With a new executive director and an exciting lineup of events, Thacker Mountain Radio Hour is back and better than ever.  

Amanda Wymer, who will serve as Thacker Mountain’s new executive director, is working to expand the hallmark radio show’s reach to the Oxford community.  

“She’s worked for a nonprofit before, and she’s working with the board with donors to expand. A lot of it is internal,” stage manager Phoebe Goodwin said. 

Thacker Mountain is making changes audience members may not see directly, but will experience throughout the year.  

“She is really coming in and getting a lot of things done that haven’t been done for a while and it’s really making it a lot better,” production director Tim Lee said.  

The weekly Thacker Mountain Radio Hour returned for a new season Thursday, Sept. 7, at the Graduate Oxford. The iconic show kicked off its 26th year by going live in front of an audience of all ages.  Hosted by Jim Dees and the Yalobushwhackers, the show featured a reading by novelist Irina Zhorov and music by country songwriter The Great Dying and alternative rock group Bark.  

In addition to changes behind the scene, Thacker Mountain has lined up a variety of entertainers for the coming year. 

“This season, we’ll have tons of different authors and musicians of all ages and all genres coming to share their view of the world,,” Goodwin said.   

Fans can also expect more variety than ever this year. Thanks to Thacker Mountain’s partnership with Square Books, the show can host a plethora of authors, poets and musicians for the audience’s enjoyment. 

“That’s always our goal, providing variety and diversity,” Lee said. “Keep it interesting, mix it up.”  

Thacker Mountain has many upcoming events, including shows on Sept. 14 and 21 at the Powerhouse and Sept. 28 at the Lyric. The rest of their schedule can be found on their website, and their past shows can be found on Spotify.