The festival, from noon to 8 p.m. in the Grove, includes a mix of music, speakers, video presentations, display areas, games and food. After the festival, students and the general public are invited to gather at the Grove stage to watch the historic debate live on 14-by-18-foot HD television screens on either side of the stage. (TV screens will also be available at other campus locations.)

"This event will showcase our university, our state and the historic nature of the debate; most of all, it will be fun," said Sparky Reardon, assistant vice chancellor of student life and dean of students. "We are encouraging students to come out, and we especially want the Oxford community and the entire university family to join us on this occasion."

In conjunction with the festival, groups will man booths along the Grove sidewalk leading from Farley Hall to the School of Pharmacy. In this area, called Issue Alley, information will be provided to explore campaign issues such as the environment, gun control and civil rights.

"Issue Alley will provide a great opportunity for festival-goers to see firsthand some of the issues that will be debated throughout this election," Reardon said.

The festival was the idea of the Student Presidential Debate Steering Committee, said Jennifer Taylor, director of Campus Programming.

"The committee wanted to offer the students the opportunity to really get involved and embrace all that this election has to offer," she said. "This is an unprecedented time in the university's history, and this festival is our way of encouraging awareness of the debate and this historic election."

Food booths will open at noon and will operate on a cash basis. A variety of options - from fried chicken tacos to barbecue to crawfish etouffee - will be provided by Taqueria Del Sol, Taylor Grocery, Jim 'N Nick's, Aramark, Newk's, and Chef John Folse and Co., Reardon said.

"We worked with Southern Foodways Alliance to identify some of the best regional cuisine in the area and feel like we got the best in the ones we have coming," he said.

Music styles will range from bluegrass to hip-hop and Southern rock to gospel. "It was important to us to offer a wide variety of music that would appeal to the entire student body," Taylor said.

In the Grove, across from Barnard Observatory, corporate sponsors will provide both entertainment and educational opportunities. For example, Dell Computers will host a Guitar Hero tournament. Other sponsors are Cellular South, Apple Computer, FedEx and Microsoft. The CSPAN and CNN buses will be there, and Rock the Vote will provide youth involvement information and voter registration forms.

Emcee for the festival entertainment will be former UM student Ben Campbell, the 1998 Country Music Association personality of the year. His co-host will be Matt McAllister. Their show, "The Ben and Matt Show," airs in Phoenix and will be broadcast live from the UM campus that morning before the festival begins.

"All but one of our festival acts are Mississippi musicians; we want to showcase the talent that this state has to offer," Reardon said.

Musicians take the Grove stage at noon, with the North Mississippi Allstars headlining the event. The group features the Dickinson brothers Luther (guitars, vocals) and Cody (drums), and bassist Chris Chew. The hill country blues trio recently released "Hernando," its fifth studio album. The album, on the band's own label, Songs of the South Records, is the follow-up to the band's 2005 Grammy-nominated release "Electric Blue Watermelon."

Also performing will be former Ole Miss student Josh Kelley, returning to campus on the heels of his tour with Rod Stewart and a new album titled "To Remember," which contains a track of the same name as an official theme song for the 2008 Olympics.

The UM Gospel Choir will perform the rich harmonies of African-American spirituals and the mellow grooves of contemporary gospel. The first college gospel choir to sign with a major gospel record label, the student-run organization has faithfully sung praises from their hearts for the last 27 years, with its membership ever evolving as students graduate. Venues have ranged from small wooden churches to grand concert halls.

Other festival entertainers include the following:

- The Kudzu Kings, originally formed in Oxford in 1995, and their blend of honky-tonk country, classic and Southern rock, blues, and jazz, which led them across the South for performances. After a break in touring, the Kings have reunited for a few gigs. The current lineup features keyboardist Robert Chaffe, guitarist Tate Moore, guitarist Max Williams, drummer CD Overton and bassist Dave Woolworth.

Listen to the Kudzu Kings "Down In Mississippi"