A stoop in front of Aurora’s SciTech Museum was a perfect place to stop and devour offerings from vendors at last Friday’s Food Truck Festival. At right, a toddler warily watches as an oversized bubble hovers over a patch of grass nearby. (Photos by Jack McCarthy / Chronicle Media)

More than 2,000 people brought their appetites and vendors at Aurora’s Food Truck Festival delivered plenty of tasty treats and satisfaction on May 4.

This event was part of Aurora Downtown’s First Fridays, a free night of fun which encourages locals to experience food, art and music and held on the first Friday of every month,

Last Friday’s third annual Food Truck Festival on Benton Street featured more than two dozen rolling eateries, each with their own unique flair and food options ranging from sushi and grilled cheese to pierogis, pizza and lobster.

Marissa Amoni, event coordinator for Aurora Downtown, said her organization strives to bring the community together with such events.

“There is a great energy to community events in downtown Aurora and it’s fun to kick off the summer with a big one like the Food Truck Festival,” she said, “Aurora is truly incredible in our grassroots spirit and there’s nothing more positive than seeing everyone come downtown and have a great evening as a community.”

Nearly all of the vendors returned from last year plus the addition of some new participants. The event keeps growing every year, but Amoni said that with 30 trucks they are now at capacity on Benton Street.

One of the returning favorites was Yorkville’s Foxy’s Ice Cream. The shop had been scooping for weeks to have enough ice cream for everyone who stopped by.

Chicago’s American Glory food truck brought sandwiches and other comfort foods to Aurora as part of last Friday’s Food Truck Festival on Benton St. (Photo by Jack McCarthy / Chronicle Media)

Shop owner Robyn Sutcliff believes that Foxy’s offers the best ice cream around with flavors like Mint Avalanche and Cotton Candy Twist. A customer could even grab an ice cold root beer float to cool off in the springtime sun.

“Foxy’s and it’s amazing ice cream is a hidden gem and we are happy to bring it to the people of Aurora and the surrounding area,” Sutcliff said.

Another returnee was West Chicago’s Modest Coffee, offering some highly-caffeinated options to keep people going all night long.

Owner Marcus Contaldo is an Aurora resident and loves his city, explaining that they wanted to support and be a part of anything that makes it great. But, his other reason for bringing Modest Coffee to the festival:

“Four words: Nitro Cold Brew Float,” Contaldo joked.

Modest Coffee has also been a part of the annual Alley Art Fest and last year’s Harry Potter Festival in Aurora, so they were no stranger to the festival set-up.

With the success of the past three years, Amoni said she’s excited to see how the festival evolves in the future.

To learn more about upcoming First Fridays events, visit auroradowntown.org or facebook.com/auroradowntown.

—Feasts & fun as food trucks roll into downtown Aurora–