A round-up of openings, closings, and other news about West Hartford businesses. 

Business Buzz is sponsored by NBT Bank, and we are very thankful for their support!

By Mia Jaworski

If you have wondered, who on earth is posting so much, my name is Mia, a 2025 UConn graduate, and 23-year West Hartford resident.

I have also been enlisted in the wonderful, yet very busy duty of reporting on West Hartford news while Ronni is relaxing and riding on camels in Morocco. A vacation very well deserved if you ask me.

And if you aren’t convinced of her necessary vacation, I enlighten you to my last week, featuring plastered sticky notes across my room walls with dates and events, and my personal favorite, a compilation of recent emails I have sent:

“I am running around like a chicken with my head cut off!!!”
“I’ve become Pavlov’s Dog with the email ding! Immediate sweat…haha…”

So, next time you see legend Ronni in the flesh, be sure to thank her.

Though I do not have any recent West Hartford eats, I have been driving around and looking at your Halloween houses…be sure to come back for a full round up. Inflatable octopus arms, I am talking to you.

For now, look at this great photo I took of the Milky Way in Zion while driving from Connecticut to California a couple of weeks ago!

If you are a long term, regular advertiser on We-Ha.com and have a 60 to 75 word submission for a future Business Buzz please send to Bob Carr at [email protected]. You can also contact Bob if you are interested in becoming a sponsor of a section of the site.

If you have information to share about local businesses, please provide details in the comments or email Ronni Newton at [email protected] or Mia, until Oct. 23, 2026, at [email protected].

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And now, here’s this week’s Buzz:

• Hartford Stitch has moved into a larger space at 13 Sedgwick Rd in West Hartford, giving the sewing studio more room for classes, creative projects and community events. The business, which celebrated its 11th anniversary this year, previously operated at two smaller locations on Park Road. Owner Laura Kasowitz said each move has been driven by the need for more space, and the new ground-floor studio offers a more open layout and larger worktables for students. Hartford Stitch offers sewing instruction for adults and children, with classes covering everything from beginner sewing and garment making to quilting and home decor. The studio also hosts open workshops where students can bring their own projects and receive guidance from instructors. Hartford Stitch will host an open house on Sunday, Nov. 8, offering tours, opportunities to meet instructors, demonstrations of its longarm quilting machine and a community art project called “I Found a Quilted Heart.” The event is open to the public, whether or not attendees have sewing experience. Hartford Stitch is also continuing its annual community quilt project, now in its ninth year. Volunteers turn donated quilt blocks into quilts for Journey Home, which helps people transition out of homelessness. The studio donated 37 quilts last year and also offers a free sewing supply area stocked with donated fabric and materials. For information about classes, registration, donations and upcoming events, visit the Hartford Stitch website.

• BK&CO, the women’s boutique in West Hartford Center, recently celebrated its 40th anniversary with four days of festivities, followed by its “Fabulous Fall Fashion Show, Baby!” on Sunday, Oct. 18, benefiting Red, White & Bundled, an organization that provides gift bundles for newborns of active-duty military families. Co-owners Barbara Karsky and Karen Herbert have been best friends for 50 years. The two dated brothers in high school before marrying college roommates, and have since built a business rooted in fashion, friendship and community. To curate the boutique’s selection, Karsky and Herbert attend local fashion shows and shows in New York City, bringing the latest trends back to West Hartford Center. The anniversary celebration, dubbed “The Fabulous Forty,” honored the customers and personal connections that have sustained the boutique for four decades. The fall fashion show featured seasonal styles, styling inspiration and an opportunity for guests to shop the looks. After 40 years, BK&CO continues to bring fashion and community together in West Hartford Center.

• GastroPark will host its annual Jingle in the Park celebration from Nov. 17 through Jan. 3, bringing holiday events and seasonal activities to its multi-use space in Elmwood. Last year, GastroPark hosted a Holiday Pop-Up Market featuring local vendors selling gifts, crafts and other festive items. The festivities also included jewelry pop-ups, live music and “Blind Date with a Book” events. Known for its rotating food trucks, bar, coffee and bakery offerings, and entertainment. More details about this year’s holiday events and vendor opportunities are expected to be announced.

• In sort-of business news, the Veterans Memorial Skating Rink will reopen Monday, Oct. 19 at 5 p.m. after months of renovations. The renovations include a new energy-efficient refrigeration system with updated piping and concrete flooring, new dasher boards, glass and netting, and improvements to locker rooms and surrounding areas. The year-round rink serves approximately 350,000 people each year and hosts skating, DJ-Skates, special events and local team sports. For schedules, programs and additional information, visit their website.

• Moms and More of West Hartford is planning the annual Halloween Stroll for 2026, and is looking for businesses to participate. They shared the following: “This is the 25th anniversary of the stroll and we’re thrilled to be continuing such a time-honored tradition. The stroll will take place on Saturday, Oct. 24 (rain date Sunday, Oct. 25) from 10:30 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. This well-attended community event attracts around 5,000 people to West Hartford Center, Blue Back Square, and the front lawn of Town Hall for trick-or-treating, live music, and more. It is free for businesses to participate in the festivities; business can register here. For businesses without a storefront in town center, they can set up a table on the front lawn of Town Hall. We look forward to seeing you there!”

• Did you know …

Remember, if you have any business news to share, add it in the comments section below or email Ronni Newton at [email protected].

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