Celebrate First December Friday With Cocoa Crawl, Art Bazaar

AURORA, IL — Dec. 3 marks the first Friday of the month, and nonprofit group Aurora Downtown is getting cozy with its third-annual cocoa crawl. Throughout the event, starting at 5 p.m., guests can also shop the holiday art bazaar at participating local businesses.

To participate in the cocoa crawl, attendees must purchase both a mug and button for $15. People who participated in the crawl last year and want to reuse their mug can do so but have to still buy a button, which serves as a ticket for the event. From there, hot chocolate sampling is unlimited.

Kids ages 5 and under don't need a button to participate, organizers said. The event will last until 9 p.m.

A total of 38 businesses downtown are participating in the First Friday event. Some will only have the art bazaar, and others will also have cocoa offerings. Food trucks Friday evening will include Holy Pierogi, Harvey's Fire Box and Small Cakes.

Here are the participating businesses, some of which will also feature music sets. An asterisk marks locales that are also serving hot chocolate.

• Aurora Tap House, 134 W. Downer Pl. *
• Gary Brown Art Gallery and Studio, 7 S. Broadway *
• Holz Fine Art, 50 E. Galena, 2nd floor Aurora Artist Studios *
• If These Walls Could Talk Custom Framing & Gallery, 32 S. Stolp Ave.
• Aurora Historical Society at David L. Pierce Art and History Center, 20 E. Downers Place *
• Crystal House & Nieponski Gallery, 59 S. LaSalle St. *
• Superjumbo, 102 E. Galena Boulevard. *
• ArtBar at Two Brothers Roundhouse, 205 N. Broadway
• Gallery 1904, 1 E. Benton St. *
• McCarty Mills Taproom and Bottleshop, 140 S. River St. *
• French 75 Gallery and Lounge, 56 E. Galena Blvd.
• Simply Destinee, 122 W. Downer Place, Suite 124
• La Quinta De los Reyes, 36 E. New York St. *
• Altiro Latin Fusion, 1 S. Stolp Ave. *
• Tavern On Broadway, 24 N. Broadway *
• Tredwell Coffee, 14 W. Downer Place Suite 18 *
• Ballydoyle Irish Pub, 28 W. New York St. *
• Santori Public Library, 101 S. River St.
• Charlie’s Silverspoon Creamery, 6 E. Downer Place *
• Waubonsee Community College, 18 S. River St. *
• Alive Aurora Teen Center, 78 S. LaSalle St. *
• Pure Skin Solutions, 26 S. Stolp Ave. *
• Community Christian Church, 78 S. La Salle St. *
• Payton’s Photography, 14 W. Downer Place Suite 8
• G.A.R. Museum, 23 E. Downer Place *
• Latrice Murphy Design and Photography, 62 S. River St. *
• Aurora Regional Fire Museum, 53 N. Broadway *
• Zen Loft Wellness Center, 6 W. Downer Place upstairs *
• Wyckwood House, 14 W. Downer Place Suite 16 *
• Society 57, 100 S. River St. *
• Christian Science Reading Room, 34 S. Stolp Ave. *
• Paramount School of the Arts, 18 S. Stolp Ave.
• The Perch, 31 W. Downer Place *
• Renew Salon + Spa, 160 S River St . Suite 106 *
• Gillerson’s Grubbery, 33 W. New York St. *
• All Spoked Up, 14 W. Downer Place Suite 10 *
• Offbeat Thrift & Vintage, 14 W. Downer Place Suite 16 Basement
• SciTech, 18 W. Benton St.

For more details and to find out what goodies are at each shop as part of the bazaar, people interested can visit Aurora Downtown's website.

Mugs and buttons can be purchased at the following locations in Aurora.

• Aurora Regional Fire Museum, 53 N. Broadway
• David L. Pierce Art and History Center, 20 E. Downer Place
• Tredwell Coffee, 14 W. Downer Place Suite 18
• Wyckwood House, 14 W. Downer Place Suite 16
• Renew Salon + Spa, 160 S. River St.
• Society 57, 100 S. River St.
• Gillerson's Grubbery, 33 W. New York St.
• Superjumbo, 102 E. Galena Boulevard

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