Break out your work gloves. It’s that time of year again to raise money for local charities and the Westfield Y. And, we need volunteers! It’s a great way to get out and help your community, and it’s a lot of fun. You can volunteer for set-up weekend, or you can help deliver trees the following week. It’s a great way to get involved and help out.

This popular event raises money for local charities and the Westfield Area Men’s Y Club. The trees are reasonably priced and the selection is good. It is a win-win for everyone involved.

The effort starts Saturday, Nov. 18th with set-up weekend, and tree deliveries the following week. Here are the dates:

Lot Set Up – Saturday, Nov. 18 from 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM – Everyone Needed! The trailer should be there. Charge your Power tools and bring ’em. We could use a leaf blower or two.
First Tree Delivery – Wednesday, Nov. 22 from 8:30 AM to – 11:00 AM – – 2 Truck Deliveries (325 Frasers and 45 rolls of garland.
Second Tree Delivery – Friday, Nov. 24th, 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM – 2 Trucks (610 Balsams & ~150 Frasers). The Cadets should be there, so Bagels and Coffee would be good this day, too.
Opening Day – Saturday, Nov. 25th: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Thereafter, a few good men will be needed Monday to Friday during sales hours, 5-7 PM and 7-9 PM, Saturdays and Sundays, 9-5 PM.

The Y’s Men’s Club has been selling Christmas trees for over 50 years and they are hands down the best place to buy a tree in the area. The staff is always friendly and helpful, and they go out of their way to make sure you find the perfect tree for your home.

For further information reach out to Pete Burtness, ptburtness@gmail.com.

Local Events • November 10, 2023

Scotch Plains Holiday Home Decorating Contest 2023

by Scott Gleason

Yes. I understand that we just celebrated Halloween. And Thanksgiving is still two weeks away. But by the looks of our local stores, it’s never too early to start thinking about Christmas. Apparently, our township’s recreation commission and fire department think the same way. Why else would they be accepting registration for the Scotch Plains Holiday Home Decorating Contest right now?

Scotch Plains Holiday Home Decorating Contest 2023

Organizers welcome all residents of Scotch Plains to join the home decorating contest. First, you must register online by December 1st. That means creating a free account on Community Pass if you do not already have one and going to the 2023 Events section of the site. Then, make sure to decorate your house in all of its holiday glory by December 10th. The Scotch Plains Fire Department plans on bringing Santa to each and every participating household before Christmas to check out the decorations. Online voting runs from December 11th to January 2nd. The homes that receive the most votes win. For more information, please call the Scotch Plains Department of Recreation at 908-322-6700 ext 223. Good luck to one and all who participate.

Organizers also ask that all participants and voters please consider donating to the Community Food Bank of NJ. That may mean donating money, food, or even your time to help them out this holiday season. And remember, food banks hand out food even after the holidays end. So, any donation you can provide now or later is greatly appreciated.

Westfield Haunt Your House 2023 Winners

In case you were wondering, AddamsFest announced the winners of the Westfield Haunt Your House contest last week. The Haunts by Day winners were D2 (1613 Grandview Ave) in third place, D5 (32 Tamaques Way) in second, and D9 (462 Mountain Ave) taking first place. For Haunts by Night, the winners were N8 (552 Edgar Rd) in third, N1 (611 Carleton Rd) in second, and N19 (711 Crescent Pkwy) taking first. Did your favorites win? Let me know in the comments below.

Scott Gleason, CRS at Coldwell Banker Westfield, NJ Luxury Homes

Local Events • November 6, 2023

Westfield Area Food Banks Need Your Help

by Scott Gleason

I hope everyone enjoyed their Halloween. Now that AddamsFest reached its conclusion, it’s time to concentrate on the next big holiday: Thanksgiving. For many, that means sitting down to a huge meal with your loved ones. However, that proves difficult for some. Westfield area food banks need your assistance to feed people in need this holiday season. What can you do to help?

Westfield Area Food Banks

Scotch Plains’ IHM Food Pantry hopes to hand out everything needed for a full Thanksgiving feast this year to hundreds of Westfield area citizens. Additionally, they want to pass out hams and pork roasts to those in need at Christmastime. You can help facilitate this by donating turkeys, pot roasts, hams, boxes mashed potatoes, stuffing mix, canned gravy, and canned vegetables.

Additionally, they ask for fun extras like crackers, cake mix, brownie mix, frosting, cookies, candy, and hot chocolate mix. Also, they accept perishable items like eggs, milk, and cheese. But they need a phone call first in order to make room in their refrigerator. Other items always in demand include diapers, baby formula, toiletries, pasta, soup, pancake mix, syrup, coffee, shelf-stable milk, and other everyday items. You may reach out to the IHM Food Pantry at any time by calling 908-405-1224.

The Community Food Bank of New Jersey also accepts donations year-round. In fact, for each $1 donated, they can purchase $3 in food to help feed men, women, and children facing food insecurity. If money is tight, they also need volunteers to help them receive, sort, and distribute food to the community. Learn more about how you can help by visiting their website.

Bike MS NYC 2023

Finally, I’d like to personally thank all of you who donated to Team Guys and Dolls. We were able to raise almost $1100 for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. If you want to continue to support this worthy organization, please visit their website to find out how to get involved.

Scott Gleason, CRS at Coldwell Banker Westfield, NJ Luxury Homes

Market Reports • October 24, 2023

October 2023 Market Update

by Scott Gleason

Curious about your home’s value?

Please click below for the market update of interest to you:

Westfield by Grade School:

Scott Gleason scott@luxuryhomesnj.com

Scott Gleason, CRS at Coldwell Banker Realty – East, NJ Luxury Homes

Local Events • October 20, 2023

Cranford Halloween Events 2023

by Scott Gleason

The Scarecrow Stroll is just one of the crazy fun Cranford Halloween events taking place this month. Other events include movies, haunted tours, storytime, and even something your furry friends can join in on. Learn more below.

Cranford Halloween Events 2023

Movies

The Cranford Theater set up a pretty sweet schedule of movies for all to see just in time for Halloween. Come see “Back to the Future” on Saturday, October 21st. This includes an opportunity to glance at the DeLorean time machine in person. After you take the kids home and leave them with a babysitter, come back to the theater for a 10 pm screening of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”. (Costumes optional.) The Garlic Bistro provides brunch and a movie with their own showing of Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds” on Sunday, October 22nd.

The weekend before Halloween brings out the scarier fare. On Saturday, October 28th, the Cranford Theater shows the Freddy Krueger classic “Nightmare on Elm Street”. Then, on Halloween night, stop by the theater for a screening of what else? John Carpenter’s classic “Halloween”.

Haunted Cranford Tours

Take a haunted tour of Cranford. For one night only (October 21st), Haunted History Productions offers a very special tour of some of Cranford’s oldest residents and tells their tales. The tour starts at the Cranford Municipal Building’s front lawn. Get your tickets now by visiting the Haunted Cranford Tours website here.

Ghostbusters Day

Yes. Cranford celebrates spooky-ooky season with their very own “Ghostbusters Day” on October 28th sponsored by Martin Jewelers. But you might want to prepare for the day with a Ghostbusters manicure at Sister’s Nails on October 24th. Reservations are highly recommended though. And Max & Luna offer a special storytime with Stay Puft on Monday, October 23rd at noon. Sweet ‘n Fancy offers a Ghostbusters Treat Class on October 28th. But you must reserve your spot ahead of time.

Various Other Halloween Fun

Head out to Hanson Park on October 21st for the pumpkin carve-out and parade at 6 p.m. Join the apple pie-eating contest at Eastman Clock Plaza on October 22nd at 4:30 p.m. Enjoy a treat at the candy apple station (while supplies last) set up at Venue 104 from 3 pm to 5 pm on October 26th. Dress up your pooch and enter them into the Howl-O-Ween Parade at Eastman Clock Plaza at 11 a.m. on October 28th. Yvette’s Dance Studio hosts a Thrills and Chills Dance Fest at their location at noon on October 29th. And the Jaycees put on their own Halloween parade and a bit of punkin-chunkin from 2 pm to 3 pm at the Cranford Community Center.

Scott Gleason, CRS at Coldwell Banker Westfield, NJ Luxury Homes

Local Events • October 13, 2023

Scotch Plains Harvest Festival 2023

by Scott Gleason

There’s more going on in October than just Halloween. Westfield celebrates AddamsFest. And Cranford has their Scarecrow Stroll. But what about us? We celebrate the season with the Scotch Plains Harvest Festival.

What: Scotch Plains Harvest Festival 2023
Where: The Frazee House (1451 Raritan Rd)
When: Saturday, October 21st, 12 pm to 5 pm
Admission: FREE

Scotch Plains Harvest Festival 2023

This fun fall festival takes place at one of the oldest homes in the area: the Frazee House. The Rotary Club of Fanwood-Scotch Plains hosts an afternoon of family-friendly fun. Entertainment for the day includes a petting zoo, pony rides, tons of games, a haunted trail, and much, much more. Enjoy live music while you feast on a tasty offering from one of several food vendors on-site. Parking and admission are absolutely free of charge.

AddamsFest 2023

AddamsFest 2023 is in full swing right now in Westfield. While Morticia & Gomez’s Masquerade Ball and Charlie’s Ale Garden have been sold out for weeks, plenty of other events keep visitors entertained throughout the month of October. No one gets bored in Westfield during the month of October.

Cranford Scarecrow Stroll

This year’s Scarecrow Stroll in Cranford starts today (October 13th) with a candy stroll at Eastman Clock Plaza Park. The City also has several other events planned throughout the rest of the month. But do not forget to take a walk around downtown to check out all of the entries in the stroll.

Bike MS NYC 2023

Finally, just a reminder. The Bike MS NYC 2023 ride takes place in just over a week. Team Guys and Dolls would really love your assistance in helping us reach our lofty goal of $5000 in donations. You can donate by clicking the “donate” button above. Any amount is greatly appreciated and will go to a very worthy charity that is near and dear to my heart. Thank you.

Scott Gleason, CRS at Coldwell Banker Westfield, NJ Luxury Homes

Local Events • October 6, 2023

Bike MS NYC 2023

by Scott Gleason

October is here. That means that Bike MS NYC 2023 is coming to town. Team Guys & Dolls rides again! This special event completely shuts down motorized traffic on the West side of Manhattan for one day only in order to raise money for a cause very near and dear to my heart: the National MS Society.

What: Bike MS NYC 2023
Where: Manhattan
When: Sunday, October 22nd

Bike MS NYC 2023

I’ve told this story before but it bears repeating. When we started riding for Bike MS more than 20 years ago, it was to support my lovely sister-in-law Diane. We rode in hopes of finding a cure for this terrible disease. When Diane lost her life to COVID three years ago, we switched over to honoring her memory by raising money to help others who fight MS every single day.

What You Can Do to Help

This year, Team Guys & Dolls set a pretty lofty goal. But I believe in aiming high. We want to raise $5000. But we need your help to do so. Please click the donate button above. This takes you to my fundraising page on the Bike MS website. Once there, you can donate $35, $50, $100 or more. Everything collected goes directly to the National MS Society.

$500 provides a person living with MS six months of valuable one-on-one counseling services. $1000 outfits a vehicle with modifications that help someone living with MS continue to operate their car themselves, providing them the dignity and independence everyone deserves. $2500 grants 10 people access to their own personal MS Navigator. These Navigators assist in finding goods and services that specifically fit an individual’s needs. $5000 funds an Ask an Expert webinar program. Through just one webinar, thousands of people living with MS and their caretakers learn valuable information and gain access to resources to help make their lives a little easier. Please donate what you can today. Thank you.

Want to Ride?

We have a pretty tight core group at Team Guys & Dolls. But we accept new members with open arms. If you love to ride and would like to see some of NYC’s most iconic landmarks from one of the most unique perspectives ever, contact me about joining the team. We take practice rides to warm up for the big 30-mile trek later this month. You’re always welcome to join.

Scott Gleason, CRS at Coldwell Banker Westfield, NJ Luxury Homes

Local Events • September 29, 2023

Cranford Scarecrow Stroll 2023

by Scott Gleason

Fall is definitely in the air. Even Mother Nature couldn’t stop the very first Cranford Pumpkin Spice Tour from taking place last weekend. While nearby Westfield offers a month-long celebration of native son Charles Addams during AddamsFest next month, our fair city also provides a tradition of its own: the Cranford Scarecrow Stroll.

What: Cranford Scarecrow Stroll 2023
Where: Downtown Cranford
When: October 13th to 31st

Cranford Scarecrow Stroll 2023

Each year, this beloved event showcases scarecrows created by local businesses, organizations, families, and kids for a bit of friendly fun and healthy competition. Everyone comes out a winner because we all get to enjoy the sights of these silly, scary, and downright creative scarecrows for two and a half weeks leading up to Halloween. But this year’s stroll features so much more. In fact, organizers scheduled a different event almost every one of the 19 days the stroll takes place.

This year’s stroll kicks off with a candy stroll at Eastman Clock Plaza Park on Friday, October 13th. Yes. That’s Friday the 13th. Rather appropriate, no? Registration is required and tickets are limited. The stroll ends with a special Halloween night treat at the Cranford Theater. In between, you’ll have the opportunity to participate in spooky paint and sips, trivia, beer-tasting, an apple pie contest, Halloween yoga, movies, and more. For more information on what happens and when visit the City of Cranford’s website here. Most of the events require you to purchase tickets. Please make note of this when perusing the website.

Registration Information

If you want to participate in this year’s scarecrow competition, it costs nothing to register. However, you do need to register by the end of the day on October 2nd. Register for one of these categories: youth (12 and under), teen/adult (13 and above), families, schools/organizations, or businesses. The winner of each category goes on to compete for Best Overall. For more information and to register, please visit the Downtown Scarecrow Stroll registration page. Good luck!

Scott Gleason, CRS at Coldwell Banker Westfield, NJ Luxury Homes