Westfield Hosts Girls Night Out

There were shoes; there was clothing, food, champagne and makeup; and there was chocolate. Sound like the perfect recipe for a Girls Night Out? More than 1,500 women agreed as they filled the streets of downtown Westfield Thursday night, shopping, chatting and enjoying the warm, spring weather.

Westfield hosted the annual Girls' Night Out, which is organized by the .

The response to the event was overwhelming, according to Sherry Cronin, executive director of the DWC. As of Tuesday, more than 1,500 women had registered to attend. While 32 percent are from Westfield, ladies from 135 New Jersey towns and seven other states have signed up as well. The evening has become a biannual event that residents and local business owners look forward to, Cronin noted.

"It gets bigger and better every time we do it," Cronin said Thursday.

Throughout the evening, shoppers strolled up and down the streets of downtown Westfield. They wandered in and out of the many shops that make up the bustling business district. Some stores offered free refreshments and chocolate tastings, while other provided music to entertain customers while they shopped. One store, celebrated its 10th anniversary with an after-hours party  at 9 p.m. The store's celebration featured the launch of its original line of handmade shoes.

giveaways to the first 1,000 registrants will be provided by the DWC. Wine/Shoe Bags are being offered by and . Although the DWC originally promised gifts to the first 800 guests, they increased the amount when they saw an early surge in registrations. Additional giveaways will be supplied by , , , , Barnabas Health, and Localery.com.

In addition, several men wearing carnations added a chilvalrous aspect to the event, helping ladies cross the busy streets, guiding traffic and pointing out local stores.

70 businesses have come together to make the event possible.  Participating businesses include: , , , ,, , , The Bath Junkie, , bluemercury, Boutique 3, , , Brummer's Chocolates, , , , , , , CoolVines, , Designer Fragrances & Cosmetic Co.,, , , ,, , Facial Reality Salon & Spa, , Flower Arts by Design Contempo, , , ,, Gemmette Hair Studio, Hapi Yogi, J. Winthrop & Co., , , , , Koi Boutique, , , , Lord & Taylor, , , , Randal's Shoes, Riolina, Robert Anthony Jewelers, , Coffeehouse + Bistro, Roman Boutique and Tailoring, Ruby & Jenna, Sadie, , , , , , , , , , , UBS, , Warehouse Cheap & Chic, , , , Yapple Yogurt, and .