@GulfCoastJam) May 5, 2026
The Country On The Coast™ festival lineup also includes headliners Keith Urban, Chris Stapleton, and Riley Green, who will be joined by more than 20 artists at Frank Brown Park in beautiful Panama City Beach May 28-31, 2026. Passes are currently available at www.GulfCoastJam.com. Payment plans are available for all pass levels.
Gulf Coast Jam Presented by Jim Beam drew sellout crowds of 30,000 for the past two years. Music Festival Wizard named Gulf Coast Jam Presented by Jim Beam the number one festival in their
Top 50 Most Popular Fests in the World 2024 – Voter’s Choice poll and their Best Beach Music Festivals This Summer in 2025.
Post Malone, born Austin Post, is one of the most commercially successful artists of the last decade, blending hip‑hop, pop, and country influences into a style that’s made him a fixture on radio and streaming charts. He’s known for hits like Circles, Rockstar, and Sunflower, and for a touring schedule that usually packs stadiums and arenas. His shows tend to draw a wide mix of fans, which is part of why the Oxford date had been circled on the calendar for months.
Who? When?
The schedule will tell you!! Save to your phone to refer back to!
Tickets available at:https://t.co/BraelVgALX#festival #panamacitybeach #countrymusic #jimbeam #countryonthecoast pic.twitter.com/lLANeqrNsG
— Gulf Coast Jam (@GulfCoastJam) April 24, 2026
Gulf Coast Jam Presented by Jim Beam 2026 Lineup
Thursday, May 28
- Keith Urban
- Jessie Murph
- Wyatt Flores
- Cooper Alan
- Walker Montgomery
- Gannon Fremin & CCREV
Friday, May 29
- Chris Stapleton
- Marcus King
- Jackson Dean
- Brent Cobb
- Cole Goodwin
- Hueston
Saturday, May 30
- Riley Green
- Koe Wetzel
- Ole 60
- Josh Ross
- Ashland Craft
- Hannah McFarland
Sunday, May 31
- Post Malone
- Muscadine Bloodline
- 49 Winchester
- Elizabeth Nichols
- Them Dirty Roses
- Skeez
Arts & Entertainment
Post Malone’s Oxford Stop Cut From Upcoming Stadium Tour
Post Malone has canceled five shows on his upcoming Big Ass Stadium Tour Part 2, including the Oxford stop at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
Post Malone’s summer stadium run is getting pushed back, and Oxford is among the cities losing a show. The artist announced Friday that he is canceling all May dates on his Big Ass Stadium Tour Part 2, citing the need for more time to finish his new music. In a handwritten message posted to Instagram, he told fans he wasn’t ready to launch the tour as scheduled and needed roughly three more weeks to complete the project.
The cancellations include stops in El Paso, Waco, Baton Rouge, Birmingham, Tampa, and Oxford, where Post Malone and Jelly Roll had been scheduled to perform at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on June 5. The Oxford date was one of several college‑town shows cut from the first leg of the tour.
Ole Miss Athletics notified ticketholders Friday that refunds for the Oxford show will be processed immediately. Fans who purchased through the school’s ticket office were told to expect refunds within 14 days, covering admission, parking, fees, and VIP packages. Third‑party buyers were directed to contact their ticket sellers.
While Malone emphasized that the delay is about finishing his upcoming double album, several of the canceled shows had reportedly struggled with ticket sales, with some venues offering discounts and student promotions in recent weeks. Widespread ticket availability at multiple venues was reported by Digital Music News, which cited seating charts and pricing data showing large sections unsold in the weeks leading up to the tour.
The rescheduled tour is now set to begin June 12 in Indianapolis.
Post Malone, born Austin Post, is one of the most commercially successful artists of the last decade, blending hip‑hop, pop, and country influences into a style that’s made him a fixture on radio and streaming charts. He’s known for hits like Circles, Rockstar, and Sunflower, and for a touring schedule that usually packs stadiums and arenas. His shows tend to draw a wide mix of fans, which is part of why the Oxford date had been circled on the calendar for months.
Arts & Entertainment
Outdoor Dining Options Leaves Restaurant Owners and Managers Hopeful
By AJ Norwood and Justin Claas
Journalism Students
Oxford restaurants such as The Blind Pig and Proud Larry’s are looking to make their outdoor seating areas permanent. However, they have a lot of hoops to jump through with the city in order to make that happen.
The owner of Proud Larry’s, Scott Caradine, says that the city thinks these outdoor seating options are a good thing, but some remodeling needs to be done in order for this to take place.
“Their plan is to keep them year-round, but they want to make them permanent and they want them to look nice,” Scott said.
The Blind Pig is a restaurant that didn’t originally offer an outdoor seating experience. Despite this, manager David Moore says that this is something that the Blind Pig has always been interested in pursuing.
“We have been really eager to invest in our outdoor dining to make it more worthy of the Square,” Moore said.
While these restaurants are still making plans to improve their outdoor dining experience, the city officials have not made a final decision on what to do. Caradine says that this is something that he hopes they can continue in the future to satisfy their customers.
“We hope they make it permanent,” Caradine said. “We look forward to them making something permanent here so we can use it because we like it. Our customers like it.”
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