Immerse yourself in the enchanting wonder, vibrant magic and joyous celebration that is Mexican folkloric dance when Ballet Folklorico Quetzalcoatl presents its 43rd Anniversary Concert, Thursday, July 30 at 7:30 p.m. at Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd. in downtown Aurora.
Images courtesy Ballet Folklorico Quetzalcoatl
Experience the charming, diverse folkloric dance styles of Mexican culture, cultivated right here in the Fox Valley. Tickets are $27-$32. For tickets and information, visit ParamountAurora.com call (630) 896-6666, or stop by the Paramount Theatre box office, 23 E. Galena Blvd. in downtown Aurora, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and until show time on show days. Children two and under are admitted free. *Prices are for in-person purchases. Additional fees apply for phone and online orders.
Watch Ballet Folklorico Queztalcoatl performing live on the Paramount stage in 2025. Video clip courtesy Ballet Folklorico Quetzalcoatl.
Based in Aurora, Ballet Folklorico Quetzalcoatl is an internationally celebrated Mexican folk dance troupe that has delighted audiences for over 40 years around Illinois and as far as Mexico with its colorful costumes, wonderful music and electrifying choreography. The group originally formed to meet the need to preserve one of the most important aspects of Mexican culture, the folkloric dance. Juan Manuel “Nery” Cruz, originally from San Luis Potosi, Mexico, is the group’s director and choreographer.
The name "Quetzalcoatl" originates from the ancient Mexican and northern Central American civilizations. It means “snake or serpent with feathers of quetzal,” which implies something divine or precious in the Nahuatl language. Quetzalcoatl was also the god of wisdom of the primitive Mexicans, a god of the air, or sun-god, who instructed them in the use of agriculture and metals.
Don’t miss this magnificent community celebration of Mexico’s rich culture, an amazing pageant of dazzling costumes, infectious music and high-energy traditional folklore dance numbers still performed in the villages of Mexico’s different regions. For more, visit bfquetzalcoatl.org.
Photos courtesy Ballet Folklorico Quetzalcoatl
Also coming to downtown Aurora’s Paramount and Copley theaters this summer and fall are:
Copley Comedy Series
Headliner Calvin Evans, featuring Luca Ferro
Saturday, July 25, 7 p.m.
Tickets: $22
Copley Comedy Series
Headliner Larry Reeb (“Uncle Lar”), featuring Laura Hugg
Saturday, August 22, 7 p.m.
Tickets: $22
Cedric the Entertainer
Saturday, August 8, 8 p.m.
Tickets: $41-$161
Copley Comedy Series
Headliner Nick Gaza, featuring Vikram Balaji
Saturday, September 26, 7 p.m.
Tickets: $22
Happy Together Tour 2026
Sunday, August 9, 5:30 p.m.
Tickets: $60.50
Mean Girls
A Chicago-area premiere, part of Paramount’s 15th Broadway Series
Based on the Paramount Pictures film Mean Girls
August 26–October 11, 2026
Tickets: $35.50-$105.50
Or subscribe to four 2026-27 Broadway Series productions for as low as $73.
Menopause The Musical®
25th Anniversary Tour
Saturday, October 17, 3 p.m.
Tickets: $40-$70
Copley Comedy Series
Headliner Tim Cavanaugh, featuring Michelle Krajecki
Saturday, October 24, 7 p.m.
Tickets: $22
Behind The Scream
A Live Conversation with David Arquette following a 30th Anniversary Screening of Scream
Saturday, October 24, 8 p.m.
Tickets: $41-$71; VIP Package $171
Copley Comedy Series
Headliner Tim Benker, featuring Mike Preston, hosted by Steve Cochran
Saturday, November 7, 7 p.m.
Tickets: $22
A Christmas Carol
A World Premiere, part of Paramount’s 15th Broadway Series
November 11, 2026–January 3, 2027
Tickets: $35.50-$105.50
Or subscribe to four 2026-27 Broadway Series productions for as low as $73
About Paramount Theatre
Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., is the center for performing arts in Aurora, the second largest city in Illinois. The beautiful, 1,843-seat theater, graced with a strong 1930s Art Deco influence and original Venetian décor, nationally known for its high-quality productions, superb acoustics and historic grandeur, has been downtown Aurora’s anchor attraction since 1931.
Since launching its own Broadway Series in 2011, Paramount has amassed more than 40,000 subscribers, making it the largest subscription house in the U.S.
Paramount Theatre is one of five live performance, event and education destinations overseen by the Aurora Civic Center Authority (ACCA) in downtown Aurora. ACCA also programs and manages the 165-seat Copley Theatre, at 8 E. Galena in the North Island Center; Stolp Island Theatre, 5 E. Downer Place, Suite G, where its wildly acclaimed immersive production of Million Dollar Quartet will return October 7, 2026-January 3, 2027; the Paramount School of the Arts; and RiverEdge Park, 360 N. Broadway, downtown Aurora’s outdoor summer concert venue and home to Christkindlmarket Aurora.
Paramount Theatre is overseen by Tim Rater, President and CEO, Aurora Civic Center Authority; Jim Corti, Artistic Director, Paramount Theatre; a dedicated Board of Trustees and a devoted staff of live theater and music professionals.
For the latest updates, visit ParamountAurora.com or follow @paramountaurora on Facebook and Instagram, and Paramount Theatre on LinkedIn.