Illustration by Colleen O'Hara
I knew nothing about Oxford before I ended up going to school there. I hadn’t even visited the school—I just showed up at orientation and was like, well, I guess I’m going to be an Ole Miss Rebel. I completely fell in love with the town, though, and it ended up being the best four years of my life. I even met my husband through one of my best friends at Ole Miss.
It’s like this utopic society in the middle of nowhere. It’s my home away from home, especially now that I own a second home there. I usually pick one or two football games to try to get to, but I think spring is the best season in Oxford. What’s cool about the city is that there’s a ton of art and history, and it’s got good music and food. There’s an art festival called Double Decker where my mom always brings her art. It’s this beautiful hub of culture.
Start your day by going to Big Bad Breakfast, and order something covered in gravy. The coffee is the best ever, too. For lunch, you’re going to City Grocery, and whatever is on the menu for the day, that’s what you’re going to eat. Go to Saint Leo for dinner for the best pizzas and a great vibe. After that, we’re going to go sit at the Library Sports Bar, one of the biggest sports bars in the SEC world. It’s the greatest bar on the planet. It’s a place where the community comes together. You start at the sports bar, but you’ll end your night on the patio, dancing to DJ Mario. He’s been the DJ since I was in college, and that was 20 years ago. He’s a legend.
I always say that Southerners make the best storytellers, so I love sitting in a bar, getting lost on a Saturday talking with a local. You can have a conversation with anybody in Oxford, and it’ll be one of the most wonderful, rich conversations. I absolutely pre-judged Mississippi before I got there, but Oxford is truly a perfect little town. They call it the Velvet Ditch because it’s this really comfortable, loving community that, once you fall into, you never want to leave. I agree.
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HEATHER MCMAHAN is a stand-up comedian, podcaster, and actress. For her latest tour dates, check out heatherontour.com.
