Come hang by the Fox River and get your fill of awesome blues music at Blues on the Fox, Saturday, June 20 at RiverEdge Park, 360 N. Broadway in downtown Aurora.
Blues on the Fox marks the annual kick off to summer concert season at RiverEdge Park. The 2026 headliner is Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, arguably the most recognizable ambassador for New Orleans music working today. Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue close the fest at 9 p.m.
Blues on the Fox, Saturday, June 20 at Aurora’s RiverEdge Park, is headlined by (top) Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue at 9 p.m. Openers are (bottom, from left) Eric Gales (7 p.m.), Ally Venable (5 p.m.) and Tommy Castro & the Painkillers (3 p.m.).
Leading up to Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue are three more terrific blues acts: California blues powerhouse Tommy Castro & the Painkillers at 3 p.m., Texas blues phenom Ally Venable at 5 p.m., and Memphis blues rocker Eric Gales at 7 p.m.
This year, Blues on the Fox also marks the debut of downtown Aurora’s newly renovated outdoor concert venue. Following a year off for renovations, blues fans are going to find RiverEdge is back bigger and better than ever, ready to attract music lovers to downtown Aurora for live concert excitement, a warm community feel, and gorgeous views of the Fox River.
Festivalgoers can look forward to new amenities including a new 16-station beverage pavilion, an expanded entrance with ticket booth, an expanded grass seating area, three new jumbotrons, a new restroom building with 24 women’s and 18 men’s facilities, four new family/anyone restrooms, a new backstage artist pavilion, and a new, in-house food vendor, local Aurora favorite Strawberries BBQ.
Plan ahead and save, blues fans. Full-day tickets to Blues on the Fox are just $39 through May 31. Tickets are $44 starting June 1 through day of show. Gates open at 2 p.m. All tickets are general admission. Audiences are encouraged to bring bag chairs for seating on designated cement areas. Bag chairs and blankets are welcome on grass. Standing room only in front of the stage.
For tickets and information, visit riveredgeaurora.com, call (630) 896-6666, stop by RiverEdge’s satellite box office, Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and until show time on show days, or purchase day-of at RiverEdge Park. Ticket prices are for in-person purchase. Additional fees apply for phone and online orders.
More about the Artists
Tommy Castro & the Painkillers - 3 p.m.
Multiple award-winning guitarist, vocalist, and bandleader Tommy Castro is a California-based blues and rock powerhouse. For over four decades, he’s captivated audiences with his soul-drenched vocals, searing guitar work, and high-energy live shows. As frontman of the telepathically tight and wildly raucous Tommy Castro & the Painkillers, he’s released 17 albums that span a wide stylistic range—from horn-driven R&B and hot-blooded soul to gritty, stripped-down rock and electric blues. TommyCastro.com
Ally Venable - 5 p.m.
Texas blues-rock singer/songwriter and guitarist extraordinaire, Ally Venable, entertains wherever she goes. With her signature glitter dresses and black knee-high boots, Venable comes off of the ropes swinging, dazzling crowds with her electric talent. AllyVenableBand.com
Eric Gales - 7 p.m
Eric Gales’ time is now. A rule-breaking, genre-fusing force of nature, hailed by giants like Joe Bonamassa, Dave Navarro and Mark Tremonti as one of the best guitarists on the planet, you’ll find the Memphis blues-rocker’s thumbprint on everything from his Grammy-nominated solo catalogue to the soundtrack of director Ryan Coogler’s smash-hit horror movie, Sinners. EricGales.com
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue - 9 p.m.
Few artists embody the heart and soul of their city like Trombone Shorty. Perhaps the most recognizable ambassador for New Orleans music working today, Shorty has spent his entire life not only carrying the torch for Crescent City culture, but also propelling it forward into the 21st century with his ecstatic live performances and intoxicating blend of rock, funk, soul, jazz, blues, hip-hop, and Caribbean influences. TromboneShorty.com
Songs of Summer: The 2026 Concert and Event Line-up at Aurora’s RiverEdge Park
RiverEdge Park credit Thomas J. King
Blues on the Fox is the first show this summer at RiverEdge Park, kicking off a hot schedule boasting some of the biggest names in rock, along with amazing cover bands, Aurora’s free, annual 4th of July celebration, a new Movies in the Park series, and more.
Early-bird discounts are available on several shows through May 31, so shop early and save. For tickets and information, visit riveredgeaurora.com, call (630) 896-6666, stop by RiverEdge’s satellite box office, Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and until show time on show days, or purchase day-of at RiverEdge Park. Ticket prices are for in-person purchase. Additional fees apply for phone and online orders. All tickets are general admission.
Blues on the Fox
Featuring Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Eric Gales, Ally Venable, and Tommy Castro & the Painkillers
Saturday, June 20, 3 p.m.
Tickets: $39 through May 31; $44 June 1 through day of
Cheap Trick
Thursday, June 25, 8 p.m.
Tickets: $50
Aurora’s Fireworks Celebration
Friday, July 3, 9:15 p.m.
Free
Lauren Alaina
July 5, 8 p.m.
Tickets: $37
Movies in the Park: The Goonies
Thursday, July 16, 8 p.m.
Tickets: $2 in advance; $4 day of; children 2 and under free (must have a ticket)
Downtown Alive: Sixteen Candles
Friday, July 17, 8 p.m.
Tickets: $3 through May 31; $5 June 1 through day of
Get the Led Out
Saturday, July 18, 8 p.m.
Tickets: $27
Six One Five Collective
Saturday, July 25, 8 p.m.
Tickets: $22
Movies in the Park: The Princess and The Frog
Thursday, July 30, 8 p.m.
Tickets: $2 in advance; $4 day of; children 2 and under free (must have a ticket)
Hollywood Nights: The Bob Seger Experience
Friday, July 31, 8 p.m.
Tickets: $16 through May 31; $23 June 1 through day of
Movies in the Park: Coco
Thursday, August 6, 8 p.m.
Tickets: $2 in advance; $4 day of; children 2 and under free (must have a ticket)
Downtown Alive: 90’s Pop Nation
Saturday, August 8, 8 p.m.
Tickets: $3 through May 31; $5 June 1 through day of
UB40 featuring Ali Campbell
Sunday, August 9, 8 p.m.
Tickets $60
Gov’t Mule
Thursday, August 13, 8 p.m.
Tickets: $39
The Beach Boys
Friday, August 14, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $56
Poi Dog Pondering
Saturday, August 15, 8 p.m.
Tickets: $46
Totally Tubular Festival
Sunday, August 16, 7 p.m.
Tickets: $45
The Australian Pink Floyd Show
Friday, August 21, 8 p.m.
Tickets $39.50 in advance, $44.50 day-of
Third Eye Blind
Sunday, August 23, 8 p.m.
Tickets: $71
Stayin’ Alive
Saturday, August 29, 8 p.m.
Tickets $18 through May 31; $24 June 1 through day of
About RiverEdge Park
RiverEdge Park debuted in 2013 and was renamed Thomas J. Weisner RiverEdge Park in 2016 in honor of late Aurora Mayor Thomas J. Weisner. RiverEdge is anchored by the contemporary John C. Dunham performance pavilion, with state-of-the-art acoustics and lighting set against a beautiful night sky. Following renovations this past year, RiverEdge has grown its capacity from 6,000 to 7,500, while still offering live concert excitement with a warm community feel and gorgeous views of the Fox River.
RiverEdge Park is managed and programmed by the Aurora Civic Center Authority (ACCA), which also oversees Aurora’s historic Paramount Theatre, Copley Theater, Stolp Island Theatre and the Paramount School of the Arts. For tickets and information, visit riveredgeaurora.com or call (630) 896-6666.