WESTWOOD—Residents are invited to spend the afternoon celebrating community at the Second Annual WestwoodFest on Saturday, Sept. 9 from 2 to 6 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Park. The event is co-hosted by Celebrate Westwood and the Borough of Westwood.
WestwoodFest is a family-friendly afternoon featuring live music, inflatable attractions, opportunities to create art, and the chance to sample Recreation Department offerings.
There will also be a variety of lawn games like oversized chess, giant Jenga, and cornhole scattered throughout the park. The event is free to Westwood residents.
Westwood non-profit organizations have been invited to set up information tables or host their own activities for fest-goers. Organizers Lauren Letizia and RoseAnn Ciarlante say they look forward to welcoming Cub Scout Pack 350, Westwood Baseball 12U Cooperstown Team, Westwood Classic Car Club, St. Thomas More Knights of Columbus, The Kiwanis Club, Westwood Cares, and the Westwood Special Education Parents Advisory Group.
The Borough of Westwood will be present with information from the Clerk’s Office, Police Department, Health Department, and Northwest Bergen Regional Health. The Westwood Volunteer Fire Department, Westwood Volunteer Ambulance Corps, and Department of Public Works will be present with information and a small touch-a-truck area.
The Recreation Department will be hosting a sampler of their adult and Forever Young class offerings, with a full schedule to be posted soon.
Additional activities will be hosted by Westwood Girl Scouts, Westwood Pride, and the Westwood Baseball Association.
Local business Row House will host a rowing competition, Yellow Door Art Studio will offer free beading activities, and Harmony Village at CareOne Valley will host complementary sand art for children. Supp Hub and the UFC Gym Westwood will pair to offer on-site fitness competitions to Fest-goers.
The Recreation Department will also host an art station with artist/instructor Brit Sikiric throughout the event, and Celebrate Westwood ArtsHub invites attendees to participate in the creation of an oversized community canvas.
Additionally, the Westwood Heritage Society will open the Westwood Museum at the train station from 2 to 6 p.m. The Westwood Free Public Library invites all to the Friends of the Library used book sale from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and to the Westwood Garden Club Mums Sale from noon to 3 p.m., both at the Library.
Live music will be played from the bandstand, featuring the Westwood Community band at 2, followed by Dave Dunn and Westwood resident Liv Lion.
A food court will be open throughout the duration of Westwood Fest, featuring a selection of foods for sale from Tokyo Cafe, Osteria Crescendo, Phoenician, Smokin’ Joe’s, Joe’s Craft Pies, Westwood Candy Company, Sogno/Caffe Anello, and Craft Taco Company (coming to Westwood this fall!).
The day concludes with two options for extended entertainment open to residents of all ages: live music at the Westwood Fire Station from 7 to 10 p.m. featuring the band “Nick & Bobby,” or Westwood Recreation Department’s Movie in the Park at the Bandstand, featuring “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial” at 8 p.m.
Additional funding for WestwoodFest has been pledged from Harmony Village at CareOne Valley, Supp Hub, The Paula Clark Group, CKO Kickboxing Emerson, UFC Gym, Zion Lutheran Church and Early Childhood Center, Sara Kossove LLC, EDJ Acquisitions, Speech Warrior Speech Therapy, Mercedes Amato Interiors, and BizHub.
Last year’s WestwoodFest saw more than 500 guests enjoying an afternoon of fun with neighbors and friends. Likewise, this year’s event promises to be a full and fun day in the Hub of the Pascack Valley.
Attendees are encouraged to bring donations for the Westwood Food Pantry or consider making a monetary contribution to the efforts of Westwood Cares, which will have a table on site during the event.
Volunteers are still welcome. Please direct questions to Lauren Letizia or RoseAnn Ciarlante at CelebrateWestwood@gmail.com. For more information on the activities of the day, visit celebratewestwood.org or find Celebrate Westwood on social media.