by Taylor Choquette, intern WSU ’18
WESTFIELD – The Westfield 350th Signature Events committee met Tuesday Jan. 23 at City Hall to discuss plans for Westfield’s inaugural First Night Celebration.
The eight committee members in attendance were led by Westfield 350 President Harry Rock, and began to firm up a timeline of activities they plan to put on to ring in 2019, the 350th year of Westfield’s incorporation. At this time, it appears the celebration will begin at 4 p.m. and conclude at 8 p.m. on Monday December 31, 2018.
The city’s First Night celebration, which will be the first in the city’s history, will be geared toward children and their parents with all events taking place at Amelia Park Ice Arena, the Amelia Park Children’s Museum, and the Greater Westfield Boys & Girls Club. Rock said the various activities will fall under the Westfield 350th celebration criteria of being “fun, educational and memorable,” and stressed the importance of families spending time together during this celebration.
The festivities will culminate with a fireworks display and bonfire. However, those events will be preceded by a countdown and unique “New Year’s ball” lighting at 7 p.m. People will count down as a yet unnamed symbol of the city will be lit atop the Boys & Girls Club. The committee will tie in the city’s history with the lighting ceremony, because in 1669, the year of the community’s incorporation, Westfield was still under British rule, so the plan is to ring in the new year five hours ahead with England.
