Oxford, Ohio is a destination for all, not just students
By Bryn Dippold
Just north of the Ohio River is Oxford, Ohio, a small city of more than 20,000 people. It was founded as a home for Miami University, the second-oldest university in Ohio and one of the Best Colleges for Future Leaders according to Time.
Over the past 200 years, Oxford has become more than a college town, and Kim Daggy, executive director of Enjoy Oxford, is a testament to that.
Daggy didn’t grow up in Oxford, but her sister attended Miami University for business. Her sister never moved away, and after visiting for years, Daggy decided to move to Oxford, too, in 2010.
“I really feel there’s a genuine sense of community here, even though I wasn’t born and raised [here],” Daggy says. “During the pandemic, when everything shut down, and then things were starting to open back up, people genuinely missed coming together in the uptown area, which is like your living room. It was like everyone’s backyard.”
Someone visiting Oxford will be implored to first visit Bagel & Deli Shop, a small locally owned bagel shop that’s been around since 1975. The shop has over 90 unique sandwiches, opens at 8 a.m. daily and stays open well after the bars close during the school year. Mac and Joe’s, the city’s oldest tavern, is a hotspot, and the Oxford year-round Farmer’s Market has regular food vendors and local farmers.
The McGuffey House and Museum and Oxford Community Arts Center are both day-out options for visitors and residents. Hueston Woods State Park is about 15 minutes from Oxford and offers swimming, golf, geocaching, hiking and more.
Outside of the school year, the city of Oxford still does a lot of programming, including the Chocolate Meltdown, Oxford Wine and Craft Beer Festival and an uptown music concert series in the summer.
“We’re lucky because we’re rural, so you don’t have the hustle and bustle of a real large town,” Daggy says. “It’s a quaint, charming town.”
