A special event in Aurora this weekend will celebrate the 40th anniversary of House music, a genre founded in Chicago.
The A-Town House Music Fest will be held from 3 to 10 p.m. Saturday at RiverEdge Park in downtown Aurora.
Headlined by musical artist CeCe Peniston, the festival will be a reunion of sorts for some of the legendary Chicago Hot Mix 5 DJs who laid the groundwork for the high-energy dance genre played every day in clubs all around the world, according to a press release about the event.
Led by festival ambassador Farley “Jackmaster” Funk, the lineup of record spinners also includes Julian “Jumpin’” Perez, Tim “Spinnin’” Schommer, Mickey “Mixin’” Oliver, Maurice “Ice” Culpepper, Sundance and Aurora’s own Mike “Hitman” Wilson, according to the release.
Wilson, a graduate of East Aurora High School and chart-topping producer, will be feted on Saturday at noon before the festival at a street-naming ceremony in his honor, the releases stated. His original music studio was built in his childhood home on Lily Street, which will soon bear his name.
The A-Town House Music Festival is a seven-hour music festival featuring a mixture of performances, live DJ sets and audience activities, organizers said.
Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin will host the Percolator Dance Contest during the festival, with the top dancer receiving a $1,000 prize.
Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at the gate or online at www.riveredgeaurora.com.
