Aurora’s 2024 Christmas Market will have fresh take on local tradition

For nearly a decade, Aurora's Christmas Market has served as both a place for residents to get their shopping done and share fellowship at the start of the holiday season. This year, however, the Town will present a fresh take on the popular event as it comes back bigger and better at Aurora Town Square.

Aurora's Christmas Market will be presented November 29 to December 1, and again from December 6 to December 8, from 5 – 8 p.m. each evening, boasting more than 100 unique vendors than in years past, with both shopping, learning and entertainment opportunities inside the Aurora Town Square complex.

“Aurora Town Square provides far more amenities than we can experience at Town Park,” says Shelley Ware, Special Events Coordinator for the Town of Aurora, highlighting the outdoor-and-indoor experiences. “This will be all the magical features we enjoyed at Town Park, but the size of the Market is almost tripling. We have had more vendors wanting to join in than space. We have a massive wait list. All vendors are vetted. We really strive for a unique product that fits along the description lines of being a festive product. The vendors are very much all unique, all high quality, and, again, the vendors you see on Friday won't necessarily be the same ones you see on Saturday or Sunday. It drives you to come back night after night because no two nights will be the same. The magical experience hopefully will all be at the same magic level but will all be different.”

Inside Town Square, vendor stalls will also take over the bridge connecting Aurora Town Square to Aurora Town Hall, as well as in Brevik Hall, the traditional performance space of the Aurora Cultural Centre. Workshops will take place in the new spaces touching on everything from paint nights, to making advent calendars, festive jars, Christmas cutting boards, and much more.

The Aurora Town Square Performance Hall will also be hopping with Chicago Transit: A Tribute to Chicago on Friday, November 29, at 7.30 p.m.; the Borealis Big Band on Sunday, December 1, at 5.45 p.m.; A Very Merry Christmas with George St. Kitts on Friday, December 6, at 7.30 p.m.; Marquee's Festive Favourites: A Musical Wonderland on Saturday, December 7, at 7 p.m.; and the Aurora Community Band on Sunday, December 8, at 5.45 p.m.

Buskers will be a hallmark of the Aurora Christmas Market as well as they entertain the crowds outside, and the Fire Guy will wow the crowds in multiple performances.

No Christmas Market will be complete without a visit from Santa Claus, and he's expected to be joined for photo ops with eager residents, alongside some of his friends, throughout – including Mrs. Claus and the Grinch.

But, as tradition dictates, nothing will get underway until Santa joins Mayor and Council in the lighting of the Town's Official Christmas Tree on opening night at 6.15 p.m.

“The magic doesn't just stop there – it just keeps snowballing through the six nights we'll be there,” says Ware. “The Town Tree only lights with the spirit of Aurora leading the countdown. This really is a Market by the community for the community and no two nights will be the same.”

By Brock Weir