First Fridays will return to the virtual world May 1. Virtual attendees can stay at home and enjoy art, music, and more on Friday night.
Visit Aurora Downtown and other participating venues on Facebook for live video throughout the evening. Viewers are invited to participate at home by tagging #virtualfirstfridays on social media.
A special social media campaign that encourages locals to “show us your mask” will offer viewers a chance to post photos of them wearing masks, and random winners will be chosen from photos posted on Facebook and Instagram.
Virtual First Fridays participating Facebook pages include:
• Wesley UMC will present “Looking Homeward: More songs of comfort” and feature Thew Elliott at 5 p.m., and Michelle Curiel at 5:30 p.m..
• DeCari To Go will go live with “Vegan Feast” on Facebook from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m,. They will offer free samples with carry-out and delivery.
• Aurora Regional Fire Museum will bring “May Flowers” to viewers. Learn about museum offers and ways to support the museum at 5:30 p.m.. Make floral crafts with items around the house at 6 p.m..
• Tredwell Coffee will be live with an “At Home Coffee Brewing Class and Mother’s Day Surprise” at 6 p.m..
• Viewers can learn how to make pour-over coffee and Aeropress coffee at home. During the class, they will answer your coffee questions. At the end, A Call To Shoulders will show everyone how to make phone holders as a Mother’s Day gift.
• 8Lisa Gloria will be host to a “Drink and Draw” from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. and a live oil painting demonstration and chat.
• Society 57 will present “Conversation with Katic Bread and Society 57” from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m..
• Aurora Public Library will have “Live music by Santos Ramos” from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Paramount School of the Arts will present “Creative Chat” at 6 p.m. Hear staff from the Paramount and the school talk about why creativity is so important in these times. There will be a special 20% discount on summer camps with code FRILIVE on their website.
• The Cotton Seed Creative Exchange will host “Virtual Paper Flower Workshop” with The Unruly Artist at 6 p.m.. Purchase a kit for $15 or gather materials around the house, and get ready to create beautiful everlasting paper blooms.
• If These Walls Could Talk will have “Live Painting with Jennifer Hunger” from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m..
• Watch Jennifer Miller Hunger from Canvas and Coffee when she guides viewers through creating their own Monet-inspired “Lily Pond.”
• Wyckwood House will present “Artisans Night” from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.. Hear from favorite Wyckwood House artisans as they feature their products.
• Endiro Coffee will have “Coffee Brewing 101” from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Gain a basic overview of coffee making, from learning about the equipment to seeing how some favorite drinks are made.
• Cheryl Holz will present “The Shelter in Place Art Auction” from 6 p.m.to 9 p.m. Holz will premiere a short video co-created about the series and the processes used to create the works. Each art piece will be posted, and viewers can bid in the comments underneath it.
• All Out Records will go live as they spin from their personal and shop collection from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m..
• AKA Dance will have “Pilates Fusion Class” at 6:30 p.m.. Join AKA Dance Studio’s Miss Danielle for a free half hour pilates class. All ages welcome, no experience necessary.
• Aurora Public Art will present “Draw Along” with artist Jen Keller from 7 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Keller will lead a drawing session for Aurora Public Art. Grab a pencil and paper, then tune in to learn how to create a simple line drawing of an animal at Phillips Park Zoo.
• Gary Brown Art will present “Behind the Scenes with an Artist” from 7 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.. Brown will demonstrate how art creations are made in the studio, from a simple idea to the final masterpiece in the gallery. Enjoy art creations from artists Brown and Andrew Zabela-Zabelin.
• SciTech Hands On Museum will host an online membership sale all day. Purchase a membership on Friday, and the membership year won’t start until the museum reopens. Receive $25 off a Family Nuclear Membership if purchased on Friday.
• Warehouse 55 will start its “Weekend Online Sale” on Friday. It will be an early start to their weekend sale with 15% off all online purchases plus free local delivery.
For more information, find the Virtual First Fridays event on Facebook, or visit www.auroradowntown.org.
—Aurora Downtown