By Haley Miller
When brainstorming events for its summer series, the Westfield Welcome team wanted to include some smaller, more low-budget options for all residents to enjoy, so it came up with the Sunrise Cycling and Pop-Up Picnics.
According to Bailey Spitznagle, hospitality coordinator for Westfield Welcome, so far the events have achieved the goal of bringing residents together and engage them in the Westfield community.
“We’ve gotten such a positive response from all of our either virtual events or smaller events that we’re doing in the summer series,” Spitznagle said. “We’re so excited, and I believe we’re going to continue these on for summers to come.”
Sunrise Cycling is offered every Tuesday through Aug. 25. Each week, the public is invited to meet at a predetermined location in Westfield for an 8 a.m. bike ride, which can range from 4 to 10 miles, depending on the consensus of the group.
Spitznagle, who led the ride on July 14, said the participants embraced the opportunity for cycling and socializing.
“It was almost like when you go to a lunch with some friends and you just kind of sit around chatting, but instead of eating food at the same time, you’re pedaling a bike,” Spitznagle said.
The Pop-Up Picnic, another event from the summer series, occurred July 17 in Quaker Park. Families were encouraged to stop by and chat with other attendees, enjoy the atmosphere and take advantage of the park’s activities for the afternoon. Kona Ice also was available.
Spitznagle said smaller events like Pop-Up Picnics and Sunrise Cycling allow residents to build relationships and connect directly with their community.
“In my opinion, the smaller events really capture our city better,” Spitznagle said. “The attendees get to talk to us, the managers and planners, on a little bit more of a personal level. They get to actually get to know the community.”
For more, visit westfieldwelcome.com.
