Historical Highlights

1892: Al Drake organized the first Westfield Band in his mansion in the Stoneleigh Park section of Westfield.

1896: The band performed for the gubernatorial inauguration of Governor Goodman

1912: The present band traces it's origin to 1912, when a group of train commuters and local businessmen decided Westfield should have its own local band.

1915: Westfield's band had 45 members and a patron membership of 100 citizens who paid $1.00 each as subscribers.

1918: The Westfield Band began performing summer concerts on the bandstand in Mindowaskin Park, when the first gazebo was built.

1928: The band performs in a concert to 40,000 people in Echo Lake Park aired on WOR Radio.

1979-2004: The band maintains a year round rehearsal and performance schedule at town-wide events.

1992: Performed as a selected band at the John Phillip Sousa Centennial in Plainfield, NJ, the site of the very first public performance by the Sousa band in 1892.

1994: The band commissions a specially arranged selection, "Westfield Bicentennial Celebration" arranged by nationally prominent arranger Jerry Nowak. This was performed at the town-wide celebration on the 4th of July at Tamaques Park in front of 30,000 people.

1994: Performs in "Our Towne: Westfield's Bicentennial Revue" portraying the "Union County Band of Westfield" of the 1890's.

1995 & 1998: One concert each summer was highlighted by Master Sergeant Ruth Schlenker, a member of "The President's Own" United States Marine Band and a former member of the Westfield Community Band.

2003-2004: Elias J. Zareva celebrates his 25th season leading the Westfield Community Band, a record for any one bandmaster in the band’s history.

2004-2007: Dr. Thomas Connors, Director of Instrumental Music Studies and Assistant Professor of Music Education at Kean University picks up the baton as the new maestro of the Westfield Community Band.