I hope everyone enjoyed a safe yet fun time at Thanksgiving this year. Even celebrating the holidays changed thanks to COVID-19 concerns. Hopefully, that changes soon with positive news of several vaccines on the horizon. However, we still need to keep health at the top of mind at this time of year. I certainly hope that your plans include the Westfield Y's Men's Christmas Tree Lot. It opens tomorrow, November 28th.What: Westfield Y's Men's Christmas Tree Lot 2020Where: 204 Elm St, Westfield, NJWhen: Sat., Nov. 28th to Wed., Dec. 23rd (or when inventory runs out, whichever comes first), 5 pm to 9 pm Mon. thru Fri., 9 am to 6 pm Sat. & Sun.Westfield Y's Men's Christmas Tree Lot 20202020 marks the 73rd year that the Westfield Y Men's Club Christmas Tree Lot has been in business. I may not... 12/04/2020

Two years ago, Westfield held its very first gingerbread house competition. In its third year, the 2020 Westfield Gingerbread House Contest promises bigger and better prizes for the winners. But organizers implore contestants to think outside the typical "gingerbread house" idea for entries.What: Westfield Gingerbread House Contest 2020Where: Savory & Spice (138 E Broad St)When: November 30th to December 3rdWestfield Gingerbread House Contest 2020When organizers say "house", they really mean "get creative". They want to see your interpretation of buildings or iconic locations in and around Westfield. This year, they included the Westfield 300 category as a nod to the city's 300th anniversary. You are not limited to gingerbread alone. You just need to make sure that you use only edible m... 11/27/2020

Westfield New Jersey Real Estate Listing (Updated Daily) (Union County)  https://bit.ly/3QOvlnXThe data relating to real estate for sale on this website comes in part from the IDX Program of Garden State Multiple Listing Service, L.L.C. and Weichert, Realtors® - Warren. Real estate listings held by other brokerage firms are marked as IDX listings. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Copyright © 2024 Garden State Multiple Listing Service, L.L.C. All rights reserved. This information is provided for the Consumer's personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose. NJ Estates Real Estate Group of Weichert Realtors NJ https://bit.ly/3nzghuC 23 Facebook Pages. Over 174,000 Followers, Members & Friends. Join Us. https://bit.ly/3icrTEr Weichert Members (Weichert In T... 11/22/2020

2020 changed the way we live our lives in many ways. Schools went virtual. Employers sent workers home. Even major events like AddamsFest went virtual. Many businesses are hurting. Some local residents found themselves unemployed and struggling. During the holidays, this stings even more. You can help our less fortunate neighbors by participating in the Westfield Firefighters Holiday Food Drive 2020.What: Holiday Food Drive 2020Where: Westfield Fire Headquarters (405 N Ave W) & Westfield Fire Station #2 (1029 Central Ave)When: Now Through December 1stContact: Westfield FMBA Local 30 via emailWestfield Firefighters Holiday Food Drive 2020Every year, the Westfield Firefighters conduct a holiday food drive for local families in need. This year, the firefighters have already received more r... 11/20/2020

By now, you already know that Westfield will be celebrating AddamsFest this year. But, as with everything else in 2020, it comes with a twist. Large crowds are so 2019. Instead, some of this year's celebrations go virtual. Social distancing, face masks, and hand sanitizing stations play a part in many of the in-person festivities planned. But you can stay safe while celebrating the season by voting for your favorites in the AddamsFest Haunt Your House Contest going on right now.AddamsFest Haunt Your House ContestDozens of people entered this year's Haunt Your House contest for AddamsFest. (51 to be exact). Download your AddamsFest Haunt Your House Driving Guide to find out where all of the Westfield homes entered in the contest are located. Drive by each location anytime between now and... 10/23/2020

For most people, October means Halloween and pumpkin spice lattes. On a local level, it also means Addamsfest. But those are not the only events taking place in our neck of the woods this month. This weekend, we celebrate Westfield Applefest 2020.What: Westfield Applefest 2020Where: The Reeve House (314 Mountain AveWhen: Saturday, October 17th, 12 pm to 4 pm (two 2-hour sessions)Admission: $5 per person, free for veterans and kids under 3Contact: Mary Konoslaki, Westfield Historical Society, (908) 654-1794 or via emailWestfield Applefest 2020A beloved annual fundraiser for the historical society, Westfield Applefest 2020 will be held on the lawn of the Reeve House. Tours of this piece of Westfield history will be off limits this year. As an outdoor-only event, weather plays a part. Curr... 10/16/2020

October brings all things spooky to light. But in Westfield, this month has special meaning. We celebrate cartoonist and former resident Charles Addams. With a global pandemic taking place right now, organizers needed to come up with a different way to honor him. So, they created an Alt-AddamsFest for 2020. Haunted trails, scary movies, painted windows in downtown shops. They all make appearances in the upcoming weeks. Just recently, organizers announced even more fun added to their schedule of events. But they need your help to make them happen.More Alt-AddamsFest 2020 FunPainted Pumpkin ContestPart of our Alt-AddamsFest festivities includes a walk along the Painted Pumpkin Path in Mindowaskin Park. If you fancy yourself a bit of an artist or simply want to be a part of the fun, submit... 10/09/2020

I have been a proud member of the Westfield Area Y Men's Club for a long time now. Perhaps you saw me at our Christmas Tree Lot last year (or any of the years before that). In fact, it's almost time for our lot to start up again. (Just over two months to go!). The Y hosted a clothing drive back in May of this year. It went so well, that they decided to host another Westfield Area Y clothing drive in October.What: Westfield Area Y Clothing DriveWhere: Westfield Area Y (422 E Broad St)When: Thursday, October 8th, 2020, 7:30 am to 2:30 pmContact: Westfield Area Y (908) 301-9622 x240 or via emailThe Y is Back in BusinessThe Y offers dozens of programs for children and adults that encourage them to work on their physical fitness. After months of shutdown due to COVID-19 concerns, they recent... 10/02/2020

If you love to eat but have trouble picking one restaurant to visit, then the Westfield Fall Foodie Stroll 2020 is for you. Almost two dozen local eateries promise to provide scrumptious samplings of their menu items for guests to taste. But you'd better hurry. Local foodies already snatched up almost half of the tickets available. What: Westfield Fall Foodie Stroll 2020Where: Various Downtown Westfield RestaurantsWhen: Sunday, October 4th, 12 pm to 4 pmAdmission: $5 per wristbandContact: Nicki McAuliffe, Downtown Westfield Corp, (908) 247-6407 or via emailWestfield Fall Foodie Stroll 2020Some of the best restaurants and cafes signed up to participate in this year's Foodie Stroll. Each restaurant plans on preparing a few select items from their various menus to sell at discounted prices... 09/25/2020

Even with New Jersey in lockdown for several weeks due to COVID-19, this year seems to have flown by. In just under three weeks, we enter October. That means pumpkin spice lattes, cooler temperatures, leaves falling from the trees, and AddamsFest. Yes, the annual tribute to Westfield's favorite son returns next month with a pandemic twist.AddamsFest 2020 (aka "Alt AddamsFest")It seems rather appropriate that we honor a man whose work embraced the macabre during this, a macabre year. In keeping with COVID-19 safety recommendations, organizers needed to tweak some fan-favorites from past celebrations. Instead of large gatherings like the parade, Family Fun Zone, and Pugsley's Trunk or Treat like last year, this year's Alt AddamsFest chose events that allow everyone to enjoy themselves whi... 09/18/2020

One of the best things about living in Westfield is that we take care of each other and our town. That's an important contributing factor to why we continue to make the list of Top Best Places to Live in NJ each year. City officials created the Westfield Adopt-a-Drain program to encourage residents to assist them in keeping our storm drains clear. This also provides a wonderful opportunity to teach your children a pride in their community.Westfield Adopt-a-Drain ProgramWhen it rains (like this weekend), everything ends up in the storm drains. Grass, leaves, trash, animal waste, and anything else on our sidewalks and streets all make their way down the streets and into these drains. The build-up of materials creates a blockage, backing up water and causing flooding to occur. If left to p... 09/04/2020

One hundred years ago was the beginning of what would eventually be known as "The Roaring Twenties". Women were officially allowed to vote. F Scott Fitzgerald's first novel, This Side of Paradise, was released. A world pandemic, the Spanish Flu, wound down. And presidential election results were broadcast over the radio for the very first time. To celebrate our city's 300th birthday, officials need your help with one of the objects going into the Westfield 300 Time Capsule.Westfield 300 Time CapsuleOfficials already decided to include the regular stuff you expect to see in a time capsule: newspapers, maps, menus, a jersey from Westfield High School, etc. Current electronics that are sure to be obsolete when the capsule is opened in 100 years also go into the time capsule. Of course, the... 08/28/2020

According to the American Red Cross, every two seconds, someone in the USA needs blood. One pint of blood potentially benefits three people. Hospitals request Type O blood the most due to its universal interaction with all blood types. Even so, they accept all types of blood for donation, of course. But storage in blood banks runs low. New Jersey Blood Services urgently needs donors to attend its Cranford Blood Drive next Wednesday to help build up their reserves.What: Cranford Blood DriveWhere: Cranford Community Center (220 Walnut Ave)When: Wednesday, August 19th, 2020, 2 pm to 8 pmContact: Text Genevieve at (732) 672-5281Cranford Blood DriveThe Cranford Blood Drive takes place from 2 pm to 8 pm on Wednesday, August 19th at the Cranford Community Center. They do accept walk-ins. Howev... 08/21/2020

We exercise to make our bodies healthy. But what do we do to keep our mind fit? We celebrate all things artistic. As part of our city's 300th birthday celebration, the Westfield Public Arts Commission put together their very first Westfield Art Takes Flight exhibit to showcase the talent of local artists and the greatness of our fine city.What: Westfield Art Takes Flight Public Art StrollWhere: Downtown WestfieldWhen: Saturday, August 8th, 11:30 am to 1:30 pmWestfield Art Takes Flight 2020The Westfield Public Arts Commission formed last year with the authorization of Mayor Brindle. Dawn Mackey with the Town Council and Bob Zuckerman with the Downtown Westfield Corporation oversee several resident volunteers as part of the commission. They reached out to local artists to help them come u... 08/14/2020

There are so many things to love about our fair city. Great food options. Lots of shopping. And we always help others in whatever way possible. So it should be no surprise that Westfield ranked in the Top 10 of Niche.com's Best Places to Live in NJ for 2020.Westfield Among Top 10 Best Places to Live in NJAt #9, Westfield was the top-rated Union County city in New Jersey to make Niche.com's list. The only other Union County city on the list was New Providence. That makes three years in a row that Niche.com bestowed this honor upon Westfield. Our real estate market has seen an increase in buyer demand even with COVID-19.Niche.com bases their rankings on 12 different factors. These include public schools, jobs, health and fitness, outdoor activities, nightlife, and whether it's a good plac... 08/07/2020

Politics. Religion. The Patriots. We all have different opinions about these subjects. However, I believe I found something that we can all agree on: the majesty of the night sky. This weekend, Mother Nature puts on a celestial display unlike anything you've ever seen in the last 20+ years: Comet Neowise. Your best opportunity to see the comet in Westfield happens this weekend before and after the Westfield Virtual Pizza Run.How to See Comet Neowise in WestfieldComet Neowise first came on NASA's "radar" on March 27th, 2020. But in the past few days, people all over the world searched the night skies to see what kind of performance it would put on for them. This Saturday and Sunday evenings mark the best nights to see the comet in New Jersey. Fortunately, the weatherman predicts crystal ... 07/24/2020

Tropical Storm Fay may be giving us a bit of a downpour right now, but that won't last. Before you know it, hotter Westfield temperatures will set in. When that happens, energy usage and expense tend to go up. Try these easy, helpful ways to save money on your energy costs this summer.Save Money on Summertime Energy CostsProgrammable ThermostatProgrammable thermostats make it easy to regulate the temperature in your Westfield home. Set it at a higher temperature when everybody leaves the house. Then, about 10 to 15 minutes before you arrive back, set it to start cooling down to a more comfortable level. For every one degree you raise your temperature, you end up saving anywhere between 3% and 5% on your air conditioning costs. So, instead of living in an icebox the entire summer, set it... 07/17/2020

Many 4th of July fireworks celebrations around Union County have been canceled this year due to COVID-19 concerns. Governor Murphy indefinitely delayed reopening any indoor dining at New Jersey restaurants. However, outdoor dining and takeout remain open. Which one of these Downtown Westfield events do you plan on attending this 4th of July weekend?Downtown Westfield Events for July 4th 2020 WeekendWhat's Happening on Quimby Street?No cars on Quimby Street again this weekend. Pedestrians only from Friday night to Sunday night. Even though Governor Murphy put the kibosh on indoor dining anytime soon, most restaurants still allow takeout, curbside pickup, and outdoor dining. They strongly encourage social distancing. Retail establishments welcome patrons. However, the governor only allows... 07/10/2020

After months of operating under a stay-at-home order, Governor Murphy has begun to allow New Jersey businesses to open back up. To reduce the potential for a second outbreak of COVID-19, the governor decided to approach reopening in phases. Currently, he allows restaurants to offer outdoor dining as an option. This helps them continue to operate while allowing for social distancing. Also, customers of our Westfield farmers market can now go booth-to-booth to visit vendors.Westfield Farmers MarketAs of May 2nd, our Westfield farmers market opened up for curbside service only. Customers placed their orders and paid online. Then, they picked up their purchases at the Westfield Train Station during normal farmers market hours. To keep things as safe as possible, market staff placed purchase... 06/26/2020

Governor Murphy recently announced that the state will begin Phase 2 of the reopening process. That means allowing in-house dining at local restaurants as well as opening up non-essential businesses to the public again. Even so, he suggested that businesses continue to adhere to social distancing guidelines as outlined by the CDC. As a result, expect to see a few changes to Quimby Street in the weeks ahead.Quimby StreetDowntown Westfield Corporation conducted a survey of residents recently asking participants what they thought of transitioning some downtown streets to "pedestrian only" temporarily. An overwhelming 81% of the 2000 people questioned said that this would make them more likely to patronize downtown businesses.You spoke. They listened. To start, expect Quimby Street to shut ... 06/19/2020