The most common answer I get when I ask, “Are you going to The Big E this fall?” is usually, “What’s the Big E?” The second most common answer is, “I used to go when I was little but haven’t been there in a long time.”
It’s surprising to me how many people in this area have never heard of the Eastern States Exposition, better known as The Big E, when it’s the seventh largest fair in North America, just down I-91 in West Springfield, Mass., and about to turn 100 years old this fall. The fair runs for 17 days, covers 175 acres, offers an amazing variety of entertainment and activities, and attracts almost 1.5 million people annually.
It wasn’t always that way. What is now a large and successful New England tradition started out as 12 parcels of swampy hayland in West Springfield. In the early 1900s, Joshua L. Brooks, a respected industrialist and agriculturist, became concerned about Northeastern farmers. Understanding the important place agriculture had even in an industrial region, Brooks felt that cooperation and understanding among farmers, manufacturers, merchants and financiers was needed.
He began to explore the idea of an exposition. He met with farmers, Granges, agricultural colleges and government agencies. In May 1914, these interested parties incorporated the Eastern States Agricultural and Industrial Exposition for the purpose of holding
The first exposition was going to be launched with a splash — by inviting the prestigious National Dairy Show to hold its annual event in West Springfield. The dairy show had been cancelled the year before because of hoof-and-mouth disease; it had never been held in New England. Yet in January 1916, at the National Dairy Show board of directors meeting in Chicago, Brooks persuaded the association to hold its upcoming October show on muddy West Springfield land that was yet to be developed.
With a fast-approaching deadline, Brooks and the trustees capitalized the construction of a dike, a railroad spur, a coliseum, exhibition buildings, barns and a racetrack with a grandstand.
Local clergymen delivered sermons on the merits of the upcoming dairy show and exposition, willing Springfield families started a cottage industry of renting spare rooms and providing home-cooked meals to attendees, and local movie theaters showed movies of the Chicago Dairy Show to fascinated audiences.
All the hard work paid off. The dairy show was a huge success. The 1916 fair shattered all previous records for the largest array of purebred dairy cattle. Over 45,000 people attended. During that time, a few events took place that were a foreshadowing of what the exposition would become: a horse show was held concurrently and a boys’ and girls’ day provided local youth livestock contests, garment working, handicrafts and demonstrations.
Once the 1916 dairy show was over, it was time to focus on regional issues. True to its mission, the exposition started to offer children’s exhibits, a vegetable show, horse show, entertainment, horse and auto racing, good music, circus acts, amusement rides, food and souvenirs.
The Big E still looks remarkably like that today. Over the last century, the Big E has held fast to its original mission. There are still horse shows and cattle shows.
Youth from 4-H and FFA show their livestock, vegetables, crafts and handiwork. (Upper Valley 4-H clubs are well represented there.) There’s still a midway with rides and games, plenty of food, shopping and souvenirs, a circus, and entertainment.
Some big names come to The Big E. Last year the Charlie Daniels Band, the country band Alabama, and the rock band Kansas performed. This year’s entertainment opens with an appearance by DJ Diesel (aka Shaquille O’Neal), and includes Blood, Sweat & Tears, country singer Lee Brice, and pop artists The Cowsills, among others.
The food at the fair has far surpassed “the only completely equipped cafeteria on any exposition grounds in America” advertised in its 1917 brochure. It has restaurants, booths, pubs and a food court. It sells two signature items — the Big E Cream Puff (my favorite) and Éclair — and deep-fried everything. There’s also the Craz-E Burger (bacon cheeseburger between halves of a grilled glazed donut) and, new this year, chocolate-covered fries with bacon sprinkles.
For the historically-minded, there is Storrowton Village, a beautiful section where costumed “villagers” show how they mastered their trades in 19th century New England. Kids can play old-fashioned games on the green and families can picnic under shade trees.
To celebrate its centennial, The Big E has crafted an exhibit full of favorite memories from the past century, including photographs of the exposition’s founder, entertainers and dignitaries who performed or visited over the years, a historic timeline, and much more. The Big E has also produced a hard cover photo book that highlights the rich history of the exposition. Finally, it has sponsored 100 Days of Giveaways, holding a drawing for free admission and prize packages daily. (See thebige.com for details.)
As part of his mission to unite the New England states in an agricultural and industrial exposition, Joshua Brooks dreamed of having state buildings at the fair that would showcase traditional and new products and attractions that make each New England state unique. At the Big E, it’s possible to set foot in all six New England states in one hour. The Avenue of the States has replicas of each New England state’s original statehouse sitting on land actually owned by that state. Inside, businesses from that state sell their regional products.
This is my favorite part of the fair to visit. Each statehouse has the flavor of the state, and not just because there is a lot of food for sale. In a short amount of time visitors pass from the apples, maple products and berries of northern New England to the potatoes and wild blueberries of Maine, ending with the seafood of Rhode Island. Along the way are business exhibits like Ben & Jerry’s (Vermont), Legos (Connecticut), and the Red Sox (Massachusetts) and local businesses like Ripple Pottery (Rumney, N.H.) The Maine and Rhode Island buildings each have a distinctly nautical feel.
The Big E is the only fair in the nation where more than one state participates. The Avenue of the States offers a great way to get a quick glimpse of New England and is probably close to what Joshua Brooks was hoping for.
If you haven’t been to the fair in a long time, or if you’ve never been at all, this anniversary year is an especially good time to visit “New England’s Fall Classic” in West Springfield, Sept. 16 – Oct. 2. Even though the fair has been in almost the same form for 100 years, my family tries to make it down every year because there is always something new to see.
Margaret Drye lives in Plainfield. She is a corporator of the nonprofit Eastern States Exposition.