Crowds, classmates & community

A’ROR’N Days delivers again on tradition, fun

  • Kiersten Mersch blows some of the bubbles off the face of Creed Nisley after he spent time romping in the cloud of white stuff made by Edgerton’s bubble cannon on the west lawn of the courthouse.
    Kiersten Mersch blows some of the bubbles off the face of Creed Nisley after he spent time romping in the cloud of white stuff made by Edgerton’s bubble cannon on the west lawn of the courthouse.
  • Bladen Vap shows his grit and determination as he competes in Thursday’s evening’s Pedal Power Tractor Pull.
    Bladen Vap shows his grit and determination as he competes in Thursday’s evening’s Pedal Power Tractor Pull.
  • The Class of 1985 celebrated its 40th class reunion during the week of A’ROR’N Days. On Saturday, the class threw bracelets and candy to the crowd as they rode their float in the parade.
    The Class of 1985 celebrated its 40th class reunion during the week of A’ROR’N Days. On Saturday, the class threw bracelets and candy to the crowd as they rode their float in the parade.
  • The AHS Class of 1965 was one of many honor classes gathering for a class reunion during A'ROR'N Days. Check out who dat in a series of alumni photos in this week's ANR.
    The AHS Class of 1965 was one of many honor classes gathering for a class reunion during A'ROR'N Days. Check out who dat in a series of alumni photos in this week's ANR.
  • Taekwondo student Clarice Heeg demonstrates a high kick during the A’ROR’N Days Parade on Saturday. Holding up the board for his student was Taekwondo Master Vern Larson.
    Taekwondo student Clarice Heeg demonstrates a high kick during the A’ROR’N Days Parade on Saturday. Holding up the board for his student was Taekwondo Master Vern Larson.
  • Celebrating their 10 year reunion (already?), the Aurora High School Class of 2015 was well-represented in Saturday’s parade.
    Celebrating their 10 year reunion (already?), the Aurora High School Class of 2015 was well-represented in Saturday’s parade.
  • Shaun Williams, left, and Owen Morris enjoy a ride in the parade.
    Shaun Williams, left, and Owen Morris enjoy a ride in the parade.
  • Kids and firemen team up for some wet fun at the water fight on the south side of the square following the parade on Saturday.
    Kids and firemen team up for some wet fun at the water fight on the south side of the square following the parade on Saturday.

    Aurora was busting at the seams this weekend as alumni, family and friends came together to celebrate an annual tradition which filled the downtown square with people, energy and a sense of hometown pride.
    Reflecting on a busy four days of activity Monday morning while helping clean up the courthouse square, A’ROR’N Days committee president Jody Griffith said the community’s feedback was positive, which makes all the extra planning and effort worthwhile.
    “It was a wonderful weekend,” Griffith said. “We were very blessed that it didn’t rain and I thought some of the new events, like the Shot Put on the Square demonstration, had a great showing. I’m very thankful to the county commissioners for letting us try that out. The following for that event was amazing for the first year and we’ll see if it’s going to be an annual event.”
    Griffith started to list some of the people and organizations who helped make this year’s celebration a success, but stopped herself for fear of leaving someone out.
    “There are just so many people in the community that help make this happen,” she said. “You know, we get thanked many times, whether it’s people stopping us on the street Saturday after the parade, or Thursday and Friday night where there are a lot of activities. There is a lot of community support for this and they recognize what it takes to do this and they appreciate it and tell us thank you. That means a lot to all of us.”
    Though there is no way to track the numbers of people in town for A’ROR’N Days, Griffith said she saw a few indicators which convinced her the following remains strong.
    “If you look at the class floats that go through the parade for the classes of 65, 75, 85 and so on, just the amount of people on those floats shows you there is still strong involvement in class reunions,” she said. “And I think they had fun with the pirate theme this year. That worked out well.”
    Griffith shared that the committee put its own pirate theme spin on the shot put demonstration, unofficially calling it the “cannon ball throw.” 
    “We didn’t advertise it that way, but we had some fun with that.”
    One factor that made a big difference this year, Griffith shared, was the county board’s decision to hold off the start of a planned construction project to allow the street vault and shot put demonstration to go ahead as planned.
    “Year after year the street vault draws a crowd and it just makes a huge difference to have that going on in the center of it all,” she said. “It’s just electric, you know, with their music and everything. It amazes us how year after year the bleachers are full with people watching and they’ve been doing it for more than 10 years anyway.”
    Now that A’ROR’N Days 2025 is in the books, the committee will meet soon to put thoughts down on paper for possible changes next year and beyond.
    “This is a new A’ROR’N Days crew,” she said of the volunteer committee. “The people who did it before just had it down to a science because they had done it for so many years. We truly miss them, but this group needs to make their own changes. They have new ideas that they want to use to change things a little, and I’m just embracing that.”

    First-time at A’ROR’N Days
    Though he works and lives just 30 miles south in Sutton, Jim Jones admitted that Saturday was his first-ever A’ROR’N Days experience. Back in town to join members of the Class of 1965 on a parade float, he said he was impressed with the celebration.
    “I’ve never been to an A’ROR’N Days and I think the primary reason is that I have a commercial spraying business and this is a very busy time of year for us,” he said. “I was very impressed with it. There is a lot of activity, a lot of kids and it was fun throwing candy to the kids. I wish I could have sat on the side and watched all the floats and things go by, but you can’t do both. Also, I’m an old horseman and I was pleasantly surprised to see the horse contingent there. I thought that was pretty cool.”
    Jones said he and his siblings have a farm north of town which brings him to Aurora frequently. Over the years, he’s noticed some changes.
    “It’s really growing,” he observed. “It’s been known as a progressive town since I was a boy. I remember the population sign when I was young was 2580, so it’s grown by a few people, but you know what, it was known as a progressive town even when the sign said 2580.”

    ‘It still feels like home’
    It wasn’t an honor year for 2008 Aurora grad Samantha (Monter) Houston, but she and her family made it a point to venture to Aurora from Lincoln to enjoy Saturday’s festivities.
    “We just come and hang out almost every year,” she said. “My son Elijah loves fire trucks and he gets excited for fire trucks, tractors, semis and things like that so the parade was a hit for him this year.”
    Houston played in the band back in her day, so she said she enjoys seeing and hearing the community band perform on the courthouse lawn.
    “We were in band growing up so it’s just fun to listen to them,” she said. “We come for the parade and the food trucks and this year we’ll do the Edgerton activities for the kids, and of course the band.”
    Though Houston hasn’t lived here for years, she said she still feels that sense of home when she comes back for A’ROR’N Days.
    “Every time we come back, it still feels like home,” she said. “Things have changed, but not like crazy changes. I think it’s fun now that I have kids to show them what we did growing up, so that makes it a little different, more meaningful, just fun to come back and see our family.”

    ‘I like the parade’
    Dr. John Wilcox of Aurora, who was teamed up with grandson Shawn Morris for Friday evening’s Multi-generational Pickleball Tourney, said A’ROR’N Days is a great time for his family to get together.  
    “Well, it’s a great gathering for everybody,” he said. “My daughters both grew up here, went to school here so they’ve got reunions, and they’re in the floats and very involved. So it’s just a good time out.”
    When asked what he likes about A’ROR’N Days,  young Morris replied, “I like the parade, and I think I’m in the parade tomorrow and I’ll be driving a tractor. I work at the Edgerton, and they’ve got the Explorit Zone out there, so I’m also out there a lot.”
    Morris said he expected to be driving a tractor refurbished by his uncle and aunt, Brian and Heather Peters, who live south of I-80. 
    Meanwhile, the new executive director of the Aurora Chamber of Commerce, Tamar Jimenez, said the atmosphere of Friday night’s events on the square made this the best A’ROR’N Days yet for her personally.
    “The street vault competition alongside the tunes played by the band ‘Ain’t Dead Yet’ just across the square created a marvelous setting,” she said. “Dancing on the street, enjoying the food truck lineup and reminiscing at the Show & Shine Car Show as the evening unfolded made this past Saturday my favorite A’ROR’N Day thus far.”

    ‘It’s nostalgic coming back’
    Throughout the week, the courthouse lawn had been a frequent hotspot for the Nunnenkamp family, consisting of Jeremiah and Casandra Nunnenkamp and their daughter, Atlanta. 
    “It’s been warm, but it’s been a good time,” Jeremiah said. “And they got good food and snow cones, so that’s always a plus.”
    “I really enjoyed the parade,” Casandra said. “I like coming down to the parade and watching all the local businesses that go by and we knew a couple of people in the parade.”
    Earlier in the week, the family had visited the food trucks and Edgerton Explorit Zone.
    “I was here on Thursday to get the snow cones,” Casandra said. “Then yesterday we came for a little bit and Atlanta was able to walk around, eat food and get to see the (Edgerton) Explorit Zone for a bit.”
    Both being alumni from Aurora High School, the Nunnenkamps are grateful to still call Aurora home and be part of the community through A’ROR’N Days.
    “It’s kind of nostalgic coming back to A’ROR’N Days,” Casandra said. “Having the community together is really nice.”

    ‘Great family event’
    For 14 years, A’ROR’N Days has been an annual family tradition for Charis High, her husband Nate and their four children. 
    “It’s just a great family event,” High said. “We usually do everything, starting Thursday night, the car show on Friday night and then this morning, we always do the fun run. For the kids, it was the color run this morning so three of us did that and the other three were in the 5K so we try and do pretty much all of it now.”
    Along with the MCHI Fun Fun Saturday morning, High highlighted that the parade, the kid’s water fight and Edgerton Explorit Zone were their favorite activities this year.
    “The parade is always a huge hit with the young kids,” she said. “(The water fight), they love that, too. Our kids really enjoyed the putt putt from the Edgerton this year.”

    Find lots more photos, including a full page of pictures, in the print and e-editions of this week's ANR.