First Fridays, Friday, Aug. 2, will include a block party night of art, and music, in downtown Aurora.
There will be food trucks, live music, live art, and vendors, at the Stolp Block Party from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The party will close Stolp Avenue from Downer Place to Galena Boulevard. Saint Astro and Glad Rags will perform at the gazebo at Millennium Plaza.
August’s First Fridays is celebrating its first Sidewalk Chalk Day. There will be a variety of sidewalk chalk art. Those attending can create their own chalk designs at various businesses.
Food vendors include My Funnel, Grumpy Gaucho, Don Pez Fish Tacos, Burritoville, and Wurst Kitchen.
Food trucks all will be parked on Stolp Avenue for the block party and that the First Fridays’ Food Truck Food Court at Water Street Square will return September 6.
Free trolley rides will be from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.. Here are 28 sites which will be open and have interesting activities:
• Mission Possible, 63 S. Broadway, Gospel Graffiti Art Show. 7 p.m. to 10 p.m..
• Gary Brown Art Gallery, 7 S. Broadway, “Summer Fun,” mixed media, drawings, photography, paintings, and 3-D assemblage art creations. Live music. 6 p.m. to 10 p.m..
• Aurora Tap House, 134 W. Downer Place, “The SpongeBob SquarePants Invitational,” a tribute show to Stephen Hillenburg creator of Spongebob Squarepants, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m..
• The ArtBar at Two Brothers Roundhouse, 205 N. Broadway, “The Lit Show – Chapter 2.” Authors will share readings from their works and their words will be brought to life by artists. 7 p.m. to midnight.
• Arcana Studios, 5 1/2 W. Downer Place, “The Softness Show,” an intimate candle lit poetry reading and open mic with visual art. Starts at 8:30 p.m., open mic at 9:30 p.m..
• All Spoked Up, 14 W. Downer Suite 12, Local Artist Extravaganza. 6 p.m. to 9 p.m..
• Premil, 46 W. New York Street, “Wine Tasting & Live Art.” Entry fee is $10. 6 p.m. to 9 p.m..
• The Neighbor Project, 32 S. Broadway, live art event with the completion of a 50-foot mural in the courtyard with food, music, and kids activities. Free admission; $1 tacos. 5 p.m. to 8 p.m..
• Balderas Beauty Salon, 25 N. Broadway, “The Airbrush Show,” live body painting and art. 5 p.m. to 9 p.m..
• Do or Dye Designs, 24 S. Stolp Avenue, “Paint Your Glass Off,” an evening of glassware painting. Paint glassware for $15 or two for $25. 5 p.m. to 9 p.m..
• If These Walls Could Talk, 32 S. Stolp Avenue, “Block Party Art.” 7 p.m. to 10 p.m..
• Pure Skin Solutions, 26 S. Stolp Avenue, “Redeem Yourself, Redeem Your Skin: Redeemed Art By Kathryn Brown”. 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m..
• The Venue, 21 S. Broadway, “Bootleg T-Shirt Show” and a movie. Rare and vintage concert T-shirt exhibition. 6 p.m. to 10 p.m..
• Tredwell Coffee, 14 W. Downer Place, Suite 18, will be open with art and music. 5 p.m. to 9 p.m..
• Endiro Coffee, 29 W. New York Street, music by Olivia Ports and art by Mallory Sharp. 6 p.m. to 9 p.m..
• Santori Public Library, 101 S. River Street, will have a teacher open house. 5 p.m. to 7 p.m..
• Christian Science Reading Room, 34 S. Stolp Avenue, “Make art under the tent.” 6 p.m. to 9 p.m..
• G.A.R. Memorial Museum, 23 E. Downer Place, tours from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m..
• Branch Gardens, 77 S. Lake Street, will feature a special night of table setting with plants. 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m..
• Aurora Historical Society, 20 E. Downer Place, 2nd floor, “Aurora Story,” history of Aurora since 1834. 6 p.m. to 9 p.m..
• Payton’s Photography, 14 W. Downer Place, rear Stolp entrance, “Beat the Heat Photo Shoot.” Free digital photo. 5 p.m. to 7 p.m..
• Fox Valley United Way, 44 E. Galena Boulevard, children’s book drive for SPARK’s Fox Valley Little Libraries. 5 p.m. to 8 p.m..
• Paramount School of the Arts, 20 S. Stolp Avenue, music, fun, and trivia. Kids up to 18 month olds at 5 p.m.. Aurora Trivia game at 8 p.m..
• Aurora Regional Fire Museum, 53 N. Broadway, open at no cost. 5 p.m. to 9 p.m..
• Zen Loft Wellness Center, 6 W. Downer Place, yoga, performances, demos, and vendors. 6 p.m. to 9 p.m..
• Wyckwood House, 14 W. Downer Place, Suite 16, First Fridays luau with live music, cocktails, and custom hand lettered items. 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
• Gillerson’s Grubbery, 33 W. New York Street, “Burgers and Butts Fundraiser” and Tangled Roots Brewing Kick-Off. Half the money raised from burgers will benefit Aurora Interfaith Food Pantry diapers and other baby care items will be collected. 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.,
• SciTech Hands On Museum, 18 W. Benton Street, “Mission SciTech,” and science shows at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.. Girl Scout Troop 4785 will sell refreshments. Books for SPARK’s Fox Valley’s Little Library can be dropped off. 5 p.m. to 8 p.m..
First Fridays maps are available at all venues. For more information, visit www.auroradowntown.org.
—Aurora Downtown