The COVID-19 pandemic has kept a lot of us cooped up in our homes, and with Winter on the way, even more of us are beginning to double down. Due to these circumstances, Aurora Public Library District (APLD) will not be host to the annual Holiday Celebrations in Many Lands exhibit the way we usually would. But that doesn’t mean you can’t show off your own amazing holiday decorations with our first annual Holiday Celebrations in Many Homes exhibit. This virtual exhibition will be comprised of community-submitted photos featuring Aurora’s best holiday decorations, lights, trees, lawn ornaments, and more holiday-oriented fare! For those who have amazingly-intricate decoration set-ups this year, snap some photos of them and send them to events and program coordinator, Krista Danis, at kdanis@aurorapubliclibrary.org December 1-December 20.
The Library’s December First Fridays event will look different, too, but the Crawl goes on, the Cocoa Crawl, that is. The Aurora Public Library District will be live on Facebook at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4, including music and hot chocolate with Jeff Ford Quintet when the 2020 Cocoa Crawl Cookbook is unveiled. The cookbook showcases delicious hot chocolate recipes submitted to APLD by members of the Aurora community. Have a tasty family recipe or a special formula you want to share? You can submit it as an entry prior to November 23 to be featured in the 2020 cookbook by visiting tinyurl.com/AuroraCocoa.
“Our natural collaboration with Aurora Downtown has made this agile shift from an in-person cocoa-tasting experience to a virtual community-driven cookbook possible and exciting,” said Krista Danis. “We look forward to continuing this partnership with a shared vision of a creative, connected, and successful, Aurora!”
To put the whipped cream on top of it all, APLD’s partner, Aurora Downtown, has made limited edition Cocoa Non-Crawl mugs available at select locations around the city for a discounted price. You can visit their site for more information on where to get yours today: auroradowntown.org/2020-cocoa-crawl-creatively-reimagined-as-cocoa-non-crawl-mugs-included.
What better way to spend your December First Fridays than snuggled up at home with your limited edition Cocoa Non-Crawl mug full of your new, favorite, hot chocolate while listening to holiday jazz favorites with the Jeff Ford Quintet? There isn’t one! Tune into the Aurora Public Library District’s Facebook page Friday, Dec. 4 with the rest of Aurora and lift those holiday spirits!
More than 150 participants and dozens of sponsors joined efforts to help raise funds for the Aurora Public Library District Foundation’s (APLDF) Lace Up for Literacy Virtual 5K run that took place October 9-17.