Westfield Topanga shopping center partnered with Nestor Aguilar, the realtor and social media influencer behind 818 Insider, to host the Valley Winter Fest with an event designed to promote small businesses this year.
The festival took place Dec. 4-5 at the Woodland Hills shopping center owned by Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield. It featured Valley businesses including restaurants, brewers and artists for two evenings of live entertainment to support businesses that sustained difficult losses during the pandemic. The event included support for the California Highway Patrol’s annual ‘CHiPS for Kids’ toy drive.
“The Valley and its people inspire me,” Aguilar said in a statement. “I feel honored and grateful that Westfield would believe in my vision to bring the Valley together and give the small business community an opportunity to elevate one another. There’s power in our numbers and our number is 818.”
Aguilar created the 818 Insider as a social platform and website to highlight the communities and small businesses of the Valley. That has led to hosting in-person events and building an online shop featuring Valley-themed merchandise.