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For the last 15 years, the second Tuesday in May is reserved for enjoying a taste of restaurants in downtown Aurora. This year, the Downtown Taste is moving to the last Tuesday in July and will kick off a new restaurant week within downtown. Downtown Taste offers diners the opportunity to visit a variety of participating restaurants in downtown Aurora. Started by Aurora Study Circles, the popular event has grown under the direction of the Exchange Club of Aurora in recent years. The event will now be run by Aurora Downtown, a nonprofit organization of business and property owners within downtown’s Special Service Area, and continue to benefit the Exchange Club and contribute to scholarships for East and West High students. Tickets for the evening cost $30 and can be purchased online at www.eventbrite.com/e/downtown-taste-tickets-45147065087 through July 31. Tickets can be purchased in person, cash only, from 4 to 6 p.m. on July 31 at the welcome table at Santori Public Library, 101 S. River St. One ticket includes four ticket passes to any participating restaurant. Ticket passes can be used at one restaurant or multiple restaurants to get a taste of downtown offerings including appetizers, small plates, and desserts. Free trolley rides and entertainment are also part of the evening. Exchange Club of Aurora proceeds contribute to scholarships for East and West High students. More at www.exchangeclubofaurora.org. For more information on downtown events and an updated list of Downtown Taste participants, visit www.auroradowntown.org or the Facebook event...

The first piece of public art to go through Aurora’s new public art  ordinance is being unveiled this Saturday. The mural will be unveiled behind Aurora Fastprint, 54 E. Galena Blvd., from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the inaugural Fox River Arts Ramble. Aurora Fastprint owner Kim Granholm commissioned artist Cheryl Holz to create a piece of art for the back of building that is adjacent to the Fox River and faces New York Street in downtown Aurora. Holz, of Aurora, is a longtime collage artist working upstairs in Aurora Art Studios, so it was a natural collaboration. “This will not be a mural in the traditional sense, painted directly onto a wall,” Holz said. “Kim wanted to employ some of the newest printing technology to wrap the back of the building,” she added. Holz said she was originally daunted by the challenge of trying to create a beautiful piece of art on a wall covered with pipes of every material, vents, a fire escape, etc., but Holz, whose mixed media work is often sculptural, came up with a concept of making another layer of panels and sculpture to cover a majority of the chaos. Granholm was on board to try it out and the work began. The completion of the mural took many local resources including the Paramount Theatre’s set shop, Aurora Sign Company and Lite Construction. Holz describes the mural as a contemporary piece of art that incorporates references to Aurora’s rich cultural artistic, musical, and literary history, and the beautiful river that runs through it. Painterly splatters and washes represent the art-making happening inside the building, and all throughout Aurora. There are nods to the blues history, and the text running through the center is a poem called “Aurora” by...

  “At Your Soul’s Discretion, Assemblages and Experiences by Rhonda Wheatley,” opened at Aurora Public Art at First Fridays on April 6. Rhonda Wheatley’s work is grounded in the speculative, metaphysical, and spiritual. Imbuing the work with meditative focus, she explores healing, consciousness expansion, and transformation. Combining such diverse materials as moss, crystals, and vintage electronics, Wheatley arrives at new tools for the contemplation of energy and meaning. Accompanying each sculpture are written works that inform the viewer of the objects’ uses as shamanic tools.   Sam Trump joined the art opening with two musical sets. Trump, a multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter is heavily involved in Chicago’s live music scene and is a long-standing member of hip hop, soul, jazz band, Sidewalk Chalk. The art show runs through May 19 at Aurora Public Art’s third floor gallery at the David L. Pierce Art and History Center, 20 E. Downer Pl. in downtown Aurora. The gallery is open Wednesday through Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. Admission is...

First Fridays is a monthly offering of arts and culture in downtown Aurora. Visit participating venues and explore downtown on the first Friday of the month. First Fridays is art, music and more! Join us for FIRST FRIDAYS on April 6. Free trolley rides from 6 to 10 p.m.See you at First Fridays! Pick up a map at any venue. A R T 1 If These Walls Could Talk, 32 S. Stolp Ave. World Through My Eyes: Rupali Kumbhani* 7 to 10 p.m. 2 Gallery 1904, 1 E. Benton St. Renew, Recycle & Rebirth into April^ 6 to 9:30 p.m. 3 Aurora Public Art’s Third Floor Gallery, 20 E. Downer Pl. Rhonda Wheatley: At Your Soul’s Discretion* 6 to 10 p.m. 4 The ArtBar @ Two Brothers Roundhouse The Arcade Show^ Lauren Schmidt @ The Lounge Bar^ 7 to midnight 5 Fox Art Studio, 9 S. Stolp Ave. Community Youth Art Show* 6 to 9 p.m. 6 The Web, 134 W. Downer Pl. Fat Guy Yoga Club feat. Alfredo Castil, Jason Arthur & Joshua Schultz^ 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. 7 Community Christian Church, 78 S. LaSalle St. Holy Art* 6 to 9 p.m. 8 Oddlots Gallery, 121 W. Benton St. Bill Austin: Zendaddy and the false selves* 6 to 9 p.m. *Opening night ^One night only M U S I C 3 Aurora Public Art’s Third Floor Gallery, 20 E. Downer Pl. Sam Trump of Sidewalk Chalk 7 and 9 p.m. 9 Santori Public Library, 101 S. River St. Fox Valley Orchestra Chamber Series – Fox Valley Woodwind Quintet Performance at 6:45 p.m. 10 Waubonsee Community College Aurora Downtown campus library, 18 S. River St. Open Mic Night 7 to 8:30 p.m. 11 Endiro Coffee, 29 W. New York St. Live music upstairs: Jake Mack...

If you’re not able to get away this month, it’s easy to enjoy spring break in downtown Aurora. You just need to look at the city from an outsider’s perspective and try new things that are outside of your normal routine.   I recently took a couple of local friends to The Riverfront Playhouse for the first time and they loved it. We then walked over to Leland Legends for dessert and had a great time being “local tourists.”   It’s always fun to visit downtown museums, and they’re all free for Aurora Museums After Dark from 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, March 29.   A real spring break treat is a signature coffee drink or a fruit smoothie from Endiro Coffee, 29 W. New York St. If you’re going for an afternoon snack, try their street sides like the veggie samosas or the grilled plantains. Yum.   I always feel like I’m on vacation when I stop by La Quinta de los Reyes, 36 E. New York St., and order their table-side salsa and guacamole. For those on a budget, try Taqueria El Tio, 81 S. River St., on Monday night for dollar tacos.   Of course, it’s a real vacation when you splurge on some spa treatments. A stop at Zen Loft Wellness Center, 6 W. Downer Pl., for a chair massage on Wednesday afternoon during “Walk-In Wednesdays” is a must.   Fatimah at Pure Skin Solutions, 26 S. Stolp Ave., will make your skin shine with a refreshing facial, and check out Do or Dye Designs next door or Big Boss across the street for a new look.   Perhaps test out some summer recreational equipment at Rocktown Adventures, 107 Spruce St., or take a bicycle for a spin at...

Aurora Greenfest announces its spring event, Earth Hour at SciTech Hands On Museum, 18 W. Benton St., on Saturday, March 24. The free, family event will raise awareness for healthy living and a healthy environment by encouraging creative play at the downtown museum in a limited illumination environment. The museum will reduce its lighting and the skylights will provide natural light (sunset at 7:36 pm). “Earth Hour is about starting the conversation about the interconnectivity of climate change and you,” says Mavis Bates, founder of Aurora Greenfest. “We’re partnering with SciTech because we know creative play and healthy activities create awareness for how we each can help improve the health of the planet,” Bates said. Activities at the event include Parent/Child Yoga session, Circle Rhythm Clap and Stomp, Crafts, Guided Meditation, Healthy Snacks, a Scavenger Hunt and all of the SciTech exhibits. “Families will have fun exploring all the great things at the museum, especially the weather exhibits and the reef exhibit that is on loan from its national tour,” said Bates. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; special activities like yoga, rhythm circle, and meditation will be held twice in the evening beginning at 7 p.m. RSVP to the Facebook invite...

Amy Petit is saying goodbye; Chad Dawes in saying hello. Petit, the current owner of River’s Edge Cafe is shuttering River’s Edge Cafe in March after selling the business to Chad Dawes, of Montgomery. Petit was looking to sell the cafe for the last few months, and after receiving serious interest from a few candidates, she accepted Dawes’ offer in mid-February. Dawes, of Montgomery, plans to reopen the cafe as Tredwell Coffee with business partner Dana Wyatt. The opening depends on sale and renovations, Dawes said. He said it will “still (be) an amazing cafe with artisan coffee and great breakfast and lunch options. We will focus on the coffee and work to increase speed of service.” “The biggest goal is to be a bigger presence in the community. We want to focus on the people that make Aurora special. My mission statement is “Enriching people’s lives with artisan coffee and a place to belong.” “Our plans are to be a craft coffee house. Serving multiple roasters and having a rotating option. Our main roaster is a wonderful company out of Addison called Tugboat Coffee.” Dawes said he’d like to expand the coffee shop’s hours, but will first need to “see what kind of traffic I can get later in the day.” Meanwhile, Petit looks forward to more time as a wife and mother. She also wants to pursue her current passion of health and wellness as a nutritional products consultant. Petit can be reached at livehealthy5@icloud.com.  ...

There will be no Aurora’s Harry Potter Festival this year. According to festival organizers, Warner Bros. Entertainment’s attorney contacted them and directed them not to use Harry Potter’s name or any references in the downtown Aurora festival. “We are disappointed that we cannot host another Harry Potter Festival after last year’s successful event, but we didn’t want to just cancel. At Warner Bros. suggestion, we will be hosting a general celebration of wizards, witches, and all things magical this June,” organizers wrote on a Facebook post. “We are going to host a scaled-back event to see how things go in a festival without Harry Potter’s name on it. Our 2018 event will take place on Saturday, June 9,” they added.  Until recently, a two-day festival was planned for June 9 and 10. Now festival organizers are planning Downtown Aurora Magic, a one-day festival on June 9. “Last year’s event was popular and fun. We have been planning a follow-up event for months and don’t want to scrap the entire festival, so we are following Warner Bros. suggestion to have a generic wizard festival instead of a Harry Potter-specific event,” said Kate Purl, who originated Aurora’s Harry Potter Festival last year. Some downtown locations are taking it in stride. The Aurora Regional Fire Museum will feature a Museum of Curiosities & Local Magic Market on both Saturday, June 9 and Sunday, June 10. “While we can’t use Harry Potter’s name or specific references to the books, there is still plenty of magic to celebrate in downtown Aurora.  Festivalgoers can enjoy classes, crafts, entertainment, costume contests, games, and more while exploring all that Downtown Aurora has to offer,” she added. Tickets will go on sale on Saturday, March 24 at 9 a.m. through Eventbrite.com. Tickets will be $10 per person for witches and...

An all ages egg hunt in downtown Aurora! Find eggs on Stolp Island, visit participating businesses and museums, ride the trolley, make crafts, and take part in a scavenger hunt. FREE! 1 to 3 p.m.   Stop at the Welcome Table at Endiro Coffee’s lower level to pick up an egg hunt bag. A stamped egg hunt bag is required at all egg hunt locations.   EGG HUNT ACTIVITIES INCLUDE: *Chalk art at Millennium Plaza on Stolp Ave. *Egg hunt for ages 5 and under at Water Street Mall *Egg scavenger hunt for ages 6 to 11 at SciTech *Crafts at Culture Stock, 43 E. Galena Blvd. *Ride the trolley! *Visit with the Easter Bunny! Bring your own camera. *Find golden eggs and trade them in for a prize!   Egg Hunts: Ages 5 & under: Outdoor egg hunt at Water Street Mall at 1:30 p.m. & 2:30 p.m. Ages 6 to 12: Outdoor egg hunt at 2 p.m. at Aurora Regional Fire Museum Ages 6 to 12: Indoor scavenger egg hunt at SciTech Hands On Museum from 1 to 3 p.m.  All ages: Indoor scavenger egg hunt at Santori Public Library from 1 to 3 p.m. ***Egg Hunt bags are required for outdoor egg hunts. Grab a free bag at the welcome table at Endiro Coffee’s lower level at 29 W. New York St. or at the following locations: Culture Stock and Aurora Regional Fire Museum.***   Eggs will be “hidden” throughout downtown during the event for all ages to find. Please limit eggs to one dozen per participant. Pick up a paper bag at the Welcome Table at Endiro Coffee. Thank you!   Endiro Coffee, 29 W. New York St. lower level – Welcome Table & Golden Egg Prize Table – Pick...

The Fox Valley Music Foundation will begin interior demolition work at 21 S. Broadway starting in early March. The group plans to remove drop ceiling apparatus, tear down drywall and studs, and remove some flooring starting on March 5. Organizers said the work is part of the redevelopment agreement with the city of Aurora. They hope that the interior demo work is complete by the weekend of March 10 and 11, and to that end, they set up a public Facebook invitation welcoming others to assist those last two days. “Our goal is to complete our part of the demolition during the Demo Party weekend, before turning the space back over to the City of Aurora so that they can finish up what they need to do before “officially” handing us the keys to our, and your, new live music venue,” an organizer wrote in the Facebook event. On March 10 and 11, two shifts will be offered from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. According to organizers, participants will mostly be carrying and tossing items into a dumpster as most of the work will be accomplished ahead of time. If volunteers have electrical, plumbing or flooring skills, the group requests that they contact them ahead of time. Volunteers should bring gloves, safety goggles, and a hat, and apply additional safety considerations. Volunteers will also need to sign a waiver For more details, visit the Facebook event here. “At the very least, this is an opportunity to check out the old Woolworth building before it’s transformed, and to talk to us about what the new live music venue is going to look like and what we plan to do with space once we open up in the fall (if...

First Fridays features a night of live music on March 2. Along with half a dozen art openings, the month’s themed “Music Hop” highlights a handful of concerts in downtown Aurora. Aurora Public Art Commission hosts The Ready Freddies, a (mostly) female Queen tribute band. They perform from 8 to 9:30 p.m. on the third floor at the David L. Pierce Art and History Center, 20 E. Downer Pl. Suggested donation $10. “Nevertheless: Women Depicting Women, an invitational show curated by new public art director Jen Evans, continues. Fox Valley Orchestra Bassist Jeremy Beyer brings his quintet, Chicago Hot Fives, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. to Metropolitan Coworking, 14 W. Downer Pl. Ste 16, for an evening of jazz music.  M.U.S.I.C. Mondays comes to First Fridays as Culture Stock, 43 E. Galena Blvd., invites popular regulars to the stage to perform favorite tunes. 6 to 9 p.m. Live music is also featured at Endiro Coffee, 29 W. New York St. from 6 to 9 p.m. A DJ visits Leland Legends starting at 8 p.m., and Gremlen Recording Studios, 130 W. Downer Pl., offers karaoke from 6 to 9 p.m. Also at First Fridays, visit pop up shops at Aurora Regional Fire Museum, Zen Loft Wellness Center and All Spoked Up, and ride the free trolley from 6 to 10 p.m. Art openings, live music, and more are featured at First Fridays on March 2 at several locations throughout downtown including: Waubonsee Community College Aurora Downtown campus library, 18 S. River St., hosts “In/Visibility: Hmong America and the Art of Storytelling.” 6 to 8:30 p.m. Aurora Historical Society, 20 E. Downer Pl., hosts Alderman Sherman Jenkins for a book signing of “Ted Strong, Jr.: the Untold Story.” 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Aurora Public Library, 101...

For the first time in its history, Aurora’s Paramount Theatre will present a brand new musical. August Rush, a world premiere co-production with Arlington Virginia’s Signature Theatre, was announced today as the thrilling finale of Paramount’s 2018-19 Broadway series. Internationally acclaimed director John Doyle, who earned a Tony Award for Sweeney Todd and also staged the Broadway revival of The Color Purple starring Jennifer Hudson, will direct this new live stage adaption of the Oscar-nominated Warner Brothers film about a musically gifted orphan and his search for his birth parents. The movie August Rushstarred Robin Williams, Keri Russell and Freddie Highmore and earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song. August Rush, debuting April 24-June 2, 2019 at the Paramount, press opening Saturday, April 27 at 8 p.m., will be preceded in the theater’s 2018-19 Broadway series by three more blockbuster productions: Legally Blonde (September 5-October 21, 2018), The Wizard of Oz (November 14, 2018-January 6, 2019) and The Producers (February 6-March 17, 2019). Just as it has since it launched its first Broadway Musical Series in 2011, Paramount will offer the same “Buy Two Shows, Get Two Shows Free” subscription offer, with 2018-19 four-play packages starting as low as $72. Renewals begin today, Monday, February 5 at 10 a.m., with current subscribers given first chance to secure their seats for all four shows. During the renewal process, new subscribers can pre-order before the general public to get in line for seats. Pre-order reservations can be made online only at ParamountAurora.com for the first week. Starting Monday, February 12 at 10 a.m., new subscribers can pre-order over the phone or in person as well. Single tickets go on sale in June. For information, visit ParamountAurora.com, call (630) 896-6666, or visit theParamount Theatre box office, 23 E. Galena Blvd. in downtown...