Aurora residents will get the chance to explore the newly-renovated Aurora Armoury during a community open house this weekend.

Residents and visitors can get a sneak peek of the newly-restored historic building on Nov. 9 and 10. Niagara College’s Canadian Food and Wine Institute will roll out the welcome mat and swing open the doors for the community to experience what the facility now has to offer.

Through a partnership between the town and CFWI, the Armoury will offer short-term and part-time culinary, wine and beer classes, as well as catering and a community event space in the heart of downtown.

Open house attendees will be able to tour the new state-of-the-art facility — featuring a culinary theatre, classroom and community event space, experience live demonstrations, sample the CFWI’s culinary creations and meet the CFWI-Aurora Armoury team and resident chef.

There will be giveaways and complimentary coffee and tea.

“The Armoury facility will provide many aspects of food and beverage education in the form of professional development opportunities, corporate training, team building and a variety of classes for the general public,” said Craig Youdale, dean of Niagara College’s CFWI. “This will give the Town of Aurora, and surrounding region, a chance to gain a depth of knowledge in everything from wine tasting to hands-on cooking classes with our professional staff.”

The facility offers a community-based space, which can be booked for corporate and social events, weddings, part-time classes and more. Chefs offer catering services, as well as pop-up events for the public to enjoy. It will also offer corporate team building sessions and tailored industry training programming.

The Aurora Armoury is a municipally-owned historic site, built in 1874 as a drill shed for the 12th Battalion of Infantry or York Rangers. The building is a recognized federal heritage building and was the longtime home of the Queen’s York Rangers. The Town purchased the Armoury from the federal government in 2014 with the intention of restoring the historic building and returning it to its rightful place as a community gathering space.

“The Town of Aurora is thrilled to officially welcome the Canadian Food and Wine Institute at Niagara College to our community. We are excited for what this means for our Town,” said Mayor Tom Mrakas. “We have taken one of our oldest and most historic buildings and restored it into a facility that is truly incredible. The Armoury is the cornerstone of our downtown revitalization efforts and I am proud to have partnered with the CFWI to make our dream of creating a vibrant community hub a reality.”

The CFWI Aurora Armoury Open House is a drop-in grand opening event for the community. It will take place on Saturday, Nov. 9 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and on Nov. 10 from 1 to 4 p.m. at 89 Mosley St.