First Fridays will stay warm with hot cocoa Friday, Dec. 7 when the Aurora Downtown is host to the inaugural Cocoa Crawl. It is part of the monthly event, and mugs are proving to be a hot commodity.
Three-hundred Cocoa Crawl mugs will be sold at event starting at 5 p.m. at Aurora Regional Fire Museum, 53 N. Broadway, for $5. Limit four mugs per family. Hot cocoa sampling is unlimited with a Cocoa Crawl mug.
Cocoa Crawl participating venues include Wyckwood House, Tredwell Coffee, Aurora Regional Fire Museum, Santori Public Library, Branch Gardens, SciTech Hands On Museum, Aurora Art Studios, Endiro Coffee, Two Brothers Roundhouse, All Spoked Up, Waubonsee Community College, PME Cake Supplies, Calla Lily Tea Room, David L. Pierce Art & History Center, Tavern on Broadway, and Zen Loft Wellness Center.
Aurora Downtown will have a free pop-up photo booth with Cloud Foto at Aurora Regional Fire Museum from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.. Free trolley rides will be from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m..
The night will feature a full lineup of venues open with art, music, and more for First Fridays.
• If These Walls Could Talk Custom Framing and Gallery, 32 S. Stolp Avenue, will be host to the annual Pack the Pantry Art Auction benefiting the Aurora Interfaith Food Pantry. 6 p.m. to 10 p.m..
• Aurora Public Art, 20 E. Downer Place, will open the 21st Annual Winter Garden of Youth on the first and third floor at the David L. Pierce Art and History Center. 6 p.m. to 9 p.m..
• The ArtBar at Two Brothers Roundhouse, 205 N. Broadway, will open with the First Fridays pop up, The Land of Broken Toys. 7 p.m. to midnight.
• The Web, 134 W. Downer Place, will be host to artist Darius Hurley. 6 p.m. to midnight.
• Oddlots, 121 W. Benton Street, will continue a show by art teacher William Grahame Wilkin III. 6 p.m. to 9 p.m..
• Aurora Art Studios, 50 E. Galena Boulevard, will be host to its annual open studios to feature resident artists Cheryl Holz, Anne Von Ehr, Tara Ginocchio, David Hettinger, and Rafael Rocha. 6 p.m. to 9 p.m..
• Tredwell Coffee, 14 W. Downer Place, Suite 18, will be host to an art and poetry night with poet Kristin LaTour and artist Angel Perez. 5 p.m. to 9 p.m..
• Waubonsee Community College Aurora Downtown campus library, 18 S. River Street, will be host to a ceramics exhibit and sale along with live jazz and a student photo exhibit. 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m..
• Aurora Arts Initiative, 61 S. Stolp Avenue, Aurora Arts Initiative Gallery Show. 5 p.m. to 11 p.m,.
• Endiro Coffee, 29 W. New York Street, will be host to acoustic group Daniel and the Sparrows. Jennifer Hunger will lead Christmas mug-painting from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.. Each mug will cost $15. Santa is expected to make an appearance. 6 p.m. to 9 p.m..
• PME Cake Supplies, 35 N. Broadway, will be open with Cookies with Santa. 5 p.m. to 8 p.m..
• Tavern on Broadway, 24 N. Broadway, will be open with a sneak peek of the soon-to-open tavern. 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
• Aurora Historical Society, 20 E. Downer Place, will present “Aurora Story”, “World War I Centenary” and “Ethnicity and Diversity in Aurora” on the second floor. 6 p.m. to 9 p.m,.
• Calla Lily Victorian Tea Room, 83 S LaSalle Street, will be open with free tea samples, and a limited sweets menu. 5 p.m. to 8 p.m..
• Wyckwood House, 14 W. Downer Place, Suite. 16, will be open for “Christmas at Wyckwood.” Live music with Julie Elzerman and Rachel Santillan, Christmas photos for $5. 5 p.m. to 9 p.m..
• Christian Science Reading Room, 34 S. Stolp Avenue, will be open with free kids crafts, prizes, and gifts. 6 p.m. to 9 p.m..
• Zen Loft Wellness Center, 6 W. Downer Place, will be open with a mix of performances, demos, and massages. 6 p.m. to 9 p.m..
• Foxglove Photography and Design, 67A S. Stolp Avenue, will be open with “Christmas Pictures with Foxglove.” 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• Gillerson’s Grubbery, 31 W New York Street, will be host to The Blaum Bros for a tasting with Tredwell Coffee. 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.. The restaurant will present a Simply Destinee Drag Show fundraiser at 9 p.m..
• SciTech Hands On Museum, 18 W Benton Street, will have art students from Aurora Christian and an Artisan Holiday Pop-Up Shop. 6 p.m. to 8 p.m..
First Fridays maps are available at all venues. For more information, visit www.auroradowntown.org.
—Aurora Downtown