Downtown Aurora lights up for 'Lumenaura' family-friendly festival

AURORA, Ill. - A new light and sound experience made its debut in downtown Aurora on Friday night, bringing colorful, interactive displays to Water Street by the river.

The family-friendly event – called 'Lumenaura' – runs every night from 5 p.m. to midnight until November 1.

Attendees can explore several installations, including ‘The Pool,’ where visitors are encouraged to run and jump across a lighted landscape. Another highlight is the 400-foot ‘Sonic Runway,’ a tunnel of 23 LED-lined arches that transform sound into patterns of light. This dazzling feature is located next to City Hall on Water Street.

"There’s so much colorful stuff around here… and there’s that one thing where you can draw!" said 9-year-old Gabby, who attended the opening night with her family.

Local residents, like Michelle, were excited to see the downtown area come to life.

"It’s perfect! It’s what they’ve been working for. This has definitely been on the agenda for a while to get downtown alive more, more business, more everything. It's been really neat!"

Next weekend, the ‘Lumenaura’ festival will expand with more exhibits, live music, and performances, adding to the vibrant downtown scene.