Paper bag art and holiday open houses featured at First Fridays Dec. 2

Brown paper bears and pastel Parisian landscapes up for auction at If These Walls Could Talk helped pack the pantry in the past three years. The downtown frame shop and art gallery is continuing the tradition this year on Dec. 2 at First Fridays.

The monthly art and culture showcase happens on the first Friday in downtown Aurora and includes more than a dozen venues along with free trolley rides and First Fridays specials at several businesses.

If These Walls Could Talk, 32 S. Stolp Ave., is teaming up once again with the Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry to bring you the fourth annual Pack the Pantry Project Holiday Art Auction. Local artists are challenged to create original works using ordinary paper bags. See what masterpieces are created and help support a great cause from 6 to 10 p.m.

• From 5 to 9 p.m., the David L. Pierce Art & History Center, 20 E. Downer Place, opens the 19th annual Winter Garden of Youth Art in the Aurora Public Art Commission Gallery on the third floor. The exhibit includes 33 schools and 165 works of art by kindergarten through 12 grade.

• The ArtBar at Two Brothers Roundhouse, 205 N. Broadway, presents The Naughty Show, a pop up art gallery with a twist to the holiday theme, from 6 p.m. to midnight.

• Paramount Grand Gallery, 23 E. Galena Blvd., is open with the second exhibit of the 2016-17 season in the festively decorated Grand Gallery, complete with holiday music and giant Christmas Tree. From 7 to 9 p.m., meet the artists and browse the latest offerings from Randy Benzie, David Bruce, Dan Capo, Nick Freeman, Maureen Gasek, David Hettinger, Ariel Hodge and Cheryl Holz.

• Santori Public Library, 101 S. River St., is open with a special First Fridays preview of this year's holiday trees decorated to honor many cultures from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

• Culture Stock, 43 E. Galena Blvd., presents live jazz from 7 to 9 p.m. and spoken word open mic from 9:30 to 11 p.m.

• River's Edge Cafe, 14 W. Downer Place, Suite 18, is open with live music from Awecoustics at 7 p.m.

• Ballydoyle Irish Pub & Grill, 28 W. New York St., presents "Luis and I," an acoustic duet, and art by Jillian Torres and Luis Torres. "Luis and I" offers awesome harmonies with a chill vibe from 6 to 8 p.m.

• Leland Legends, 1 S. Stolp Ave., hosts karaoke every Friday from 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.

• Zen Loft Wellness Center, 6 W. Downer Place, invites patrons to venture upstairs for drumming, yoga, massage, and more from 6 to 9 p.m.

• SciTech Hands On Museum, 18 W. Benton St., opens exhibits on its first floor for families to explore from 6 to 8 p.m.

• Aurora Regional Fire Museum, 53 N. Broadway, invites all ages to create a holiday ornament and enjoy cocoa and cookies while supplies last from 6 to 8 p.m.

• The G.A.R. Museum, 23 E. Downer Place, is open to the public from 6 to 8 p.m.

Pick up a free First Fridays passport at any of the venues. Punch your passport and turn in at your last venue for a chance to win a First Fridays goody bag filled with gift certificates and more.

All events are free and art is for sale. Free trolley rides serving parking lots and circling downtown run from 7 to 10 p.m. For more information, a list of First Fridays specials at participating businesses, and for a map of venues, visit www.auroradowntown.org.