OXFORD — Oxford’s Freedom Festival kicked off Saturday morning at Oxford Lake with a parade and an appearance by Mayor Leon Smith, who had just recently returned to work after a series of medical tests at a Birmingham hospital.

Smith welcomed everyone to the festival, commented on the nice weather and thanked the art council for organizing and sponsoring the event.

Pam Paris, the director of the Oxford Arts Council, said that turnout was lower this year than in the past.

“We probably had a few more in the morning activities last year just because it’s on a weekend this year and we’re doing it on the third because we don’t want to interrupt church,” she said. “With it being a long weekend a lot of people travel.”

But that didn’t stop several hundred people from showing up bright and early at 9 for a patriotic parade in which children competed to see who had the best decorated bicycle for the holiday.

Outdoor activities for kids and their parents included the opening parade, a pet show, free pedal boat rides and bike and swimming races. The pedal boat rides were by far the most popular activity and people were lined up all morning for a chance to don bright orange life jackets and take a loop around the lake.

Vendors were set up at the start of the day expecting a large turnout later. Most stands specialized in carnival food or cold drinks and treats for the hot summer day. Kyle Yancy was prepared with a truckload of watermelons and had already sold 22 of them before 10 in the morning.

Yancy said he is new to the produce sales business.

“Me and one of my buddies started selling them about three to four weeks ago. We just said we were going to go get some produce and we got 50 watermelons and 50 cantaloupes. And then it just took off. We’ve been selling to grocery stores and then we came out here,” he said. He also had watermelons sitting in coolers for the hotter hours of the day.

Heat may have been what drove many people indoors to the Oxford Civic Center soon after the initial ceremonies. Activities and games such as balloon tosses were set up, and children played on an inflatable moon jump and slide as their parents took seats in the gymnasium bleachers.

A clown also worked her way through the crowd and made balloon animals and swords, which were then later used in “battle” in the audience while a karate demonstration took stage. The demonstration was put on by Yoshukai Karate and brown belts demonstrated their skills by breaking boards with their hands and feet.

During the festival an exhibit featured the talent of local artists such as Cheryl Cameron of Anniston and Lynn C. Phillips of Talladega County.

Cameron made patriotic necklaces from felt and ribbon especially for the day and hoped they would sell while she displayed some of her other pieces which included abstract, colorful line art and portraits in pastels.

Phillips, who specializes in acrylic and watercolor paintings as well as pottery, showcased her paintings and had a portfolio of her ceramics, some of which have sold nationwide.

The Freedom Festival began at 8 a.m. with an “around the lake ramble” for senior adults and lasted until the fireworks show at 9 p.m.

Paris said Mayor Smith expected 12,000 people to show up later in the day after the morning activities ended.