Santa Claus is STOMPing to Aurora
Aurora's Holiday Magic celebration is likely to put a new twist on some old holiday favorites.
Sleigh bells jingling will be replaced with trash cans banging while the sound of reindeer prancing will be replaced by stiff-bristle brooms whisking.
Members of the percussive performing group STOMP, who are performing Nov. 28 to 30 at Aurora's Paramount Theatre, also will adorn the theater's float during the light parade and will perform selections from the show before Friday's tree-lighting at North Island Center.
The city's Holiday Magic festivities, which include a parade of lights, tree-lighting ceremony and fireworks display, start at 6 p.m. Friday in downtown Aurora.
The 20-minute parade steps off from Broadway and Benton, heads to Galena Boulevard, then down Stolp Avenue and finally ends at the Aurora Public Library.
"You never know what the weather is going to do so we keep the parade fairly short and the entire event to about an hour," special events organizer Liz DeLeon said. "Nobody wants to be outside very long, so we try to keep everything manageable with the weather so everyone has a good time."
Regardless of the weather, she said, between 4,000 and 5,000 adults and children can be expected to line the streets for the event.
"It's a family friendly way to end a day shopping with the family," DeLeon said.
Roughly 30 units will participate, including illuminated floats, Jesse White tumblers, inflatable snowmen and nutcrackers, horses, clowns and Aurora-area Shriners.
Mayor Tom Weisner and his family will ride in a horse-drawn carriage, and Santa and Mrs. Claus will be led by real reindeer.
"The parade is really bright and awesome but, hands down, Santa is what everyone is waiting for," DeLeon said. "When the children get the first glimpse of his sleigh turning the corner, they get really excited. That's the best part for them."
After the parade, people will gather at North Island Center, 8 E. Galena Blvd., for the brief STOMP performance and tree lighting.
The tree, donated by former Aurora employee Gary Kellet, is 47 feet tall and weighs about 4,800 pounds. City crews harvested it from the Kellets' yard earlier this month. DeLeon said it will be decorated with silver garland and more than 2,000 environmentally friendly lights.
Weisner and Santa will be helped by the city's "Miss Merry Christmas" and "Jack Frost." The children selected to play those roles had not been selected at press time.
The event will conclude with a 20-minute fireworks display over the Fox River, illuminating the waterway.
"Holiday Magic 2008 was going to be quite an event anyway and with Stomp involved, it's going to be even more explosive," DeLeon said. "The parade will be bigger and better this year and the fireworks will be great so we're set for a great event."
The event is free, with parking available at the Downer Place garage.
For information, call the mayor's office of special events at (630) 844-4731 or visit the city Web site at aurora-il.org and click on Special Events.
Also this weekend, the city of Aurora Holiday Festival of Lights at Phillips Park, 615 S. Smith Blvd., begins Friday and runs through Dec. 28. Sponsored by the Aurora Rotary Club, the milelong illuminated tree and decoration display runs 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturdays.
Santa will chat with children from 3 to 8 p.m. weekdays and 1 to 8 p.m. weekends at the park's visitor center.
<p class="factboxheadblack">Aurora's Holiday Magic festivities </p> <p class="News"><b>When: </b>6 p.m. Friday </p> <p class="News"><b>Where:</b> Downtown area; parade begins at Broadway and Benton Street </p> <p class="News"><b>Cost:</b> Free</p> <p class="News"><b>Info:</b> (630) 844-4731 or <a href="http://www.aurora-il.org" target="new">aurora-il.org</a></p>