A guide to the Square in Oxford: shops, food, events, parking

Last checked Oct. 12, 2026. Facts come from the City of Oxford’s history page, Visit Oxford’s Square page and parking page, and each business’s own website, linked below.

The Courthouse Square has been the center of Oxford since the town was incorporated in 1837, Visit Oxford says, and most of what visitors come for sits within a half-mile of the Lafayette County Courthouse at its middle: the bookstores, the restaurants, the bars and the department store that has traded here since 1839. This is a guide to what is on the Square and how to get there and park.

At a glance

• Where: Courthouse Square, where Lamar Boulevard meets Jackson and Van Buren avenues
• Parking: paid 10 a.m. to midnight Monday through Saturday; free Sundays and holidays
• Free garage floors: levels 2, 3 and 4 of the downtown garage, except special events
• Biggest event: Double Decker Arts Festival, last weekend of April
• City Hall: 107 Courthouse Square

A short history

The Square and the courthouse at its center were destroyed during the Civil War, the city says, and by 1890 Oxford was a prosperous, busy town again. The Oxford Courthouse Square Historic District went on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. Building changes there go before the city’s Courthouse Square Preservation Commission. More on the town’s past is in our history and landmarks guide.

Books

Square Books was founded in 1979 by Richard and Lisa Howorth and holds more than 150 author events a year, according to Visit Oxford. Off Square Books, a few doors down, sells new releases, Southern literature, puzzles and games, and sometimes hosts the Thacker Mountain Radio Hour. Square Books Jr. is the children’s store, with regular story times.

Shopping

Neilson’s, 119 Courthouse Square, calls itself “a Southern shopping tradition since 1839.” It is open 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and closed Sunday; 662-234-1161. Visit Oxford calls it the South’s oldest department store. The Square’s other boutiques are on Visit Oxford’s shopping page.

Eating and drinking

These are on or just off the Square, with phone numbers from Visit Oxford’s Square directory. The list is not a ranking.

• City Grocery, 152 Courthouse Square; 662-232-8080. Opened in 1992; Visit Oxford counts it among Oxford’s two restaurants owned by a James Beard award-winning chef. The bar upstairs has a balcony over the Square.
• Ajax Diner: Southern comfort food; 662-232-8880.
• Bouré: New Orleans-inspired cooking with a balcony bar; 662-234-1968.
• Saint Leo, 922 Jackson Ave. East: wood-fired Italian; reservations through Resy.
• Proud Larry’s: pizza and grill food by day, live music at night; 662-236-0050.
• Oxford Creamery: small-batch ice cream; 662-638-3245.
• Heartbreak Coffee: coffee roasted in house; 662-513-0905.

Weekend brunch on and near the Square is on our brunch page; evenings are on live music and nightlife and date night.

Events on the Square

• Double Decker Arts Festival. Oxford’s biggest spring event fills the Square the last weekend of April with local food vendors, handmade art and a free concert Friday night and all day Saturday. Visit Oxford says it draws more than 65,000 people. The 29th festival was April 24-25, 2026; 2027 dates will be on doubledeckerfestival.com.
• Thacker Mountain Radio Hour. The weekly radio show of author readings and music records live on Thursdays at 6 p.m. in the fall and spring, usually at The Powerhouse, 413 S. 14th St., and sometimes at Off Square Books or The Lyric, Visit Oxford says. Check the show schedule for each week’s venue.
• Holidays. The Christmas parade and lights on the Square are on our Christmas parade and tree lighting and holiday lights pages.

Parking

The city has replaced single-space meters around the Square with pay-by-plate kiosks, according to Visit Oxford’s parking page.

• When you pay: 10 a.m. to midnight, Monday through Saturday. Sundays and holidays are free.
• How: card or coin at a kiosk, the Passport Parking app, or text-to-pay.
• Paid lots: Monroe Avenue, Van Buren-Harrison, Jackson-Monroe, City Hall, Harrison-Tyler, the garage surface lot, Jackson-Ninth Street and Jackson Avenue lots, by the hour or with a permit. The listed rate is 75 cents an hour, and $1 an hour on the garage’s first floor.
• Free: the second, third and fourth floors of the parking garage, except during special events, and the OPC/Water Tower lot off South 14th or South 15th Street.
• Map: the city’s downtown parking map.

On Ole Miss home football Saturdays, the city runs a gameday shuttle; see getting around Oxford.

What this means for you

• Come on a Sunday and park free.
• Use the garage’s upper floors on busy weekdays.
• Plan around the last weekend of April, when Double Decker fills the Square.

Related: free things to do, kids’ activities and history and landmarks.

Frequently asked questions

Is parking on the Square in Oxford free?

On Sundays and holidays, yes. Payment is required 10 a.m. to midnight Monday through Saturday. The second, third and fourth floors of the downtown parking garage are free except during special events, Visit Oxford says.

How do I pay for parking on the Oxford Square?

The city has replaced single-space meters with pay-by-plate kiosks. Pay by card or coin at a kiosk, with the Passport Parking app or by text.

When is the Double Decker Arts Festival?

It is held on the Square the last weekend of April. The 2026 festival was April 24-25; check doubledeckerfestival.com for 2027 dates. The music is free.

What are Neilson’s hours in Oxford?

Neilson’s, at 119 Courthouse Square since 1839, is open 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and closed Sunday, its website says. Call 662-234-1161.