FARMINGTON, Conn. — In a day and age where malls across the country are closing, Westfarms in Farmington is celebrating.
On Monday, Westfarms recognized its 50th anniversary. The beloved Connecticut mall opened on Oct. 14, 1974, and its doors still welcome visitors five decades later.
Much has changed since the shopping center’s original concept included stores and restaurants like G. Fox, Sage Allen and B. Dalton Bookseller, but the mall continues to innovate. It has expanded over the years and is anchored today by businesses such as Nordstrom, Macy’s, JCPenney, Jordan’s Furniture and Apple.
Fifty years after its inception, Westfarms has more than doubled its retail offerings.
“Over the past 50 years, Westfarms has served at the heart of this thriving community,” General Manager Elizabeth Ryan said. “We’ve grown from 65 stores in 1974 to over 150. Among those today include iconic stores and restaurants like Tiffany & Co., Louis Vuitton, Ahaus, Tory Burch and Texas de Brazil.”
Monday kicked off a month-long celebration at the mall.
“This milestone marks half a century of serving the community, and we thank our local families, shoppers and employees for their support. Shoppers can participate with [our] historical appreciation campaign,” Ryan added.
The campaign includes the “50 Thank Yous” initiative, in which Westfarms will be surprising random shoppers with gift cards. Fifty $50 gift cards will be handed out this month. Select winners will be featured on Facebook and Instagram. There, they can give a shout out to their favorite Westfarms store or restaurant.
The campaign also features an initiative called “What’s Your Westfarms Story,” where shoppers can recall their favorite experiences at the mall. Now through Oct. 20, customers can enter a 500-word essay on shopwestfarms.com to share stories of joy or nostalgia. A panel of judges will review the essays, and a lucky winner will be awarded $500.
Westfarms has additionally launched a “Themed Photo Opportunity.”
A release from Westfarms said, “Capture the memories of this milestone in Center Court with a festive, celebratory photo backdrop featuring a large ‘50’ sign adorned with shimmering lights and balloons.”
This lasts through Oct. 31. Customers can tag the mall, @shopwestfarms, for a chance to be included on the Westfarms Instagram page, which shares more information about Westfarms’ history.
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Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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