I work in the same office building with Aurora Regional Chamber of Commerce, which means I am lucky enough to get the opportunity to work closely and collaborate with them as well as my other office mates including Invest Aurora, Women’s Business Development Center, Aurora Area Convention and Visitors Bureau,
There was a time not too long ago that many amazing businesses didn’t exist downtown Aurora, and artists beautified the windows and started pop ups and festivals. It’s nice to see so many businesses here now and investing in downtown Aurora. It’s really mind-blowing when you think about it. In
Open air concerts, movies under the stars, outdoor dining. Ah, the glories of Summer. In downtown Aurora, we’re lucky to enjoy river views and blooming rain gardens, too. This Summer, Aurora Downtown’s outdoor movie series returned with two movie selections at two locations in June, July, and August. The series
Sometimes, everything someone touches turns to gold. Luckily, for Shannon Gutierrez gold happens to be her favorite color. Gutierrez is the owner of Wyckwood House, which is now open in the renovated, former School District 129 offices at 80 S. River Street in downtown Aurora. Gutierrez, of Aurora, rewrote the
Come have fun downtown Aurora this Spring and Summer. Now is the time to plan for the warm-and-nice-day-and-evening good times ahead. Get your summer bucket list ready, and check off these fun adventures right in downtown Aurora. May 6, Aurora Downtown’s Food Truck Festival will return to Benton Street from
Amy Morton, owner and operator of Stolp Island Social in Aurora, grew up in the industry and worked alongside her father, legendary restaurateur Arnie Morton of Morton’s Steakhouse. Morton learned the business from the ground up, working nearly every position from a server to director of recruitment and training. After
In case you haven’t visited downtown recently, there are a lot of new things to see. Aurora is growing, and downtown is shining brightly with new residential and more than a dozen businesses that opened this year. See what’s new in downtown Aurora: • French 75 Gallery and Lounge, 56
Shops in downtown Aurora are one-of-a-kind and perfect for gift-giving. An afternoon visiting these locally-owned gems for Small Business Saturday, or, any day this holiday season can be enjoyable. When you walk inside Branch Gardens, 77 S. Lake Street, you’ll find a paradise of overflowing greenery that will delight the
In downtown Aurora, the first Thursday of the month was synonymous with DAAM from November 5, 2009 until December 7, 2017. For eight years, DAAM, which stood for Downtown Aurora Arts Mixer, stood strong as an easy way to get to know others who cared about the downtown art scene.
This year could be the biggest year ever for murals in Aurora. By the end of Fall, there will be more than two dozen completed works of public art in downtown Aurora. We can thank Jenn Evans, director of Aurora Public Art, for the abundance of art this year. Evans
In 1977, Aurora Art League, Fox Valley Park District, and Downtown Business Council, held the 11th annual Downtown Aurora Art Fair at Water Street Mall. It was a weekend affair in May according to the dates on the yellow poster, hand- drawn by Robert Clark. Bubble lettering reminiscent of the
“Bringing Up Baby” will be the first movie to be viewed outdoors this Summer at Aurora Regional Fire Museum. Aside from a few musicals shown at RiverEdge Park a few years ago, it’s possible that movies never have been screened outdoors in downtown Aurora. That’s about to change this Summer
Meet Susan Brown. She is married to artist Gary Brown, who has a gallery and studio at 7 S. Broadway in downtown Aurora. Susan serves as the gallery’s business director. She helps organize and promote the gallery shows. She’s always running on high octane, and takes pride in showcasing community
Spring is in the air. Instead of thinking of all of the things that won’t happen this Spring and Summer due to the pandemic and restrictions on large gatherings, here is a list of things that we can all enjoy as the weather warms. • Fun on the Fox. Whether
Learning is a lifelong process, if you’re open to it and lucky enough to see the value in it. Learning from mistakes can be tough to swallow, but it’s those lessons that can really stick with us. When Aurora Downtown was asked by community members last year why we didn’t
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
There’s a new market in town. Aurora Downtown recently opened Art and Market Aurora, an indoor market at Society 57 on the corner of Benton and River Streets. The market features a dozen food and artisan vendors from 8 a.m. to noon on the second and fourth Saturdays of the
With many working remotely this year, it’s been clear that work often happens behind the scenes. We might not see everyone out and about, but the work continues. Then there’s the workers who were defined as essential this year, and whether they wore scrubs, or a hair net and gloves,
It will be Small Business Saturday November 28. This year, shopping small is easier than ever in downtown Aurora. From antiques to unique home goods and boutique clothing stores, downtown Aurora is once again a burgeoning shopping destination. Screech. Enter COVID-19. Thankfully, small businesses in downtown Aurora continue to quickly
This year, shopping local could be easier than ever. Not only can shoppers visit dozens of stores, but online shopping is plentiful at both retail and resale stores in downtown Aurora. With holiday shopping starting early this year, it’s a great time to revisit the power of the dollar and
