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Bureau: Aurora area mixes sophistication and rural charm

Hugging the Fox River with an ideal mix of urban sophistication and rural charm, the Aurora area is Chicagoland's unexpected meetings, event and entertainment destination. And the staff of the Aurora Area Convention & Visitors Bureau makes navigating the region's 10 communities and planning a meeting or event hassle-free.

RiverEdge Park in Aurora is the regions newest and hottest concert and entertainment venue. Enjoy city and river views under the stars while taking in top-name performances and concerts. The night-life of downtown Aurora continues at Hollywood Casino-Aurora and the Paramount Theatre. Playing to rave reviews, the Paramount's Broadway series is not to be missed. The Paramount's Grand Gallery, historic lobby and theater can accommodate large or small business and social events.

The new Holiday Inn Express in downtown Aurora is adjacent to the Two Brothers Roundhouse and a short walk from all of the area shopping, dining and entertainment. Downtown Aurora is quickly becoming the destination for business and pleasure.

Timber Creek Inn & Suites, Sandwich, is now a member of the World Hotels portfolio of hotels and resorts. With more than 25,000 square feet of flexible convention and meeting space Timber Creek's RedBerri Convention Center offers the largest meetings and event facility is the western region of Chicagoland.

Planners appreciate the retreat atmosphere with all of the required business amenities. The City of Sandwich is known for its antiquing and charming downtown. Home of the Sandwich Fair and Sundays in Sandwich Antiques Show the community is a must see for shoppers and treasure hunters.

Work and play combine in Yorkville; home to Raging Waves, Illinois largest water park, and the Marge Cline Whitewater Park on the Fox River. Local outfitters rent canoes or kayaks to explore the river. The Hampton Inn Yorkville can accommodate meetings up to 100 and is convenient to over 10,000 square feet of state-of-the-art meeting space at Waubonsee Community College's main campus in Sugar Grove. Family fun and business savvy, Yorkville and the Aurora Area can meet your planning needs.

The 10 communities that make up the Aurora Area are proud to be home to world-class attractions and shopping. The Mies van der Rohe Farnsworth House is an architectural masterpiece along the Fox River in Plano and a site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Group tours and special events bring guests up-close and inside this residential masterpiece of Van Der Rohe. For overnight lodging or a truly unique special-event and function space check out The Homestead 1854 Bed & Breakfast also in Plano.

Shopping options

For attendees who like to shop, the Aurora area is unparalleled. Chicago Premium Outlets in Aurora is home to more than 140 designer and fashion outlets surrounding landscaped courtyards and reflecting pond. Chicago Premium Outlets is the premier outlet shopping venue in the Midwest with an unmatched collection of high-end designer outlets. Private events and shopping incentives create a one-of-a-kind experience your attendees will appreciate and add value to your event in the Aurora Area.

Fox Valley Mall with 150 stores and services anchors the Route 59 retail corridor. Just off I-88, visitors will experience virtually unlimited shopping, dining and entertainment options. Batavia's historic downtown straddles the Fox River and is home to dozens of boutiques, one-of-a-kind shops and fine dining. Batavia is also home to Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. Fermilab's iconic Wilson Hall towers over its 6,800 acre site with bike and walking trails, fishing ponds, wetland and even a bison herd. The lab is open to the public and is a not to be missed site-seeing opportunity in the Aurora area.

Summer is festival season, and no place does it better than the Aurora area. The charming communities of Montgomery, Hinckley, Big Rock and Sugar Grove each offer signature events unique to their community. North Aurora Days is the quintessential hometown festival while the Blues take center stage at Blues on the Fox and BBQ reigns supreme at Yorkville's Ribs on the River and Whitewater Festival.

• Cort Carlson is executive director of the Aurora Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.

RiverEdge Park in Aurora is the region's newest concert and entertainment venue. courtesy of Aurora Area CVB
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