Aurora's First Fridays brings food trucks, variety of offerings May 6

On May 6, First Fridays brings more than two dozen food trucks to Benton Street in downtown Aurora. The popular festival is returning to May's First Fridays lineup after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.

Held by the Aurora Downtown group, the Food Truck Festival will fill Benton Street from River Street to Broadway with a wide variety of food vendors from 5 to 9 p.m.

This will be the fifth time the organization will host the rain or shine event with food vendors ranging from Auntie Vee's macaroni and cheese to Wurst Kitchen's famous bratwursts. A few local favorites include Grumpy Gaucho, Holy Pierogi, and Strawberries BBQ.

Chicago area and regional trucks also travel to downtown Aurora for the event. Tapville Social will set up a beer garden.

In addition to the festival, the First Fridays event lineup includes more than two dozen activities for all ages throughout downtown.

• Superjumbo Toy Store, 105 E. Galena Blvd., will host DoomCo Sofubi Pop Up shop with a variety of Sofubi, and the Superjumbo variant launch of Maneki-Astro from 5 to 9 p.m.

• Gallery 1904, 1 E. Benton St., will be open on the lower level with "Art Comes Alive: A Teen Art Exhibition." Alive Center and Vizo Arts will host the second annual teen art show showcasing the creative spirit of local youth from 5 to 9 p.m. The location will be open on the third floor from 5 to 8 p.m. with Congressman Bill Foster's Congressional Art Competition.

• Artesan Lofts Art Gallery, 2 S. Stolp Ave., will host Dive Deep Photography and Wearable Art by Emily Laurich from 6 to 8:30 p.m.

• Waubonsee Community College, 18 S. River St., will be open from 5 to 9 p.m. with a pottery sale, live jazz featuring the Victor Garcia Latin Quintet at 7 p.m., t-shirt silk screening with William Estrada from 6 to 8 p.m., student art exhibition, photo demos, face painting stations.

• Gary Brown Art Gallery and Studio | Mark Radina Stained Glass, 7 S. Broadway, will welcome a new retro lamp art display created by artist, Randy Meyers, also known as "The Recreator" from 5 to 9 p.m.

• The ArtBar at Two Brothers Roundhouse, 205 N. Broadway, will be open with The ArtBar's The Tavern Show. The art show returns to the tavern with new art from over three dozen local artists from 7 p.m. to midnight.

• Seven Setting Suns Art Gallery, 14 W. Downer Place, will host "Reckoning: pretty persuasions," art by Vincenzo Valenziano from 6 to 10 p.m.

• Aurora Public Art at the David L. Pierce Art and History Center, 20 E. Downer Place, 3rd Floor, will be open with (Re)volution: Kyle Reeves' painting retrospective 1999-2021 from 6 to 9 p.m.

• The Cotton Seed Creative Exchange, 64 S. River St., will celebrate its grand re-opening with live music featuring Jazzquatch and Simply Connie, a mural signing by artist Hailey, and free mural prints to the first 100 visitors, from 5:30 to 9 p.m.

• Altiro Latin Fusion, 1 S. Stolp Ave., will feature live Spanish Rock with Damián Rivera from 7 to 9 p.m.

• Endiro Coffee, 29 W. New York St., will host art and live music from 6 to 9 p.m.

• Tavern on Broadway, 24 N. Broadway, will host music by Michael Rawls from 8 to 10 p.m.

• Tredwell Coffee, 14 W. Downer Place, Suite 18, will be open with live music from Emma Lee from 5 to 9 p.m.

• Aurora Tap House, 134 W. Downer Place, will celebrate with a Cinco de Mayo Fiesta featuring DJ Alex J starting at 9 p.m.

• Aurora Regional Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, 105 E. Galena Blvd. 8th floor, will host The Latino Mirror, a craft table to make a design mirror, wine, and cheese table from 5 to 8 p.m.

• Christian Science Reading Room, 34 S. Stolp Ave, will be open with free small plants from 6 to 8 p.m.

• French 75 Gallery and Lounge, 56 E. Galena Blvd., will feature a First Fridays in May special craft cocktail for the evening from 5 p.m. to Midnight.

• Aurora Public Library, 101 S. River St., will host Feel the Beat, unveiling the Library Card Design Contest winner, Chinese dance by Hao Dance, and Japanese drumming by Tsukasa Taiko from 5:30 to 8 p.m.

• McCarty Mills Taproom and Bottleshop, 140 S. River St., will be open with Latin House DJs, Featured Artist Dzhelasi, and Killer Taste Buds Pop Up from 5 p.m. to midnight.

• G.A.R. Museum, 23 E. Downer Place, will be open with The Smithsonian's "Righting A Wrong: Japanese Americans and World War II" from 5 to 9 p.m.

• Aurora Historical Society at the David L. Pierce Art and History Center, 20 E. Downer Place, will feature "Portraits of the Past." Dozens of oil and photographic portraits from the 1840s to 1980s from 6 to 9 p.m.

• Zen Loft Wellness Center, 6 W. Downer Pl. upstairs, will host an open house from 5 to 9 p.m. with live music by Flowtation, performance by Magnolia Belly Dance, I of the Angeles and local vendors, Business Collective members, Reiki, readings, and massage therapy.

• Wyckwood House, 80 S. River St., will feature music by Nick Gutierrez. Pop Ups with Emily Piltaver, Synergy Art Studio, and Michelle Parker's Chi-cuterie from 5 to 9 p.m.

• Society 57, 100 S. River St., will be open with craft cocktails from 5 to 9 p.m.

• Hope Chest, 34 N. Lincoln Ave., will be open with a storewide sale and giveaways from 4 to 7 p.m.

• All Spoked Up, 14 W. Downer Place, Suite 10, will host a pop up with Grande Clam, offering handmade Croc charms ranging from chickens to plants, an assortment of decals of positive daily reminders, vegan leather key fobs, and fun items from 6 to 9 p.m.

• Undisputed Vintage, 14 W. Downer Place, Suite 8, will host a Keeping it Green pop up from 5 to 9 p.m. Shop plants and hand painted pots as well as vintage clothing.

For more information, visit www.auroradowntown.org.