From tacos and boba to handmade Christmas wreaths and crocheted ducks, the Oxford Winter Fest has a little something for everyone. Though the City of Oxford keeps up a steady stream of farmers’ markets throughout most of the year, the extra special holiday event last Saturday brought a larger crowd to town.

This year’s event was at max capacity, showcasing 53 different vendors from all around Oxford and the surrounding areas. This gave customers the chance to shop from a variety of small businesses, selling homemade, handcrafted or homegrown goods. 

Noting her own limited craftiness ability, Oxford Event Manager Sydney Mathis expressed appreciation for the variety of vendors.

“It’s really cool to see what people can do in our community,” Mathis said. 

Mathis says that people’s favorite part about Winter Fest is its variety of vendors. Kamaya Tarpley, owner of Bundle Up Books, shares this sentiment.

“All the vendors have something different, and it’s nice to see everyone offering something new,” Tarpley said. “No one’s the same.”

Tarpley’s specialty is something she calls “Blind Date with a Book,” where the book is wrapped in paper to hide its identity from the customer. She includes a variety of genres like romance, young adult and even Christian books. 

In addition to her speciality, Tarpley also sells handmade items to pair with her books, like book ornaments and bookmarks. 

“I like to make things kind of unique, so people can’t find it somewhere else,” Tarpley said. 

Another vendor, Jennifer Sutton, owner of Dizzy’s Crochet Comforts, started her business a little over a year ago. She quit her job as a music teacher and picked up crocheting as a way to improve her mental health. 

After moving from Illinois to Covington for her husband’s job, Sutton continues to grow her business by attending events like Oxford Winter Fest. 

“So doing events is the way that I get myself out there and see people, and I always enjoy having the interactions,” Sutton said.

Sutton crochets a variety of items such as animals, scarves and something she calls, “heirloom sweethearts.” These are small animals that can be dressed up in crocheted outfits. 

One thing that sets Sutton apart from many other crochet artists is her willingness to let people feel her products for themselves. 

“Feel free to touch, they’re very soft,” she repeated to every potential customer. 

Jeff Hamilton, owner of Jeff’s Woodcrafts, has been a vendor at Winter Fest since its inception. 

“I hate price gouging people, and I hate shoddy workmanship,” Hamilton said. “So if it’s not right, I’m not gonna sell it.”

At Winter Fest, he was selling all kinds of pieces like sleighs and reindeer, and even had a few big-ticket items like a picnic table and a cradle. 

Hamilton’s favorite part about Winter Fest is meeting new people.

“I like to talk to people,” Hamilton said. “Just ask my wife, she’ll tell you.”

Other vendors like Wendy Blake, owner of Madd Lulu, a cafe that sells drinks like boba and specialty coffee, enjoyed the event.

Blake has worked to establish Madd Lulu as a beloved business in Newton County over the past decade. She sees familiar faces in her cafe most days, but decided to branch out and attend Winter Fest as a vendor this year.

“It’s a small venue [Oxford Winter Fest], so it’s more personalized,” Blake said. “So, we kind of get to meet people on the other side of town.” 

Other vendors sold holiday-specific items like Kathy Allen, owner of Kathy’s Krafts. She designs handmade, seasonal decorations. Some of her best-selling Christmas items include wreaths and porch signs.

Allen has always enjoyed decorating. About 17 years ago, she decided to turn the hobby into a business. 

“I just started making stuff, and it went from there,” Allen said.

In addition to the variety of vendors Winter Fest hosts, Allen enjoys the event for a few different reasons.

“I love it because she [Mathis] never charges us, and it’s really convenient,” Allen said.

The event’s encouragement of supporting local businesses is another reason why Mathis says the city focuses on Winter Fest. 

“Like I know people typically nowadays will shop online for a lot of their gifts, that’s easier,” Mathis said. “But I just think it’s really cool to have our community members out here where you can shop locally.”