Monday, October 29, 2012

Nov 10: Soul Platform VIIII: Soul to Soul

Creative Energy Entertainment Group is doing it again...
Soul Platform Vol. VIIII: Soul to Soul.
Come check out Aurora's hottest band Beyond Soul with some of the best singers in the valley.
Alyx, Chris Michael and BeBe Gordon; Spoken word from your favorite artists
Saturday November 10.
14 W. Downer Place, Suite 16, Aurora, IL.
Doors open at 8 show starts at 9.
Great food, great people, great atmosphere….You want to be in the place
$10 donation at the door

Nov 2: Flavors of Aurora - World

Recently-arrived refugees and immigrants from the far corners of the globe will be the focus of the last Flavors of Aurora:  Stirred, Not Shaken to be opened with a reception on Friday, November 2, 2012 from 5-8pm at the Pierce Art and History Center, 20 E. Downer Place, 60505.

Hailing from such countries as Nepal, Bhutan, Burma (Myanmar), other lands such as Iran and Iraq, and  nations such as Eritrea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Somali, Liberia, Burundi and Rwanda these new arrivals have suffered ethnic, political or religious oppression in their native lands.  They are helped by the U.N. to seek peace and opportunity in any country that will welcome them with law and justice.   Many come to the United States and over the last decade, thanks to sponsorship by local churches and the organization World Relief, hundreds have learned to call Aurora home.
“The Thanksgiving season is the perfect time for us to consider the good fortune we have to be Americans, and to learn about these new citizens who had to give up their homelands in order to find the blessings that we take for granted every day,” says Roald Haase, who serves on the board of the Aurora Historical Society and is coordinating the event.  “They are the Puritans of today.  We should also remember that, even after 175 years, Aurora is still being built up by the new blood and strength of people from far-away places who see The City of Lights as a beacon to happiness.”
The reception on November 2 is free (donations appreciated), with a cash bar.  The exhibit will be up through November 24 during regular Pierce Center hours, Wednesdays through Saturdays from noon – 4:00pm.   Group tours can be arranged by calling             630-906-0650      .
More groups are scheduled to be spotlighted in 2013, including African-American, Irish and Italian.   Seewww.aurorahistory.net or www.facebook.com/aurorahistory for details.   For a short video which features a Burmese and a Bhutanese woman who now call Aurora home, go to http://vimeo.com/42710195.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Oct. 7: Paws in the Park


The Fox Valley Park District will hold a free “Paws in the Park” festival from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 7, at Lincoln Park in Aurora.

Dog owners are welcome to bring their pets to the event, which is hosted in conjunction with the Fox Valley Animal Welfare League. The event will feature local representatives and resources, pet-related products and gifts, rescue organizations, behavior and obedience specialists and demonstrations, a blessing of all the animals, police dog demonstrations, contests for dogs and numerous prize drawings.

Dogs will be able to run off-leash in the fenced-in play area. All dogs must have a current rabies tag to enter the park.

Park District dog tags for the Lincoln Park Dog Park – providing season-long use of the dog park – will be available for purchase. Those who do not have a 2012 FVPD dog tag will be allowed to use the dog park that day for $1, provided their dog has a current rabies tag.

The Park District also will have information available on its newly constructed dog park on Gregory Island – located off Indian Trail between Routes 31 and 25 – and on a planned dog park set to open next year at Stuart Sports Complex.

Lincoln Park is located on Aurora’s west side at South Harrison Avenue, just north of Prairie Street and east of Elmwood Drive.

Monday, October 1, 2012

Oct. 5: Flavors of Aurora: Stirred Not Shaken - German

Opening reception:  Friday, Oct. 5, 2012  5-8pm
Exhibit:  October 6-27, 2012    Wednesdays-Saturdays, Noon-4pm
Pierce Art and History Center, 20 E. Downer Place, Aurora, IL  60505
Free.

Aurora’s German heritage is a long one, and this October, during the 175th anniversary celebration year, the people and their contributions to the development and culture of the city will be highlighted at the Aurora Historical Society.    The salute begins on Friday, October 5 with a free opening reception at the Pierce Art and History Center, 20 E. Downer Place, 60505 from 5-8pm.   Authentic foods from the oldest retail shop in Aurora, the Wurst Kitchen, which dates back to 1895 will accompany authentic beers and wines from the old country.   Bob Kresz, a musician whose family has made German music in Aurora for decades, will be on hand with friends to provide traditional tunes suitable for the polka and the waltz, if party-goers are so moved.    Sponsors of the party, celebrating their German heritage, are Ed and Sharon Stredde.

The exhibit, co-curated with Ed Heriaud, historian of the Turners Club, will be unveiled at the party and will run through October 27.  Regular museum hours are Wednesdays-Saturdays, noon-4:00pm.

The ethnic series will conclude for 2012 in November, when recent immigrants and refugees from third-world countries will present their stories, music and cuisine, with an emphasis on the American holiday of Thanksgiving.   More salutes are planned for 2013 and will include African American and Italian cultures.

For more information, see www.aurorahistory.net, Facebook, or call             630-906-0650      .