One of the highlights of the July 3 First Friday event in Oxford was a bicycle-decorating contest for youngsters.

Oxford Mainstreet, Inc. (OMI) invited children to decorate their bikes according to a patriotic theme, and officials were overwhelmed by the creativity that was demonstrated.

Participants registered their entries at a table on Locust Street and then paraded their patriotic bikes down Third Street. Prizes were handed out in the parking lot of Pizza Hut.

“We did not expect so many incredible entries,” explained Donna Hosler, the executive director of OMI. “Next year, we'll have to have more prizes.”

Continuing the patriotic theme, there was a celebrity bicycle race featuring local officials and business owners in a competitive, but friendly race. Each contestant found their own way to honor America by dressing in red, white, and blue or decorating their bikes. The contestants in the celebrity bicycle race had the honor of judging the entries in the bicycle-decorating contest.

The next First Friday event in Oxford is slated for Aug. 7.