The Big E’s in town

On a chilly day in early fall, hundreds of thousands of people gathered in West Springfield to witness one of New England’s biggest events of the year: The big E. The legendary, oversized state fair attracts over a million people during its 17-day run and features a wide range of musical talent, theatrical performances, amusement park rides and, most importantly, a mountain of junk food extravaganzas for everyone to enjoy.

The Big E is operated by the Exhibition of the Eastern States (ESE), which launched The Big E in 1917 with 138,000 visitors. Now, in 2024, The Big E welcomes 1.4 million visitors during the 17 days that begin every second Friday after Labor Day every year.

Getting to the Big E is no easy task as the bridge leading to the fairgrounds is always open flooded with carsmaking the two-mile route a 50-minute drive. When you arrive at the hidden exhibition center, the extensive festival is revealed Seas of people.

The Big E attracts locals from all over the world. Caitlin Conway drove from Plymouth, Massachusetts to West Springfield for the event.

“My friend Lauren told us we had to come and experience it for the first time. It’s unbelievable,” Conway said. “The best thing I’ve ever eaten is the dill pickle pizza.”

Oliva Ledoux of West Springfield also made a note about the food.

“[I] I really enjoyed the meal…there was a really tasty waffle hamburger sandwich. It was so good,” Ledoux said.

Aside from everyone walking around the Big E, you hear the same thing almost every time: “I’m here for the food.” The Big E pulls out all the stops. The food events the fair has put together this year include: The Big E Bakery, Flamin’ Hot Cheeto CornAnd Beer with pickles in it.

It’s hard to squeeze in as many food stalls as your stomach and wallet can hold, from cheese curds to fried Oreos, clam chowder bread bowls to a “Schnitzel Sandy” and all sorts of things you’ll regret eating the next morning have. The Big E allows fairgoers to vote for them Favorite food at the fair, where a winner is announced each year.

The Big E has one too local brewery Storefront where brewers from all over New England showcase their spirits.

Leadfoot Brewing of Chicopee, Massachusetts, is one of the local companies that showcased their beers at the craft brewer showcase.

“It’s a great opportunity for a small business like us to get big exposure,” said Chris Misterka, an employee who manages the booth. “Yesterday 178,000 people came through and were able to see our brand…It helps us in the long run knowing that people can see our brand and then recognize all the stores and things like that.”

Misterka said Leadfoot focuses on producing traditional beers such as lagers, ales and stouts.

“It goes back to the old roots of regular IPA instead of some of these cloud bombs that people are making these days,” Misterka said.

Misterka said he enjoys the crowd at The Big E, but also the large crowds that come to try out their product.

“Yesterday was an absolute madhouse,” Misterka said.

The Big E is also home to a variety of shops selling goods from throughout the New England region.

Ski Haus, a ski goods company based in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, has sold its inventory at The Big E for over 20 years.

“We bring all of our gear from last season here and give our customer base leftover stuff from last season, give them a great deal and make room in our stores for all the new inventory that comes in,” said Scott Walulak, the owner from Ski House.

Walulak shared with us what he enjoyed most about visiting The Big E each year.

“In my opinion, it’s the greatest melting pot in the world and it’s fun to see what’s out there,” Walulak said.

The Big E’s range of musical performances over the 17-day period is diverse. This year The Big E hosted Ludacris, Diplo, Big Time Rush, Public Enemy and more.

The classic rock band “America” performed on Sunday The Big E Arenaand many attendees that day traveled to West Springfield exclusively for the show.

Peter Marleau came from Webster, Massachusetts to bring his daughter to see the band.

“I saw it [America] when I was 15, so 56 years ago, and I want to come full circle,” Marleau said.

Ken Lundberg traveled with his wife from Needham, Massachusetts. You have seen America three times in the past year.

“I grew up with them. I was born in 1962, so we played America all the time at my house,” Lundberg said. “I’m excited to hear ‘Sister Golden Heart.’ I often sing that in the shower.”

The band performed all of their classic hits such as “A Horse With No Name” and “Venture Highway” and ended the evening with a beautiful show that delighted the audience of fairgoers.