Spring ahead: Big plans for Aurora downtown events

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As the streets thaw and the City comes back to life, Aurora’s downtown will welcome everyone back from their long Winter’s nap. A full year of events will continue to slowly roll out when the sidewalks start to bustle once again.

Art and Market Aurora, held on the second and fourth Saturdays through the end of May at Society 57, 100 S. River Street, will be a showcase for community vendors and makers in a welcoming atmosphere. The market, with favorites such as Dick’s Mini Donuts and Biscocho’s, features DJ Pena. The jazz and soulful tunes add to shopping and turn the market into an experience.

Culture Stock volunteers stand behind their table filled with used books for sale at Art and Market Aurora. The market, held by Aurora Downtown at Society 57, seeks to provide an event experience to those who attend. Submitted photo

The event experience is going to be paramount in creating value in downtown events. It will be evident in the coming months when Aurora Downtown kicks off First Fridays in April, and in the Summer when a newly-envisioned food truck festival that works in the current environment is planned for August.

In March, Aurora Downtown will be host to Egg Hunt on the Island, a free scavenger hunt that will last until Easter weekend. The outdoor hunt will feature egg art posted in 14 downtown storefronts. The downtown group worked with Adventures in Scavenger Hunting to organize the event.

All ages are invited to go on the scavenger hunt and search for eggs. Once found, participants can fill out an online form to enter into a drawing for a $25 gift card.

One of the locations will fill windows with dozens of eggs created by students from Benavides STEAM Academy, Oak Park Elementary School, and Rollins Elementary School.

Art teacher Bonny Ramirez, who teaches at Benavides STEAM Academy and Oak Park Elementary, created a project for her K-2 students, “as a celebration of Spring to coincide with Aurora Downtown’s Egg Hunt on the Island event,” she said.

Ramirez based the lesson on a book called “P. Zonka Lays an Egg” by Julie Paschkis. In the story, the artistic hen, P. Zonka, is too busy making careful observations of the beauty in her world to lay eggs similar to the other hens, despite their criticism of P. Zonka. When she finally tries, her eggs are original and creative. She emphasizes quality over quantity.

The students learned about the batik wax-resist process and the history of Pysanky Ukrainian eggs inscribed with symbolic folk designs as demonstrated in the book.

P. Zonka has the right idea of quality over quantity. It’s something that we hope is evident in our events this year in Aurora.

From socially-distanced photos with the Easter bunny at Millennium Plaza gazebo March 20 and March 27 to First Fridays with food trucks at every date in the lot across from City Hall, Aurora Downtown will put extra effort into creating a quality event experience for all to enjoy.

Marissa Amoni is the manager of Aurora Downtown, a nonprofit organization that works to achieve a healthy and thriving downtown. Learn more about downtown events and happenings at auroradowntown.org.

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