A’ROR’N Days formula for fun simple, effective

Now that was fun.
The late Jim Schneider had a great idea 33 years ago, and like a good wine his vision for A’ROR’N Days just continues to get better with each passing year. Schneider’s idea then, and the formula still today, is to lock in the fourth Saturday of June as AHS alumni weekend, then fill up the schedule with all kinds of activities to make it a must-see and do event. It simply works.
There is so much to do, so many people to meet and catch up with, especially for local natives, and so many smiles on the faces of kids and for that matter people of all ages. The only legitimate complaint I heard after Aurora’s annual summer celebration is that people needed another day off to catch their breath and get ready to head back to work. Such is life.
I had camera in hand with some work assignments for some of the weekend, but to be honest it doesn’t feel like work when you’re soaking in such a genuine sense of community. I’ve said before that Saturday on the square feels a lot like the set of a Hallmark movie, and the film could have/should have been rolling as the parade ended in a colorful explosion of people and feel-good emotions.
And don’t forget the food. I tried as many venues as time allowed, including a burger served up by the Aurora firefighters Saturday at high noon. Chief Tom Cox said it’s hard to get an exact count, but based on the amount of hamburger and buns used he estimated that his crew sold 800 burgers and 250 brats, “definitely one of our best years.” That’s a whole lot of meat, as well as a healthy serving of support to our local firefighters.
I also got a kick taking a trip down memory lane with some of the A’ROR’N Days committee members, past and present. Those folks work hard to let everyone else have a good time, and they deserve credit where credit is due. They can also be pretty creative. For example, one year they ventured out to the I-80 exit and convinced a traveler with no connection to Aurora whatsoever to come to town and serve as the parade grand marshal. They rolled out the red carpet, offered a free room for the night, and pitched what in today’s world might sound an awful lot like a kidnapping:-) But it worked, and made for a great story, especially all these years later.
Hot air balloons filled the sky one year, and then the next year they were back but remained grounded in high winds. 
Sadly, Mr. Schneider only got to enjoy this gig in its infancy before his passing, but his legacy lives on with a feel-good, small-town summer celebration that would make him proud.
Until next year …
KURT JOHNSON can be reached at kjohnson@ hamilton.net