When The Big Wonderful revealed it would rotate among five locations this year, people wondered if the hip festival would catch on in areas far-flung from the beer, food and music event’s homebase at 25th and Lawrence Streets in the River North neighborhood.

This weekend is the first test. The Big Wonderful, which kicked off in RiNo on May 5, will continue its third season by setting up at Aurora’s Stanley Marketplace, a $25 million retail and events center on the edge of Stapleton in Aurora, on Saturday, May 21.

“Aurora is amazing for its diversity, and one of the reasons we love Stanley Marketplace so much is the opportunity to connect with a really diverse population there,” said Big Wonderful founder Josh Sampson, 36. “We’re working really hard to have all this flavor and culture in one spot.”

Sampson is hoping for at least 100,000 attendees during The Big Wonderful’s 2016 season, which seems likely since the event drew about 175,000 last year to its weekly offerings and Night Bazaar events.

Sampson and his partners are also hoping to bring some of the festival’s urban cool to Littleton, downtown’s 16th Street Mall and a yet-to-be-determined location near Sports Authority Field at Mile High. To ensure that, they’re working with city officials and neighborhoods in each location to customize the offerings.

In Aurora, for example, the city’s poet laureate, Jovan Mays, will perform between jam bands WhiteWater Ramble, Euforquestra, Selasee and the Fafa Family.

The Stanley opening also includes a free, all-ages “Early Bird” fitness event at 10 a.m. prior to the official noon kick-off. Organizers Natalie Uhling and Anthony Cole describe it as “a mix of movement, music and morning moods, inspired by the spirit of synergy,” including dancing, beats by Skeena and the “soulful sounds” of Kid Astronaut.

In addition to the food trucks, small business vendors, a dog park and the trademark shipping-container beer garden (which includes draft cocktails, wine and cider), this year will also be feature the Updig pop-up grocery with local and organic produce, cheeses, breads, meats and other items.

Unlike last year, there’s an admission charge of $5, which includes a free beer, and $15 with access to a VIP tent — although admission to all Littleton events will be free this summer.

“Each event costs a minimum of $20,000 to put on. It’s a considerable production to pull together the booking of the live music, tents, bar staff, security team, bathrooms, games, tables, insurance, marketing, rentals, overhead, etc.,” said The Big Wonderful’s Mark Lewis via e-mail. “A large part of our rationale for applying a small cover charge (includes a drink!) this year is to give us a better shot at covering those costs, which doesn’t always happen in the event of rainy or cold weather.”

As of this writing, however, the weather looks hot and sunny for The Big Wonderful’s Aurora bow.

“We weren’t sure we’d even have a second season in RiNo last year, so it’s really nice to be experimenting with the concept for a third year,” Sampson said.

Other customized offerings for 2016 will include public art installations and a shipping container along the 16th Street Mall median between California and Welton Streets, in conjunction with the Downtown Denver Partnership — which is allowing The Big Wonderful to paint signs, outdoor tables and other street art.

“We’re a small team that mostly relies on word-of-mouth for marketing, and we bust our butts to put this thing on,” Sampson said. “It means a lot to get the support and invitations to come to these different communities.”

This weekend’s Big Wonderful will take place at the Stanley Market, 2501 Dallas St. in Aurora, on May 21, June 4, June 18, July 2, July 16, Aug. 6, Aug. 20 and Sept. 3.

Visit thebigwonderful.com for more dates, information and tickets.

John Wenzel: 303-954-1642, jwenzel@denverpost.com or @johnwenzel