Aurora First Fridays will celebrate Day of the Dead and with more than two dozen venues open to include art and music Friday, Nov. 5.
Aurora Downtown’s Sugar Skull City will continue through Sunday with several venues offering special Day of the Dead activities at First Fridays. Pop ups will be along Broadway and several downtown venues.
Vendors will be in front of the Balderas Hair Salon, 25 N. Broadway, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.. State Farm will be outside at 35 N. Broadway with Pan de Muerto, or Bread of the Dead. There will be free hot chocolate and face painting, and Ballet Folklórico Quetzalcóatl dancing at 8 p.m. behind the shops in the Lot E. parking lot. José Art will be body painting models with Catrina outfits and attire. The models will be walking around Broadway and downtown taking photos from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m..
Latina Kane County judge Bianca Camargo will be making an appearance downtown on Broadway during the festivities. Creaciones Morelos, La Central Bakery, and others, will have Day of the Dead altars or ofrendas outside.
Here are other participating sites:
• Wyckwood House will be host to a pop up at their new location at 80 S. River Street. The store will open in 2022, but owner Shannon Gutierrez will bring Flo’s 2AM Tacos, her husband’s taco stand, along with Gillerson’s Grubbery for a one-night celebration for Sugar Skull City.
• Society 57, 100 S. River Street, will showcase vendors from Oaxaca Mexico from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.. They will also feature a Sugar Skull City art demo by Collinson Fine Art along with cocktails and bites at their cafe.
• Sugar Skull City will be featured at Santori Public Library with ofrendas on display and a fashion show at 5:30 p.m.. The Cotton Seed Creative, located at 8 N. Broadway, will offer face painting, button-making, and vendors.
• The Food Truck Food Court at Water Street Square across from City Hall will be open from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.. Tapville will offer beer in the food court. Grumpy Gaucho, Small Cakes, Home Run Hot Dogs, and Harvey’s Fire Box are scheduled. Food vendors are subject to change.
• YWCA and Waubonsee Faculty will visit nonprofits at the food court.
First Fridays will offer a variety of activities at multiple venues November 5, including:
• Artesan Lofts Gallery, 2 S. Stolp Ave., will be open with work by resident artists. 6 p.m. to 8 p.m..
• French 75 Gallery and Lounge, 56 E. Galena Boulevard, will feature new works by owner and artist Hope Ashworth as well as featured craft cocktails by Braden Smith and complimentary hors d’oeuvres. 5 p.m. to midnight.
• Charlie’s Silverspoon Creamery, 6 E. Downer Place, will be host to “For the Love of Frieda,” a solo art show by Josue Paiz, artist and owner of Hairy Beast Dog Pawlour. 5 p.m. to 9 p.m..
• Aurora Tap House, 134 W. Downer Place, will feature artist M.J. Carldwell and live music from The Hurricane Project. 5 p.m. to 9 p.m..
• Superjumbo, 102 E. Galena Boulevard, will open its back gallery for a print show. Stop by for $10 live shirt printing featuring art by Jaime Ugarte. 4 p.m. to 9 p.m..
• The ArtBar at Two Brothers Roundhouse, 205 N. Broadway, will host “Save the Planet” in the cafe. 7 p.m. to midnight.
• McCarty Mills Taproom and Bottleshop, 140 S. River Street, will be host to ShreddedInk as their featured artist for November. Rkntco will pop up with food. Open until 10 p.m.
• Gary Brown Art Gallery / Studio, 7 S. Broadway, will open their November show “Exodus” by digital artist David Sobotka. Daniel Lim performs live. 5 p.m. to 9 p.m..
• Seven Setting Suns Art Gallery, 14 W. Downer Place, Suite 12, will present “Murmur,” a show from gallery owner Vincenzo Valenziano. 5 p.m. to 10 p.m..
• Altiro Latin Fusión, 1 S. Stolp Avenue, will be open with live Spanish rock with Damián Rivero. 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m..
• Santori Public Library, 101 S. River Street, will be host to El Día de los Muertos and Ofrendas Celebration. Ofrendas Exhibition all evening, Traditional Mexican fashion show at 5:30 p.m., with live music following. Loteria starts at 6:30 p.m. Enjoy crafts. 6 p.m. to 9 p.m..
• G.A.R. Memorial Museum, 23 E. Downer Place, will open for “Service and Sacrifice: 100 Years of Aurora’s Military Excellence,” and exhibit detailing Aurora’s military history since 1917. 5 p.m. to 9 p.m..
• The Perch, 31 W. Downer Place, Suite 301, will open with a Holiday Shop with Sugar Skull Coloring for kids. Shop thoughtful and inspirational gifts, including jewelry, holiday decor, journals, books, and more. Kids can enjoy a Sugar Skull coloring page while parents shop. 5 p.m. to 8 p.m..
• Aurora Regional Fire Museum, 53 N. Broadway, will be host to ornament painting. Ornaments will be hung throughout the museum for the holidays. 5 p.m. to 8 p.m..
• Zen Loft Wellness Center, 6 W. Downer Place upstairs, will offer live music by The County Line at 5 p.m. Performance by Magnolia Bellydance Collective at 7 p.m. Studio open house: $1/min massages, shop at I of the Angeles, hang in hammocks, visit vendors, $10 tarot mini-readings. 5 p.m. to 9 p.m..
• Paramount School of the Arts, 20 S. Stolp Avenue, will be open with a fun kids activity to get them ready for the Thanksgiving holiday. Donations welcome for Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry. The school is honoring loved ones of students, faculty and staff members who have passed with an ofrenda. 6 p.m. to 9 p.m..
• Wyckwood House, 14 W. Downer Place, will celebrate Day of the Dead with Sugar Skull City merchandise from Nide Jardin. Los Colores De Mi Tierra dance group and live music performances. 5 p.m. to 9 p.m..
• Aurora Historical Society at David L. Pierce Art and History Center, 20 E. Downer Place, will continue “Our Favorite Things: A selection of favorite artifacts from our collections.” Visit the third floor for a special Day of the Dead exhibit, “Nine Steps to Mictlán: A Day of the Dead Art Exhibit.” 6 p.m. to 9 p.m..
• Latrice Murphy Design and Photography, 62 S River Street, will celebrate the new studio opening with session specials, studio walk through, and more. 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m..
• All Spoked Up, 14 W. Downer Place, Suite 10, will feature Wicked Flux Designs: Handmade wooden crafts and home decor. 6 p.m. to 9 p.m..
• Wyckwood House, 80 S. River Street, will pop up at the new location with Flo’s 2AM Tacos, Sugar Skull burger from Gillerson’s, Sugar Skull City merch tent, and art by Eric Cervantes. 6 p.m. to 9 p.m..
• DuPage Children’s Museum will create chalk art at Water Street Mall, 44 E. Downer Place. Community Chalk Art Pop Up with artists Giovanni and Amaryllis Guerrero. 5 p.m. to 7 p.m..
• Society 57, 100 S. River Street, will be open with Sugar Skull City activities and feature Collinson Fine Art pop up and encaustic painting demo, Mercado Tradicional Oaxaca featuring merchants from Mexico. 6 p.m. to 9 p.m..
• The Cotton Seed Creative Exchange, 8 N. Broadway, will be open with Anneliese Cookies, Gin Ingram Art with Day of the Dead Face Painting, and button-making with Mari Del Valle. 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m..
For more information on Sugar Skull City and First Fridays events, visit auroradowntown.org.
—Aurora Downtown