Alley Art Festival Aurora 2012

The 3rd annual Alley (ART) Festival will again be the last Saturday in August -- this year on August 25, 2012. Always fun. Always a spectacle. It's a day for local artists to show and sell their wares and a day for the community to show support of the arts. Come for the art, stay for the fun. Noon to 5 p.m. on Water Street Mall (next to City Hall @ 44 E. Downer Pl.) in downtown Aurora. All ages. Free. Art, music, food, fun and spectacle. Find Alley Art Festival on Facebook. Poster design by Chris Hodge.

*July 5: Ice Cream Social

Get your taste buds ready for some delicious FREE ice cream sundaes that will be dished out by Village staff on Thursday, July 5th from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in Montgomery Park.  Don’t forget to add a medley of toppings to your edible creation.  Then stay to enjoy a free open air Concert in the Park featuring Saturday June Band beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday June Band has been entertaining for over twenty years with their energetic mix of classic rock.  The band features the soulful voice of Jami Dawn who is part of a compilation CD for Chicago’s most notable artists.  They have performed at Taste of Chicago, Navy Pier, Ravinia and other prominent venues in the Midwest.

Montgomery Park is located at the corner of River and Mill Street in downtown Montgomery.

Movies in the Park

Aurora families looking for affordable entertainment options this summer can make plans to attend free movie nights starting this weekend at Phillips Park.
 
“Movies in the Park” features Hollywood-hit films on a big screen in June and July.  Pre-event activities will be held at 8 p.m., and the movies will start 30 minutes after sunset, which is between 9 and 9:15 p.m.
 
This season’s movie schedule includes:
· June 9 “Reel Steal” (PG-13)
· June 23 “How to Train Your Dragon” (PG)
· July 14 “Hugo” (PG)
· July 28 “Tangled” (PG)
 
Movies will be shown on the big screen adjacent to the sledding hill and the skate/BMX park.  Patrons should bring their own chairs, blankets and bug spray.  The concession stand will be open, and parking is available at the Phillips Park Aquatic Center, 828 Montgomery Road. 

*June 21: Montgomery Health Fair

 If you’ve been feeling a little under the weather or are feeling right as rain and want to keep it that way, come to the Village Hall on June 21^st from 10 a.m.- 2:00 p.m. 

The Kidney Mobile will be conducting free tests for blood pressure and blood sugar.   Other tests and private consultations will also be available. 

Free food and several informational booths including banks, rehab centers, insurance companies and many other types will also be present to provide information as needed. 

For questions on this press release, please contact Peggy Rhodes at             630-896-8080       ext. 1227.

*June 10: Fermilab Fun

Enjoy a day of bison, birds and bugs while learning about science and fun things to do outside at Fermilab’s Family Outdoor Fair on Sunday afternoon, June 10, 2012.

Families and scout troops can drop by anytime between 1 and 4 p.m. to explore a dozen hands-on activities that highlight the plant and animal life found on the 6,800-acre site of the Batavia physics laboratory, designated a National Environmental Research Park by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Children can make animal print tracks, net pond critters, take a nature scavenger hunt on a trail through the prairie and dig through decaying logs for insects. They can view the laboratory’s bison herd, hear about its history and use a stop watch to see if they can run faster than these 1,500-pound beasts.

The program is designed for first through seventh grade students. The event is free and will take place rain or shine. No registration is required.

The observation and measurement skills that children learn at the fair can be used all summer to continue exploring the world around them in backyards, parks and forest preserves.

"We want to show parents and their children that science is everywhere," said Sue Sheehan, Fermilab Education Office.

For the fourth year in a row, the Northern Illinois Raptor Rehabilitation and Education Center and local raptor trainers will bring about a dozen live hawks, falcons and owls as well as a collection of bird bones, droppings, feathers and hunting gear.

For additional information, call             630-840-5588       or e-mail edreg@fnal.gov.

About Fermilab:

Fermilab is a Department of Energy national laboratory operated under contract by the Fermi Research Alliance, LLC. The DOE Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the nation and helps ensure U.S. world leadership across a broad range of scientific disciplines.

June 9: Aurora Green Fest

What is a celebration of sustainability?  

Find out at the Aurora Green Fest on June 9th, Prisco Community Center, 150 W. Illinois Ave, Aurora, IL  60506, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  The sustainable community of the Fox Valley will be there to energize and motivate our visitors with new ideas for healthy green living.
 

"It's our third year in Aurora, and we are bringing together the brightest stars in our environmental community to create the most exciting Green Fest ever," said Mavis Bates, Chairman of the Aurora Green Fest.  "Our emphasis this year is to raise awareness for making positive changes in our daily lives, from the food we eat, to the cars we drive, to the choices we make every day that affect the air we breathe, the water we drink, and our whole quality of life."

The event showcases local green businesses and environmental non-profits.  People interested in a greener life-style can meet local non-profit environmental groups, eco-businesses, sustainable energy businesses, local farmers, and healthy home advocates. 

This years big attraction is a Solar Powered Concert featuring the popular Chicago-area eco-friendly "The Giving Tree Band" powered by WCP Solar.   

As the grand finale of the day, Aurora Green Fest will raffle off the $25,000 solar photovoltaic (PV) system, which includes installation, donated by WCP Solar, Inc.  Raffle tickets are now available, and winner need not be present.  Send inquiries to info@auroragreenfest.com  

Highlights of the Aurora Green Fest include:

• "Solar Powered Concert" with a raffle of a $25,000 solar PV system including installation for home or business
• Green car show
• Green kids activities
• Rain barrels for sale
• On-site recycling of styrofoam, electronics, cell-phones, compact florescent light bulbs, and old medications, sponsored by Fox Metro.
• Shred-it-and-forget-it, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• Rich Centeno, The Magical Balloon Man
• SOAR, Inc., Save Our American Raptors, will bring rescued birds of prey
• Food by River's Edge Café and Ezra's Chameleon Kitchen & Go Green Road Show

This is a family-friendly event, with plenty of activities for kids.  SOAR, Inc. will exhibit their rescued birds of prey.  Kids activities will include art projects from recycled objects, face painting, nature-themed balloon creations, and 'kids teaching kids.'  Parents, bring your kids.  Kids, bring your parents. 

Aurora Green Fest promises to be an exciting and engaging way to learn more about sustainable practices and resources in the community, networking local people with businesses that share an interest in preserving the earth. 

For information on the festival please visit www.auroragreenfest.com,
"Like" Aurora Green Fest on Facebook
"Follow" @auroragreenfest on Twitter 

April 27: Free Trees - Happy Arbor Day!

The City is expanding its annual Arbor Day celebration with tree plantings at four area schools to commemorate Aurora’s 175^th anniversary.

The celebration will feature two tree plantings at each school representing the four major school districts in Aurora, including West Aurora School District 129, East Aurora School District 131, Indian Prairie School District 204 and Oswego Community Unit School District 308.  The Arbor Day ceremonies will be held in the following locations Friday, April 27:

·        8 to 9 a.m. Bednarcik Middle School, 10250 Heggs Road, Oswego;

·        9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Granger Middle School, 2721 Stonebridge Blvd., Aurora;

·        11 a.m. to noon West Aurora High School, 1201 W. New York St., Aurora (McCleery Elementary School kindergarten students also will participate in the ceremony); and

·        1 to 2 p.m. East Aurora Math & Science Magnet Academy, 501 College Ave., Aurora;

Plaques marking Aurora’s 175^th anniversary will be placed next to the trees, which will be planted by Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner, students and school officials.  A hundred shagbark hickories and 500 red and white oak seedlings will be distributed for free to residents at the conclusion of each ceremony while supplies last.

Commonwealth Edison crew members will be on hand at the Granger Middle School ceremony to exhibit their tree trimming equipment and bucket truck.

The Arbor Day events are sponsored by the City in conjunction with Living Lands and Waters Foundation, and School Districts 129, 131, 204 and 308.