The city’s annual family-friendly summer festival has undergone a remodelling this year and is set to boast a variety of games, live music and food trucks on July 14.
The event, called KidSpree @YumFest, will be held from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday at the Great Lawn in front of the Aurora Municipal Center, 15151 E. Alameda Parkway.
The event was traditionally billed as the state’s largest festival for children, and although it will be downsized this year, it will still boast dozens of kid- and adult-friendly activities.
Eight food trucks from across the metro area will sell their fare at the event. The food trucks are: Manna from Heaven, OG Burgers, Steuben’s, Applebee’s Neighborhood Eats, JJ’s Double Dippers, Basic Kneads, Mythos Greek Food and Gigi’s Cupcakes. There will also be a beverage booth.
There will be more than 50 activities and information booths for kids and adults offered at no cost.
Kids and adults will be able to decorate bandanas, get their faces painted, make a birdhouse, find their way through a life-size version of Kandy Lane, play in playhouses, meet the Colorado Rapids mascot, learn martial arts, ride ponies, sit in a police car, climb around in a fire truck, ride in a cherry picker, and step inside a working ambulance.
Other activities include playing beanbag toss, rock climbing, singing karaoke and learning archery.
Live music and performances will be provided by the 17th Avenue All Stars, DaddyBlue Band and the Rollingstones Band, among others.
Stilt walkers, zumba dancers, and balloon twisters will also make appearances.
Because of budget cuts, the event was reduced from a two-day festival to one day, and more adult-themed activities and food trucks were added to attract a broader audience.
“A lot of people are experiencing budget cuts including governments, and instead of making it over a weekend we are making it only a one-day thing but people will still be able to get a lot out of it,” said Ida Broadnax, the city’s special event coordinator, in May.
The event was previously held at Bicentennial Park, but this year city officials thought it would be easier for guests to park at the Aurora Municipal Center and also give them a chance to become familiar with Aurora Central Library and the Aurora History Museum.
Food trucks from Aurora and around the Denver metro area will be featured this year in hopes of appealing to foodies, Broadnax said.
Gary Wheat, president of Visit Aurora, said the addition of the food component will attract people from Aurora and the surrounding cities.
“It really reaches across city lines and brings in a broader audience because we pride ourselves on the ethnic choices and great food we have here, and I think that’s something people are traveling for these days,” he said in May.
Wheat said he still expects there to be a good turnout, even though the event has been downsized.
“The additions and enhancements that are being made only make it better and more attractive to a broader reach in audience,” he said.
The event usually attracted more than 20,000 people over the two-day period.
The cost to put on the event is between $30,000 and $50,000, and sponsorships help offset that cost, said Sherri-Jo Stowell, marketing specialist for the city’s Parks, Recreation and Open Space department.
Sponsors of the event are: City of Aurora, SCFD, ColoradoKids.com, Applebee’s Neighborhood Eats, Rural/Metro Ambulance, Mix 100, Radio Disney, and The Aurora Sentinel.
Parking at the Aurora Municipal Center will cost $5.
For more information, visit auroragov.org or call 303-739-7000.
Reach reporter Sara Castellanos at 720-449-9036 or sara@aurorasentinel.com.
Can anyone say “Austerity is creeping its way into Colorado?”
THANKS FOR THAT, effin’ CALIFORNIA!