WESTWOOD, N.J.—A community favorite that disappeared when the world shut down is coming back — and the response suggests Westwood has been waiting for it.
The nonprofit Friends of the Westwood Public Library will revive the Taste of Westwood on Sunday, Sept. 27, from 5 to 8 p.m., bringing local restaurants, wine, beer, music, and silent auctions to the library and a closed-off portion of Park Avenue.
The event was last held in 2019. Library Director Catherine DiLeo said residents have repeatedly asked whether it would return.
“When I started here, everyone was like, ‘Are you guys going to bring back the Taste of Westwood?’” DiLeo said. “We really weren’t sure.”
The fundraiser became a Westwood tradition during the 18-year tenure of DiLeo’s predecessor, Martha Urbiel, who retired at the end of 2024. Urbiel helped organize 10 Taste of Westwood events with Mike Fitzsimmons, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Friends of the Library, describing the program upon her retirement as both a beloved community gathering and an important source of support for the library.
Urbiel is among the familiar faces appearing in a ranging social-media video announcing the event’s return. DiLeo said the campaign came together in a matter of days as residents and local officials recorded clips around town.
“It was a really quick mad dash, but it all came together,” she said. “People were really excited to do it.”
The video features library staff members Lauren Francis, Jacquelyn Schoonmaker, Sienna Tracy and Judie Gargano; Library Trustee Tom Hardin; Library Director Catherine DiLeo; former director Martha Urbiel; Mayor Ray Arroyo; Council President Lauren Letizia; Health Department representative Carly Reich; Borough Clerk Jean-Marie Vadovic; and residents Steve Markovits, Liz McGowan, Jennifer Minogue, Janet Dunn, Ann Molina, Gina Manes, Kate Creaden, and Norma Crocker.
The Friends began discussing ideas for the library’s major annual fundraiser and initially imagined something smaller, perhaps featuring only a handful of restaurants under a different name. Then the restaurants began saying yes.
“We were at seven or eight restaurants, and then we said, ‘Let’s just call it what it is. It’s the Taste of Westwood,’” DiLeo said. “Once we called it that, even more restaurants decided to join on.”
The lineup now includes Pompilio’s, The Tavern at the Iron Horse, Kimchi Smoke, Conrad’s Confectionery, Morgan Steakhouse, Mezza, Westwood Prime Meats, Smokin’ Joe’s BBQ & Catering, Flynn’s Delicatessen, Apricot, P.J. Finnegan’s, Eighty Twenty, Lolita’s Mexican Cantina, Westwood Wine & Liquors, and newly added Nightshade Coffee.
Several businesses will cook outdoors along Park Avenue, where guests will find seating and a DJ. Kimchi Smoke, Smokin’ Joe’s, Eighty Twenty and many others are expected to grill or smoke food outside, while the remaining vendors will serve guests inside the library.
DiLeo said the expanded footprint will give the event more breathing room than earlier editions, which relied largely on the parking lot and stacks.
“We have a lot of people doing outdoor grilling, and we have to spread out,” she said. “People aren’t going to be crammed on top of each other.”
Westwood Wine & Liquors has helped coordinate wine distributors for the evening. Each ticket includes three drinks, with wine, craft beer, and other selections expected. Cape May IPA and Sun Cruiser beverages are among the donated offerings.
The fundraiser also will include local gift baskets and higher-end silent-auction items, including a signed Taylor Swift guitar secured through an auction company. Organizers are working to add live local music inside the library, complementing the DJ outdoors.
Last year, the Friends organized a Roaring ’20s-themed interactive murder mystery fundraiser at the library. Guests dressed in period attire, mingled with actors, followed staged clues, and voted on the identity of the “murderer.” The 21-and-older event also featured refreshments, a costume contest, and a silent auction, with proceeds supporting library programs and museum passes.
The Taste’s return has generated brisk interest. DiLeo said close to 70 tickets sold within the first several days, representing more than half of those expected to be available to the public after sponsor and volunteer allotments are set aside.
For DiLeo, the response confirms something she learned soon after arriving at the library. In a survey asking what residents wanted to do there beyond the usual, the top answer was strikingly direct: eat and drink.
“It’s a big group effort,” DiLeo told Pascack Press. “People are happy it’s back.”
Tickets $75 in advance; $85 at the door, if available. 21 and older. Tickets may be purchased at the library by cash or check, or visit here.