Latest news with #ChristinaDiCristofano
Chicago Tribune
4 days ago
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Summer Food Truck Festival set for downtown Aurora
Aurora's food truck festival scene is growing again, with the introduction of a summer food truck event on Friday, July 18, in the city's downtown. The city of Aurora's Special Events Division will hold the summer Food Truck Festival beginning at 5 p.m. July 18 on Benton Street between River and Broadway. The summer event will join the longstanding spring Food Truck Festival held a couple of months ago during the first week in May, and the fall Food Truck Festival to be held in September. The autumn version was held for the first time last year. Christina DiCristofano, community events coordinator for this year's fests, said there were somewhere between 4,000 and 5,000 people that came out to last fall's Food Truck Festival, which gave fuel to the idea of expanding the number of food truck events in 2025. 'We're having our new summer fest on the 18th of July and one in the fall on the 26th of September,' she said. 'We've increased the numbers because we want to provide more opportunities for business owners – all the food vendors and trucks that are really trying to get out there in the community and be present and have opportunity. That's one of the main reasons. 'Last year was the first time we had one in the fall, so once we had that one we really reevaluated the event, and realized how successful it was and how much people enjoyed the festival,' DiCristofano added. 'We pivoted after that and started looking into the idea of doing an extra one and giving more opportunity to the vendors and giving people the chance to come down to Aurora and be in our downtown area.' DiCristofano said that 'people in Aurora and outside of Aurora really love this event and food trucks and being able to come out and enjoy some nice food.' The summer food truck fest will feature more than 30 options – the same as the May food truck fest – with a few new vendors replacing some that appeared earlier. 'We have about half a dozen new vendors this time, and we want to offer people another opportunity to gather and have another event where they can do so and have a good time,' DiCristofano said of the upcoming summer fest. 'We do try to showcase businesses here in Aurora and vendors that are Aurora-based, but I do try to mix it up and make sure we don't have things stagnant and keep things fresh and new, so we do have some new vendors. I plan to also have some new ones in the fall.' The event on July 18 will be held rain or shine unless there is severe weather. For more information on the summer Food Truck Festival, go to
Chicago Tribune
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Festival in downtown Aurora to feature 36 food trucks
The annual spring Food Truck Festival returns to downtown Aurora beginning at 5 p.m. Friday. The four-hour event will again be held along Benton Street between River and Broadway and will feature three dozen food and drink options offering a wide range of cuisines, event organizers said. Originally launched back in 2016 by the former Aurora Downtown group, the event now organized by the city of Aurora Special Events Division has grown to include a fall version and features a range of vendors from throughout the area. Christina DiCristofano, coordinator for this year's fest, said there will be plenty of food options at the event on Friday. 'We have 36 trucks this year which is one of the biggest totals we've had,' she said. 'The list went out this past Sunday on the city's social media sites. We have a lot of our regular vendors back as we try to stay local but we also try to showcase as many new businesses as we can.' DiCristofano said the event helps give local businesses exposure while getting people out to enjoy the city's downtown. 'We hope we have lots of people trying new food for all of those living here in town, but also visitors from other places,' she said. 'We want to create a sense of community and be in a place where visitors can have fun and be there with each other and celebrate in a way that's positive. We also hope people will enjoy some awesome food and get to know the vendors we have available, and, overall, have a great time.' The fest, DiCristofano said, will probably draw between 4,000 and 5,000 people if the weather is good. 'I'm not sure if that total is typical but last year in the fall we had about that many,' DiCristofano said. 'It's dependent on the weather and the vendors and the availability of people.' Food options among the three dozen vendors will include barbecue, tacos, pizza, pierogis, hamburgers, frozen drinks, funnel cakes, bakery items and much more, organizers said.
