First Fridays will return to selected outdoor settings in downtown Aurora, Friday, Sept. 4, from its previous virtual settings with art and music at more than a dozen venues.
The evening will provide a variety of experiences to include virtual and crowd-free options:
• Goldfinch Cafe will pop up with a mobile cafe from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Wyckwood House, 14 W. Downer Place, Suite 16. The pay-what-you-can cafe will offer take-away salads and mint lemonade with proceeds for the purchase of a food truck.
• Wyckwood House will be host to musician Matthew Ripsch from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m..
• The ArtBar will have its ninth season with “Art as Protest,” a virtual show available at artbaraurora.com. Live conversation will be with artists on their Facebook at 7 p.m..
• Aurora Public Library will be host to Aurora Art League Member Show, a virtual gallery exhibit from 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on the Library’s Facebook page.
• VizoArts celebrates its 2nd Annual Photography Exhibition from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Gallery 1904 1 E. Benton Street.
• Artesan Lofts, 2 S. Stolp Avenue, will have a group show from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m..
• Aurora Tap House, 132 W. Downer Place, will feature Shelley Monahan Designs from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m..
• Gary Brown Art Studio, 7 S. Broadway, will debut acrylic artist Karen Dolce from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m..
• Altiro Latin Fusion, 1 S. Stolp Avenue, with Damian Rivero, live Spanish rock, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m..
• Endiro Coffee, 29 W. New York Street, will present live music by Demi Proutsos, along with new art from Aurora Art League and drink specials from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m..
• The Riverfront Playhouse will feature live music from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. in front of its doors along Water Street Mall. Music duo The Heels will be joined by musical friends.
• Aurora Historical Society will have windows on display through the evening with “A Look Back,” a special Roots Aurora window display at the David L. Pierce Art and History Center, 20 E. Downer Place. Roots Aurora will not hold its annual event in this month, instead will plan activities for October’s First Fridays.
• SciTech Hands On Museum, 18 W. Benton Street, will have a downtown scavenger hunt and sidewalk sale from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m..
• Simply Destinee, 122 W. Downer Place, will feature Dis-Dancing at its location from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m..
• Legacy Fitness, 77 S. River Street, will offer “Outdoor Fitness for All” from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the parking lot adjacent to its building.
• Offbeat Thrift and Vintage, 14 W. Downer Place, Suite 16 (downstairs), will be open with a Mod-tage Tiki Party from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m..
• Warehouse 55, 55 S. Lake Street, will celebrate its first anniversary from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.. A grab-and-go bouquet from Blissful Blooms will be available.
• Society 57, 100 S. River Street, will premier a new specialty drink from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m..
• All Spoked Up, 14 W. Downer Place, Suite 10, will celebrate a grand re-opening from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. It recently moved one door east.
• Camelia Danza Belly Dance at Zen Loft Wellness Center, 6 W. Downer Place, will dance outdoors at 7:30 p.m..
• Gillerson’s Grubbery, 33 W. New York Street, will be open with brinner specials, 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m..A rescheduled movie night for The Breakfast Club will start at 9:30 p.m.. To reserve your table ($) for the movie, call Amy-Sue at 630-340-3719.
• The Cotton Seed Creative Exchange, 8 N. Broadway, will be open from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with free Bamenda Coffee and the release of photographer Ivan Cormona’s “Closer to the Lung” coffee table book.
All participating venues will adhere to current Phase 4 guidelines. Masks are required.
Maps are at auroradowntown.org.
—Aurora Downtown