The Aurora Downtown group will offer its annual Stolp Island Block Party beginning at 5 p.m. Friday, a four-hour event that will feature music, food, shopping and more, organizers said.
The event will take place on South Stolp Avenue between Galena Boulevard and Downer Place and will include food trucks and a performance by the Le Grande Band from 6 to 9 p.m.
The party is part of Aurora Downtown’s First Fridays program, which is back after taking a month off in July.
Christina de Chaud, executive director of Aurora Downtown, said the annual Stolp Island Block Party began back in 2017.
“This is a relaxed, summer evening, the all-American downtown block party – barbecue, fun, music – just relax and come in your shorts and enjoy a moment before school starts up again,” de Chaud said. “We have food trucks as well as local restaurants – especially those located on that block of Stolp Island. It’s a nice way to showcase our local downtown businesses. We have the music going in the gazebo at Millennium Plaza and it’s a family-friendly event with the face-painting and a wonderful balloon artist.”
A special sneak preview of the area’s latest restaurant will also be offered during the event with a soft grand opening from 5 to 9 p.m. of Leilani Asian Fusion, located in the historic Hobbs Building at 2 N. River St.
According to a press release about the event, as the sun sets Aurora Downtown staff members will distribute glowing party accessories.
“Some of the people hanging around at that time will see the glow-up lights and wands,” de Chaud said.
The event drew an estimated crowd of about 1,000 last year, according to organizers.
For more information on the event, go to www.auroradowntown.org.
David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
