Aurora’s family-oriented First Night 2000 celebration of the arts begins at 3 p.m. Friday in the city’s downtown area and ends with a fireworks display at midnight.
Admittance to all events is by First Night 2000 button, available at the celebration for $5 ($3 for students and seniors; children under 12 admitted free).
For more information, call 630-844-3640.
Free child care for youngsters ages 2 to 12 is available during the evening at the Aurora YWCA with advance registration; call 630-896-8588.
Scheduled First Night 2000 events include:
Friday
– 3 to 5 p.m.: Street entertainers will perform throughout the downtown area.
– 5 p.m.: The public is invited to participate in a community procession that will wind through the downtown area; costumes are optional. The procession will end at Millennium Plaza on Stolp Avenue between Galena Boulevard and Downer Place.
– 6 p.m.: Aurora Mayor David L. Stover will preside over First Night 2000 opening ceremonies at Millennium Plaza. Contributors to the city’s Millennium Monument will be recognized, and the city’s new mascot will be introduced. An early Kids’ Countdown will be followed by a brief fireworks display.
– 7 to 11:45 p.m.: Folk musicians will perform at Aurora City Hall, and puppets, storytellers and musicians will be featured at the Aurora Public Library. Entertainers also will perform at the Paramount Arts Centre, in local shops and businesses, and at other locations. Local museums, including SciTech and the Aurora Art & History Center, will be open to the public during the evening, and the ice skating rink at Water Street Mall will be open (weather permitting). Revelers also can enjoy free rides in horse-drawn carriages or wend their way through an ice maze at Millennium Plaza.
– 11:50 p.m.: The millennium countdown begins at Millennium Plaza, followed by a 12-minute fireworks extravaganza at midnight.
