A’ROR’N Days crowd, parade, vendor numbers all reported to be up in 2026
As Aurora kicked off the local celebration of America’s 250th birthday, the community had plenty of reasons to celebrate its own hometown tradition as well. Despite weather that kept organizers watching the radar all weekend, A’ROR’N Days delivered bigger parade participation, bustling food vendors and four plus days of patriotic fun that committee members called one of the smoothest festivals yet.
“Everyone on the committee thought the weekend went very well, very smooth,” A’ROR’N Days Committee President Jody Griffith commented. “I kind of attribute that to the fact that though it’s a newer committee, they’ve done it a few years now and you just kind of get things down to a science and learn from the year before.”
Cloudy skies and occasional rain drops for Thursday’s Family Night and for the parade on Saturday kept folks watching the skies (and their radar apps), but the clouds also kept temperatures more comfortable for the event than recent years.
“There were a couple times we were concerned, and Family Night was one of them,” Griffith said. “It looked like a very dark cloud was headed our way about 7 o’clock and it just dissipated and went north of us, thank goodness. So we were very, very happy about that. And then it was misty Saturday morning, although it really didn’t call for rain but we were concerned. It turned out perfect.”
While saying it’s difficult to gauge crowd sizes for the various A’ROR’N Days events, Griffith said her usually reliable barometer was quite positive about the numbers.
“I ask the food vendors,” she said. “They can tell me, ‘Oh, we were busy,’ you know, and every one of them that I talked to said ‘I think we might have been busier than last year.’”
Another positive indicator of community interest was the parade, which saw a total of 76 entries this year. Griffith notes that some entries had more than one vehicle so the actual number of units in the parade was even higher.
Committee member Richard Rhoden, who was helping organize the parade entries as they were lining up near the high school, said there were so many entries he was running out of places to put vehicles as they waited for the parade to start.
While noting that there are so many people to thank for the success of the event that it would be difficult to name them all, Griffith gave a special shout out to Jeremy Brandt and employees of the Hamilton County Highway Department for moving the two large construction dumpsters out of the way early last week to make way for the events on the courthouse parking lot, like the pole vaulting. She said they also patched potholes and put sealer on the cracks in the asphalt parking area.
Griffith also praised the crew from Mid Continental Restoration, which is doing the stone work on the courthouse exterior, for being more than willing to make way for the events and help out in other ways.
Now in her second year as president of the committee, Griffith said she will soon turn over the baton to someone else, but says because of the team effort of the whole group her service as president has been a joy.
Alumni perspective
Pat Phillips has been helping coordinate the alumni activities during A’ROR’N Days for several years, and this year she was excited to be among the honor classes as well. She was one of 21 members of the Class of 1966 celebrating 60 years since walking the halls of Aurora High School.
“It is very special,” Phillips said of the vibe she was feeling Saturday afternoon at the Aurora Senior Center, where the entire facility was filled with former graduates, spouses and friends shortly after the parade. “I don’t think people that come from larger towns realize how special these alumni events are in smaller towns because there is such a connection when you’re in high school and all of a sudden 60 years later you’re all back together and it’s like no time has passed. It is just the best time ever. I think from our class point of view we were a very close class, so when we do something, we have a very good turnout.”
Phillips said she personally enjoys taking in all the various activities during the busy weekend, noting that it gives returning alumni lots to do and enjoy while they’re here.
“The parade is awesome,” she said. “And that committee does an absolutely wonderful job putting it all together. We get to see our classmates, but it’s just a good time to come back with everything that’s going on. And this year the 250th celebration has been special also, so that contributes to it.”
Asked about her volunteer role with the Aurora Alumni Association, Phillips said she is carrying on a family tradition.
“My mom was very involved in it so then I just kind of got involved in it,” she recalled. “It became a family project and it’s something I really enjoy.”
Vendor feedback
Marcia Foster of Lincoln was one of several vendors enjoying a steady stream of traffic on Aurora’s downtown square during A’ROR’N Days. In fact, the line for a fan-favorite funnel cake from Fosters Fun Foods was 10-15 people deep at times, which Foster said is part of the reason the Aurora event is a must on her business calendar.
“We have always loved coming here,” she said during a brief break on Saturday afternoon. “We’ve been coming here somewhere around 20 years and what we were impressed with initially was just how much we liked the town and the people. It started out as a pretty slow job for us, but slowly over time it just kept building. Now we do well. I think we have quite a following.”
Foster said she’s at the point in her life where she is pretty particular about how many events she works each year.
“We go out about six times during the year,” she noted. “This is a nice job, but it’s not one of the bigger ones. Still, we would always choose to come back here.”
Asked what the top seller was at this year’s event, Foster said it was the funnel cake with strawberries and cream cheese on top.
“We did well with the drinks, too,” she added. “Strawberry lemonade or regular lemonade are probably the top two.”
Fun for foodies
Members of the Eric and Megan Joseph family of Aurora were taking in the sights, activities and the tastes of Family Night on Thursday when the youngest member of the family, little blond-haired Sophia, caught the eye of the ANR photographer as she joyfully waved the child-sized American flag she was holding.
When the family was asked to name their favorite part of A’ROR’N Days the most common answer – such as from mom and daughter Trynley – was “the food!”
However, while not at all downplaying the attraction of the event’s tasty treats, Eric said he enjoys the car show while daughter Paisley said her favorite part is Saturday’s parade.
Twenty-year reunion
Aurorans Matthew and Kelsey Danhauer and their three children were on a mission to find lunch after Saturday’s parade when ANR caught up with them. Matthew was fresh off riding on a float with fellow members of the AHS Class of 2006. He said attending his first reunion after being out of high school 20 years was kind of surreal.
“I can’t believe I’ve been out of school longer than I was was, well, in school,” he commented. “I was surprised. I thought I would recognize everybody who was in the class, but there were a few faces I didn’t recognize after not seeing them for 20 years.”
Asked about their favorite parts of A’ROR’N Days, daughter Marley volunteered, “I like the Edgerton area and I like watching the pole vaulting. It’s really cool.”
She said she and her dad had also taken in Family Night on Thursday and got to see all four of the Edgerton’s new raptors that were on display.
Car show reactions
Classic cars lined the downtown streets as the A’ROR’N Days Show & Shine Car Show took place Friday night.
Bringing their 1959 Ford Fairlane to town again this year from Wood River were Cindy Howe and her husband, Bruce.
“We’ve always enjoyed coming here,” Cindy said. “We had a good time. We especially love it when the weather is good and tonight is absolutely beautiful.”
“It’s pretty good,” Bruce added. “It’s a little slow at times, but good other times.”
They said the Fairlane has an original 332 Thunderbird Special engine and still has the original interior.
Dressed in 1950s attire to go with the car, Cindy said, “I didn’t go to car shows before my husband got this car, and he says he’s created a monster, because once he brought the ‘59 home, I said ‘That is a cool 50s car,’ so everything is 50s.”
Enjoying looking at the cars were Dottie Anderson and her husband, Alan.
“Seeing some of those cars from the 50s and 60s brought back lots of fun memories of our time in high school and college,” Dottie said.
Dottie, who is a member of the Nimble Thimble Quilt Guild, said she heard a number of positive comments from out-of-town guests while she was helping set up for the quilt show at the Wesley Huenefeld Agricultural Museum.
“I met visitors from other states and heard how much they were enjoying our special town,” she said.
Parade results
Winners were named by the judges in six different categories for Saturday’s A’ROR’N Days Parade. They are as follows:
Antique: First -- Cornerstone Bank’s antique car; Second -- Dale Rica with his 1948 International H.
Commercial: First – McEndarfer Tree Service; Second – Smith Lawn Service.
Organization: First – Plainsman Museum; Second – Shriners Club
Animals: First – The Animals of 250
Theme: First – Mini Jeep; Second – MCHI
Alumni Float – First – Class of 2001; Second - Class of 1971.