Special thanks to Regina & Andrew Calcagno, property owners of 44 Elm Street (Westfield's flatiron building) and for investing in this beautiful gem! The stained glass windows were installed on October 10 by contractors George, Sal and Miguel. The 3rd floor stained glass panels were previously donated to the Westfield Historical Society by one of the prior building owners, the Rordens. After many years in the archives, they were removed, refurbished by Donna Slevin of Kick Glass Art Studio and placed back into the original frame by the Calcagno's. Donna also handcrafted the 2nd floor window at their request to replicate the design of the 1903 3rd floor original windows based on our historic photos. Downtown Westfield Corporation and our Design Committee are happy to be part of this restoration project. A true partnership all the way around! J. McLaughlin is open in the first floor retail space and the two apartments should be coming online soon. Stay tuned!

 

New Location: South Avenue Train Station Parking Lot

 

Trunk or Treat, Halloween Parade & Costume Contest in Downtown Westfield are now part of AddamsFest and will take place at a new location -- the South Avenue Train Station Parking Lot on Sunday, October 28, 1:30-4pm. In prior years, families came to downtown Westfield shops to trick or treat, culminating in a costume contest and parade on Quimby St. This year marks a major change to these events as they become an exciting part of AddamsFest! 

Optimist Club's Annual Halloween Parade - 1:30 music begins, 2pm parade

The festivities begin with the Optimist Club's traditional Halloween Parade accompanied by music from the WHS marching band at the South side train station parking lot.  The parade is a great way for kids to show off their costumes.

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Something for everyone at weekend-long festivities; offerings include family activities, art exhibit, films, beer garden, trunk-or-treat, masquerade ball and more. For tickets and more event details, visit www.addamsFest.com/schedule.

WESTFIELD, NJ – AddamsFest is fast approaching! The town-wide celebration honoring Westfield native Charles Addams, to be held October 26-28, has a full schedule of events available – and there’s something for everyone.

In fact, Westfield residents can start getting in the spirit of the event in early October with events like The Addams Family House on Mindowaskin Lake, The Wicked Windows of Westfield in Downtown store fronts, the Haunt Your House home decorating contest, the Westfield High School Charles Addams Cartoon Contest, and the highly anticipated Charles Addams art exhibit (which runs October 22-30).

The main event kicks off on October 26 in high style, with Morticia and Gomez’s Masquerade Ball at The James Ward Mansion. After walking the purple carpet, guests will feast on Charles Addams-inspired gourmet fare, sip smoldering libations and dance the night away in the incomparable James Ward Mansion. Due to the anticipated demand, tickets will be sold in three batches on the AddamsFest website (www.addamsfest.com) on the following dates, on first come, first serve basis: Wednesday, September 26 at 10:00am; Sunday, September 30 at 5:00pm; and Tuesday, October 2 at 7:00pm. The price is $125 per ticket, with a limit of four tickets per person.

On October 27, the festival will officially get underway with the opening ceremony at the Mindowaskin Park Bandstand at 10:30, which will include remarks from Mayor Brindle and the presentation of the Skeleton Key to the City to a deserving individual. Winners of the Westfield High School’s Charles Addams Cartoon Contest will also be announced.

Following the ceremony, the festival will be in full swing with the following activities:

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Come to Westfield's first annual Art Walk in Downtown Westfield, NJ, Sunday, October 14 from 12 - 4 pm.

Visit galleries and businesses to browse, shop and celebrate all of the arts, including paintings, books, photography, decorative home design items, furniture, hand-crafted jewelry, artistic accessories, cranberry themed items at participating eateries, music & more.  

The talents of noted artists Harry and his wife Wende Devlin will be celebrated at this event. Among their impressive bodies of work, Harry was the illustrator and Wende was the author of 28 children's books, including the well known Cranberry series, which feature illustrations and references of Westfield. In addition, Harry Devlin illustrated many Westfield landmarks and streetscapes, including the Miller Cory House, the North Side Train Station, E. Broad St., and The Presbyterian Church. Some of his drawings are hanging in the Westfield Library, Reeve House, and the Greater Westfield Area Chamber of Commerce.

Click here for details and an art walk map!

Excel Orthopedic Physical Therapy is now open at 1 Elm St. The new facility is 5,000 square feet of open concept space featuring a large functional exercise area and state of the art equipment. Centrally located in the town's shopping and dining district, the office is across the street from the Westfield train station. Photo by Excel Physical Therapy. Read more... 908.543.4005. www.exceltherapy.com 

Farmer's Insurance, Kevin E. London Agency, recently opened at 215 North Ave. W.  Farmer's Insurance offers insurance coverage for home, auto, life, business, condo, pet, boat, renters, mortocycle and recreational vehicles. Their agency offers exceptional service, quality experience, and a commitment to the community. 908.264.8130. 
https://agents.farmers.com/nj/westfield

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Families love fashion! On Sunday, September 16, 2018 (rescheduled because of rain on September 9) from 12pm - 2pm, Downtown Westfield will host another new 2nd Sunday event, the Fall Family Fashion Show. The public is invited to attend this free fashion show that will be held on Quimby St.

Highlights will include a fashion show led by Lord & Taylor, with many other Westfield retailers participating in the show, each with models & outfits. Participating businesses include Lord & Taylor, Athleta, Lucky Brand, Bar Method, The French Martini, GAP, Kennedy Barber Shop, Juxtapose Gallery, Luxury Garage Sale, South Moon Under and Bluemercury.

Meet & Greet with vendors and models after the show to talk about latest fashion trends. Quimby St. will be pedestrian only for the event. Bring the kids and come downtown and enjoy the show! Raindate is September 16.

The 22nd Annual Sweet Sounds Downtown Jazz Festival sponsored by Downtown Westfield Corporation (DWC) was held each Tuesday evening in July and August. Thousands of people came downtown and enjoyed the performances, despite the unpredictable rainy season with two of the evenings being cancelled and two rain nights. Restaurants and dessert establishments particularly reported great crowds and sales. 37 different bands playing a variety of music were chosen by the DWC jazz committee in February.  DWC staff Sherry Cronin, Executive Director, Beth Brenner, Asst. Executive Director, and Jamie Lemberg, Digital & Social Marketing organized and promoted the festival. This year, the DWC piloted a roving brass band, Bon Temps Brass Band, which strolled up and down E. Broad Street on July 18 entertaining the crowds. The new Town of Westfield Media Council provided weekly video clips to assist with promoting the events on social media.    

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Hooray! Lots of changes taking place in Downtown Westfield.

Boxwood Coffee Roastery is now open at 143 E. Broad St. (in the location formerly Panera). Boxwood Coffee is a family run coffee shop and roaster from Summit, NJ established in 2014 by husband and wife team Stephen and Erin Bellamy. They are thrilled to welcome you to their newest location. Stop in to try their delicious coffees and teas and also to see their beautifully designed space. There are tables and couches and lots of cool places to sit. You won't want to leave! www.boxwoodcoffee.com

Farinolio, a Tuscan Bakery-Cafe, has opened at 121 E. Broad St. Owners Annette and Francesco offer Farinolio's guests simple Northern Italian fare with authentic ingredients. Flour, extra virgin olive oil, cheeses and meats come directly from carefully selected partners in Tuscany as well as from local farms and businesses in New Jersey. Join us in welcoming them and their Italian bakers to Westfield and stop in to taste their delicious artisanal food in their beautiful and sophisticated space! 908.325.2486. www.farinolio.com

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Westfield loves pets! Bring your family and pets to Downtown Westfield for the inaugural Dog Days of Summer on Sunday, August 19, 2018 from 12pm-2pm. This new 2^nd Sunday event in Downtown Westfield promises to be an exciting time on Quimby Street and will feature a pet parade, pet portraits, animal adoption, toys, and more. Stop by and join the fun! There will be pools in which the animals can cool off and Quimby Street will be closed for the event. Leashes are required. Can’t wait to see you and your pets there! 

The Downtown Westfield Corporation would like to thank the runners and sponsors of the 2018 Downtown Westfield 5K & Pizza Extravaganza.

It was a great night despite some rain! There were 2,017 registered runners and 1,663 finishers.

Congratulations to winner, Kyle Brackman of Madison who finished at 15:34.51!

Click here for race results on Compuscore.com.

Click here for race details, course map, sponsorship opportunities and more.