Earth Hour in Aurora, IL

March 1: Downtown Auroran Magazine party!

What: Downtown Auroran Magazine release party

Why: Because it's awesome and free, and brings the community together

When & Where: River's Edge Cafe from 4 to 6 p.m., then Chef Amaury at 33 West from 7 to 9 p.m.

Who: Everyone!

Come pick up a copy of the Spring Issue 2012 of Downtown Auroran Magazine, a free, independent publication focusing on arts and culture, and the downtown scene.

Dec. 16: Winter Garden of Youth art opening

Aurora students with a flair for creativity will have their work highlighted in the Aurora Public Art Commission’s 14^thannual “Winter Garden of Youth Art.”

Children from kindergarten through high school will have their artwork showcased from Friday, Dec. 16 through Friday, Jan. 20 at the Art Commission Gallery at the David L. Pierce Art and History Center, 20 E. Downer Place. The exhibit will kick-off with an opening reception scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. Dec. 16 with Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus also on hand to visit with younger children.

The presentation features a total of 160 pieces of art from 32 schools, including a variety of mediums such as paintings, drawings, printmaking, photography, sculpture, collage, computer arts, jewelry and ceramics. All works in the display have been selected by art teachers or other school faculty members.

Participating schools in the “Winter Garden of Youth Art” are:

• High schools: Aurora Christian, East Aurora, Marmion Academy, Rosary, Waubonsie Valley and West Aurora;
• Middle schools: Jewel, Simmons, Waldo and Washington;
• Elementary schools: Allen, Aurora Christian, Annunciation, Bardwell, Beaupre, Brady, Dieterich, Gates, Greenman, Hall, Hermes, Hill, Johnson, Krug, McCleery, Oak Park, O’Donnell, Rollins, St. Peter, St. Rita of Cascia; and
• Other: Fox Valley Special Recreation Association and Wright Home School.

Admission to the reception and gallery exhibit is free. The gallery will be open from noon to 4 p.m. Dec. 21-22, 28-29; and Jan. 4-6, 11-13 and 18-20.

The Aurora Public Art Commission is a civic organization dedicated to the preservation of public art in all of its forms. For more information on the Commission or the gallery, visit the City of Aurora’s website at www.aurora-il.org.

Nov. 11: Veteran's Day Parade

Aurora will conduct its annual Veterans Day parade and ceremony to recognize the commitment local military service men and women have given to our country.

The parade will step off at 10:15 a.m. Friday, Nov. 11 at Broadway Avenue and Benton Street in downtown Aurora. The parade route will proceed north on Broadway to Downer Place and then head west to the Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Hall, 23 E. Downer Place.

Groups participating in the parade will be the East Aurora High School Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps, Chicago Highland Rifles, Aurora Lamplighter Chorus, Quilts of Valor and many local veteran organizations.

The “Honoring All Who Served” ceremony will be held at about 10:30 a.m. at the GAR Memorial Hall. The ceremony will conclude with a military rifle salute by veteran organizations at 11 a.m.

Aurora resident and Illinois Army National Guard Sgt. First Class Christopher Hess will serve as the keynote speaker at the ceremony. After graduating from Aurora Central Catholic High School, Waubonsee Community College and Western Illinois University, the 15-year military veteran was a Bronze Star recipient, among his many military commendations. Hess has been deployed to the Middle East on several occasions, including Operation Desert Storm with the Marine Corps (1990-91), the War on Terror in Iraq (2003-04) and Afghanistan (2008-09). He currently is a readiness non-commissioned officer with the Aurora Army National Guard.

Parade parking will be available at the Stolp Avenue parking deck located on the corner of Downer Place and Stolp Avenue. Parade patrons should use the entrance on Stolp Avenue to access the parking deck.

The parade and ceremony are sponsored by the City of Aurora and the Roosevelt-Aurora American Legion Post No. 84. For more information, visit the City’s website at www.aurora-il.org.

Sept 16, 17 & 18: Fiestas Patrias

Fiestas Patrias brings the sound, culture and taste of Mexico to North River Street Park this coming Sept. 16^th, 17^th, and 18^th. The three-day music festival will showcase a variety of international music acts, food vendors, and a carnival. Sunday, Sept. 18^th will kick off with a parade, which will wind through downtown Aurora at 10 a.m. Extensive television coverage of the weekend’s events will be provided by the Chicago area’s largest Spanish-language TV network: Telemundo.

The festival series will be staged at North River Street Park and the parking lot immediately south of the park. The fiesta begins at 6 p.m. Friday evening, and runs until 10 p.m. Saturday’s festivities begin at noon until 10 p.m. The parade steps off at 10 a.m., Sunday at the corner of River Street and Benton Street; then to Broadway, Galena Boulevard, Stolp Avenue, Downer Place, and ending at Middle Avenue. The parade program begins at 9:15 a.m., and the reviewing stand will be situated on Downer Place. Festivities at the fairgrounds to start immediately after the parade until 10 p.m. Various genres of music will be performed throughout the weekend including: banda, mariachi, cumbia, tejano, norteno, and rock. A children’s amusement area will be featured, in addition to a carnival area complete with games and rides.

Admission to Fiestas Patrias Aurora 2011 is free. A $2 fee will be charged for festival attendees that are over the age of 21, and wish to purchase alcohol. The Aurora Police Department will coordinate the festival’s security efforts, and volunteers will make up the vast majority of the event staff. Anyone interested in becoming a Fiestas Patrias Aurora 2011 event volunteer, or for more event information, should contact Norma Vazquez, Executive Director at (630) 264-2422 or visit WWW.AHCC-IL.COM.

After a wildly successful 2010 Fiestas Patrias event, the Aurora Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (AHCC) is proud to coordinate this year’s festival in partnership with the City of Aurora. “We are ecstatic about returning Fiestas Patrias to Aurora in September,” said Rene Cruz, President of the AHCC. “2011 is going to be bigger and better than last year; we want this to become an annually anticipated event for the Fox Valley area.”

“This fest will be like a taste of Mexico,” said Norma Vazquez, Executive Director of the AHCC. “Anyone that enjoys Mexican food will need to stop by and try a little bit of everything, Aurora is home to the best Mexican restaurants in the Chicagoland area.”

Tradition festival food fare of hamburgers, Bar-B-Que, etc… will also be available to festival goers.

Sept 9: Art Opening at DLP

The works of three generations of artists with various creative talents come together for a new exhibit hosted by the Aurora Public Art Commission.

An opening reception will be held from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 9 at the David L. Pierce Art & History Center, 20 E. Downer Place to celebrate the start of the “Three Artists Entwined” exhibit. Patrons will be entertained by solo guitarist Tom Salvatori. Light refreshments will be served, and a cash bar will be available.

The family members delve into different artistic mediums, but their work is intertwined by family bonds and their travels across the globe. The artists include:

• Helen Humay– She traveled the world during a time when it was uncommon for women to travel alone. Humay visited Japan, Singapore, China and Europe, and her pottery is a reflection of the different cultures she experienced in her life. Humay, 95, died in 2010.
• Priscilla Humay – Developing an appreciation of art from her mother, she honed her drawing skills after being inspired by nature’s beauty. Priscilla Humay is an award-winning artist who lectures and teaches at universities, museums and the Chicago Botanic Gardens. Her work has found homes in private and corporate collections nationwide.
• Anton Witek – Immersed in a family of artists, Witek has visited more than 30 foreign countries in search of cultural treasures. He uses the symbols he collected to create unique works of art to represent the traditions, customs and places he encountered during his travels.

Both the reception and daily admission to the gallery is free and open to the public. The exhibit will be on display from noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Friday through Nov. 18. Off-street parking is available at the parking deck located at Downer Place and Stolp Avenue, and patrons can bring their parking ticket to the Aurora Public Art Commission Museum Shop to be validated.

For more information on the gallery, visit www.aurora-il.org.

Aug 27: Alley ART Festival

What: Alley ART Festival

When: Saturday, Aug. 27

Noon to 5 p.m.

Why: Art, music, food & fun for the whole family

Where: Water Street Mall in downtown Aurora between Galena and Downer, next to City Hall

Free activities: kids' tent, chalk art, tours of Riverfront Playhouse, hula hooping and more.

The second annual Alley Art Festival is not to miss! Walk, ride your bike or drive!

Aug 12: Aurora History Society exhibit opens at the DLP

Creating Mexican American Identities: Multiple Voices, Shared Dreams

Join us for a special exhibit opening!

Friday, August 12th, 2011
5:00-7:00 pm
20 E. Downer Place ("the DLP")

We know immigration is a hot topic these days but little did we realize it could lead to record-breaking attendance at our museum exhibits! The Luxembourg exhibit closed just a few days ago and was a blockbuster success. We are proud to follow it up with “Creating Mexican American Identities: Multiple Voices, Shared Dreams”, curated by the West Chicago City Museum and the Aurora Historical Society/Aurora Hispanic Heritage Advisory Board and created with funding by the History Channel and the Illinois Humanities Council.

Aurora and West Chicago were early hubs for many Mexican immigrants who were recruited to work for the railroad in the 1920s and made their first homes in box car camps. Since early immigrants rarely have a tradition of written history, the Mexican American story has been recorded here through loaned and donated photographs and oral histories.

We all will find much to reflect upon here.

The exhibit opens on Friday, August 12, 2011 with a free reception from 5:00-7:00pm at the David L. Pierce Art and History Center, 20 East Downer Place. There will be food from local Oaxacan restaurant La Palapa, music and a cash bar.

This is also the closing day of the immensely popular gallery show on the third floor, “Warm Light, Cool Shadows – the Life and Art of Ruth Van Sickle Ford”, so you can catch both exhibits AND our Civil War exhibit before visiting Aurora’s up-and-coming Restaurant Row for dinner. Just a suggestion!

The Mexican immigration exhibit will be up through October 15. Museum hours are Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from Noon to 4:00pm. Admission is free, but donations are welcomed. See www.aurorahistory.net or call (630) 906-0650.

Looking ahead, when the weather turns colder, plan to visit the Tanner House at Oak and Cedar for a thought-provoking and chilling brush with Victorian death culture in the sequel to last autumn’s sellout success. This year’s tour is titled “Death Comes to the Tanner House: the Séance”. For a sunnier experience, visit the Tanner House in December for the annual décor blowout, the Designer Holiday Showcase. All details at www.aurorahistory.net, where there’s also a nice slideshow of the Civil War weekend this summer!

Please feel free to contact Events@aurorahistory.netor call Event Chair Mary Clark Ormond at 630-859-3292! Best for the rest of the summer!

July 15: Downtown Alive! Fan Favorites

The setting will stay the same along the Fox River, but the music scene will shift from blues to rock as Downtown Alive! starts Friday, July 15.

The concert series is presented in conjunction with the Paramount Theatre at North River Street Park. Dbl-Shot will open with high energy 80s rock followed by the Beatles tribute band American English.

Starts at 6 p.m. American English at 8 p.m. North River Street Parking Lot just north of New York Street. $3 entry

Vote for GAR!!!

The Aurora Public Art Commission (APAC) got some refreshing news this summer after the Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Hall (GAR) was deemed eligible to receive a $50,000 grant from Pepsi.

The beverage giant is giving away millions of dollars to fund projects that revitalize communities, education and the arts. Residents can vote up to five times daily to support the GAR rehabilitation project at www.refresheverything.com/saveourgar, or they can vote twice a day by texting “Pepsi” at 73774 and then text “107607” and wait for the confirmation.

The top 10 organizations in the $50,000 category will receive a Pepsi Refresh grant.

Any grant money received would help complete tuck pointing the exterior of the GAR building, 23 E. Downer Place. Exterior restoration was completed between 2007-08 to stabilize the foundation, walls and roof, but tuck pointing was omitted from the project due to the poor economy. An addition also was built to provide modern utilities and access.

The GAR is currently undergoing interior restoration work being paid by a $250,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and a $95,000 grant from the City of Aurora.

The Grand Army of the Republic, a national Civil War veterans’ organization, existed in Aurora from the 1860s to the 1920s. The GAR Memorial Hall was built in 1878 as a monument to those soldiers who had fought in the Civil War. The building also served as a veterans’ meeting hall and as Aurora’s first free public library.

APAC is seeking to raise more money through public and private partnerships to finish the remaining GAR Memorial Hall renovations. Once work is complete, the building will be opened as a veterans’ center and museum to learn about Aurora’s role in America’s wars – spanning from the Civil War through World War II – and genealogical research.

People looking to make a donation to APAC’s GAR restoration effort can:

Go online to the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley’s website at www.communityfoundationfrv.org/fund_profiles-aurora_art.asp;
Send a check or money order to the Aurora Public Art Commission Fund, Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley, 111 W. Downer Place, Aurora, IL 60506; or
Call Aurora’s Customer Service Center at 630-256-INFO or call the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley at 630-896-7800.

July 4: Independence Day in Aurora

Aurora will be painted red, white and blue Monday, July 4 with a full-day of activities for the whole family.

Independence Day will begin with a downtown parade presented by the Roosevelt-Aurora American Legion Post 84 in partnership with the City of Aurora.

The event will start with a patriotic ceremony at 9:15 a.m. outside the Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd. The parade will step off at 10 a.m. at the corner of Benton and River streets, marching east to Broadway Avenue, north to Galena Boulevard, west to Stolp Avenue, south to Downer Place and conclude heading west to Middle Avenue.

Father Jerome “Jerry” Leake, pastor of St. Joseph’s Church in Aurora, has been named the 2011 Fourth of July Parade Grand Marshal. Father Leake has become a popular figure in Aurora by performing chaplain duties for the City’s Police Department and the community for decades. He has logged more than 30,000 hours on ride-alongs with Aurora police officers and has provided counseling, ministry and comfort to victims and offenders in the aftermath of traumatic situations.

After being severely injured in a police ride-along accident in December, Father Leake completed a rigorous rehabilitation schedule to once again serve the students and more than 800 parishioners at St. Joseph School and Church. He also is back in the squad car on the streets with the Aurora Police Department.

Before coming to St. Joseph Church 14 years ago, Father Leake served as a teacher, coach and assistant principal at Aurora Central Catholic and Rosary high schools.

Groups scheduled to march in the parade include the American Legion Post 84 Band, Chicago Highland Rifles, East Aurora and West Aurora high school marching bands and local Boy and Girl Scouts. Bill Baker will serve as the parade emcee, and the Legacy Girls will perform in the pre-parade ceremony.

For more information on the Fourth of July Parade, visit the American Legion’s website at www.post84.com or the City’s website at www.aurora-il.org.

The fun continues in the evening with the Independence Day fireworks program starting at 6 p.m. at the Illinois Math & Science Academy, 1500 W. Sullivan Road. The event is being sponsored by the City of Aurora and the Village of North Aurora.

The entertainment schedule includes:
· 6 to 9:30 p.m. – Food vendors, Inflatables and live entertainment

· 6 to 7 p.m. – Circus Boy (Juggler and circus acts)

· 7 to 8 p.m. – Second Time Around (Popular hits from the past 50 years)

· 8 to 8:15 p.m. – Patriotic Ceremony

· 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. – American Legion Post 84 Band

· 9:30 p.m. – Fireworks


With parking near the school being limited, residents are strongly encouraged to arrive early or use the free shuttle bus service.

Parking will be available at the Illinois Math & Science Academy; Aurora Central Catholic High School, 1255 N. Edgelawn Drive; Hyundai, 1705 Sequoia Drive; Milgard Windows & Doors, 1785 N. Edgelawn Drive; Kraft/Excel, 1700 N. Edgelawn Drive; Fox Valley Park District’s Vaughan Athletic Center, 2121 W. Indian Trail Road; and Rosary High School, 901 N. Edgelawn Drive. Handicapped parking is available at the Illinois Math & Science Academy, Aurora Central Catholic High School and Randall Park, 1500 W. Indian Trail Road.

The park and ride shuttle service begins at 6 p.m. and will provide roundtrip transportation at seven locations including:

Blue Route: Indian Trail and Orchard roads
· Home Depot, 1250 N. Orchard Road

· Lowe’s, 2372 W. Indian Trail Road


Red Route: Galena Boulevard
· West Aurora Plaza, 1901 W. Galena Blvd.

· West Aurora High School, 1201 W. New York St.


Green Route: Lake Street and Indian Trail Road
· Cermak Fresh Markets, 1250 N. Lake St.

· Provena Mercy Medical Center Outpatient Lot, 1325 N. Highland Ave.


Purple Route: Orchard Gateway at Hansen Boulevard
· Woodman’s Market, 151 Hansen Blvd., North Aurora


Lawn chairs and small hand-held coolers are permitted at the fireworks festivities. Large coolers, alcohol and smoking are prohibited on the shuttle buses. Aurora police officers will be writing citations for anyone possessing or setting off illegal fireworks at the event.

For more information on the fireworks program, visit www.aurora-il.org.

June 23: River's Edge Cafe Grand Opening & Men Who Bake

On Thursday, a dozen local men will compete to win with the sweetest treat during River’s Edge Café’s grand opening celebration in downtown Aurora.

Putting on oven mitts and getting out their cookbooks, notable locals such as Amaury Rosado (Chef Amaury at 33 West), Steve Warrenfeltz (Kiss the Sky Records), lawyer Judd Lofchie, author Robert Renteria and Paramount Theatre’s artistic director Jim Corti will bring baked goods to the café for a good cause.

During the grand opening celebration, people can vote for their favorite delectable treats and the winner with the most votes will donate the total proceeds to a local charity of their choice.

Baked goods and votes can be purchased for $1 each at the grand opening and at the café in advance.

“We are ready to celebrate the reopening of the cafe,” said Bailey Standish, daughter of owner Beth Standish. Bailey and her two sisters help out at the café since mom Beth decided the downtown café was too good of a gem to let close after previous owners Jeff and Cathy Jones moved on to other endeavors last fall.

Beth was especially drawn to the café as a community space where everyone is welcome. Since the café is also owned by River Valley Community Church, she was able to get the popular café up and running again with their assistance earlier this year.

“We are so happy to be part of the community,” Bailey said. “Everyone is so supportive and this is a fun way for us to give back.”

Local musicians will also be part of the grand opening festivities. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. Thursday at the café. Tasting and voting will conclude at 9:30 p.m.

Additional “Men Who Bake” contestants are Mike Chapin, Dan Hites, Vernon LaVia, Nathan Miller, Charlie Mayton, David Lewis and Matt Hook.

River’s Edge Café is located at 18 W. Downer Pl. just west of Stolp Avenue in downtown Aurora. Street parking is available on Downer Place and River Street; a convenient parking garage is located at the southeast corner of Downer and Stolp.

Weekday café hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visit www.theriversedgecafe.com or find River’s Edge Café on Facebook for more information.

Aug 21: LaSalle St. Auto Show

Sunday August 21 from 11 am to 3 pm.
Third annual auto show on historic LaSalle Street
Event open to Antique, specialty cars & trucks
Spectators FREE
Contact: sandy@lasalle-auto-row.org
630/896-0181

May 30: Memorial Day Parade

The City of Aurora will remember the service men and women who gave their lives for our country during the annual Memorial Day parade and ceremony on Monday, May 30.

A pre-parade ceremony will be held at 11:15 a.m. at the reviewing stand at 20 E. Downer Place. The ceremony will kick-off with the East Aurora High School Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps honor guard presenting the colors and local Boy and Girl Scouts leading the Pledge of Allegiance. The Waubonsie Valley High School Varsity singers will perform and Jay Harriman will serve as the master of ceremonies.

The parade steps off at noon from River and Benton streets, heads east to Broadway Avenue, turns north to Downer Place and finishes west ending at Middle Avenue. Nine local military groups and nine marching bands including Metea Valley, West Aurora, Waubonsie Valley and East Aurora high schools; and K.D. Waldo, Fischer, Hill, Granger and Still middle schools will take part in the parade.

Other parade highlights include the Kansas-based 1stInfantry Division Mounted Color Guard and Marching Band, which has ties back to the Civil War, the Chicago Highland Rifles bagpipers, floats, local organizations and entertainers.

For more information on the parade, visit the City’s website at www.aurora-il.org. The parade will be shown on Aurora Community Television (ACTV) Channel 10 during June.

May 20: Art & Life of Ruth Van Sickle Ford

The Aurora Public Art Commission Presents:
Warm Light, Cool Shadows, the Life and Art of Ruth Van Sickle Ford

Oil paintings and watercolors on loan from private collections

Date: May 20 - August 12, 2011

Opening Reception:

May 20, from 4:15 - 7:30 pm

Reception Schedule:

4:15 - 5:00: Presentation and book signing by Nancy Hopp, author of the newly published “Warm Light, Cool Shadows,

The Life and Art of Ruth Van Sickle Ford”

5:00 - 7:30 p.m.: Reception, featuring music by dulcimer player Bill Robinson, a 2006 inductee into the Fox Valley Arts Hall of Fame.

Location: Aurora Public Art Commission in the David L. Pierce Art & History Center, 3rd floor gallery, 20 E. Downer Pl., in downtown Aurora

Hours: Wednesday - Friday Noon - 4:00 P.M.

Admission: Both reception and daily admission are free and open to the public

Off street parking available one block west at Downer & Stolp, bring ticket to Museum Shop to be validated!

June 12 & June 26: Books and Coffee at River's Edge

AURORA – Area mystery writers will appear at two free events in June at River’s Edge Café in downtown Aurora. The events are the first in the River’s Edge Author Series, presented in partnership with the Aurora Public Library.

Authors Patricia Rockwell, Diane Morlan and Karen Gallahue will meet for “A Cozy Afternoon for Mystery” from 2 to 4 p.m., Sunday, June 12, at River’s Edge Café, 18 W. Downer Place. The three authors write “cozies,” mysteries characterized by pleasant, often exotic settings and a finite number of suspects.

Besides discussing their books, the authors will speak about the art and business of writing and entertain questions.
Patricia Rockwell of Aurora is the author of “Sounds of Murder” and “FM for Murder,” published under her own company, Cozy Cat Press of Aurora.

Her heroine, Pamela Barnes, like Rockwell, is a university professor specializing in speech and sound. Barnes’ unique training allows her to use aural clues to solve mysteries, including the on-air murder of a radio disc jockey.

Diane Morlan of Sycamore is the author of “Too Dead to Dance.” Her heroine, Jennifer Penny, stumbles upon a dead body while on the way to work at her coffee booth during Hermann, Minnesota’s annual Polka Daze Festival. Morlan was born in Aurora, moved to Minneapolis at age 15 and now resides in Sycamore. She regards both Illinois and Minnesota as her home states. She also publishes with Cozy Cat Press.

Karen Gallahue of Naperville is the author of “Murder with a French Twist.” Her heroes, Dan Elliot and wife Caroline, travel to the Cote d’Azur to attend a friend’s wedding in Nice, only to encounter kidnapping and murder.

The second event, “A Thrilling Afternoon for Mystery” will feature thriller-writers Henry Perez, Shane Gericke, and Michael A. Black. That event will take place from 2 to 4 p.m., Sunday, June 26.

For more information contact Amy Roth at 630-264-4125.

May 13: Aurora Historical Society exhibit downtown Aurora

Luxembourg - USA: A Migration Story (and free Oberweis ice cream!)

Join us for a special exhibit opening!

Friday, May 13th, 2011
5:00-8:00 pm
20 E. Downer Place

Did you know that between 1850 and 1900, Aurora was one of the primary destinations of Luxembourgers coming to America? You'd be surprised how many local names have Luxembourger ancestry...Jungels, Hastert, Poss, Oberweis, Lies, and Petit are just a few examples.

The exhibit was funded and created by the government of Luxembourg, and was first shown at Ellis Island in 2007. This will be the first Illinois showing. The exhibit comes to us courtesy of the Luxembourg American Cultural Society.

Reulands will be catering the opening. Oberweis Dairy is providing free ice cream. Former Speaker of the House J. Dennis Hastert will be in attendance; as will Ethan Hastert, Honorary Consul for the Luxembourg Consulate at Chicago; and Kevin Wester, Executive Director of the Luxembourg American Cultural Society.

If you are unable to come to the opening, the exhibit will run from May 13 through July 31, 2011. The David L. Pierce Art and History Center is open Wednesday-Friday, 12 - 4 pm. For more information, call (630) 906-0650.

May 8: Mother's Day Fun

Are you visiting Free Things to see what to do with your mother on Mother's Day? You are smart because we have some suggestions for you - starting with this short list from Montgomery Patch of local things to do: Click here!

Here are some additions to the list. And keep in mind that time spent with mom is the best gift of all. Happy Mother's Day!

*Self-guided architecture tour in downtown Aurora
*Phillips Park (zoo, sunken gardens, picnic)
*Picnic and photo shoot at Lincoln Park (pack a picnic and take some priceless photos of mom and/or grandma with the kids by a pretty tree)
*Picnic and concert at Millennium Plaza on Stolp & New York St. in downtown Aurora (pack a picnic and put on a private concert for mom in the band shelter)

Euro-style Summer Flea Market on Water Street Mall

Aurora - Second Saturdays are filled with collectibles, vintage treasures, retro items and antiques this summer on Water Street Mall in downtown Aurora.

The first of it's kind, Aurora's Louche Puce Market (pronounced loosh pyoose) brings a juried offering of furniture, glassware, ephemera, architectural salvage, costume jewelry, vinyl records, books, vintage fashions, objets d'arte and objects of curiosity.

A festive community event, Louche Puce takes place on Water Street Mall, a tree lined alley between Downer and Galena, on the second Saturdays of the summer months (June 11, July 9, August 13 and Sept. 10.)

Sales start at 9 a.m. and the fun continues until 4 p.m. All ages will find something to do along the mall, whether browsing goods or hula hooping in the adjacent Mundy Park.

Experienced or novice vendors with an eclectic inventory of items are invited to apply for a sales space. Contact organizer Jeanne Norris at 630-844-3224 or e-mail her at norrisjeanne@gmail.com.

View Louche Puce Market on Facebook.

April 15: Japan Relief Show at 7 West Studio

Aurora - Clever! Shiny! Strange! Pretty! things from local artists will go toward Japan Relief this April and May.

7 West Studio in downtown Aurora is holding a show where selected works will be up for sale to benefit those affected by the recent disaster in Japan. Japan Relief items sold at the studio will help fund the efforts of American Red Cross to help earthquake victims in Japan.

7 West Studio's Japan Relief Show opens on Friday, April 15 and runs until the end of May. The public is invited to an opening night reception from 5 to 9 p.m. on Friday, April 15. Join the 7 West artists for an important night of art to support Japan Relief. Store hours are regularly 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

7 West Studio features original art, jewelry and gifts by your friends and neighbors in a lovely location along the river between Stolp Avenue and River Street.

Street parking is free during the opening reception and convenient parking is available in a parking garage at the corner of Stolp and Downer.

Visit www.7weststudio.com to shop the studio online.