Tackling "New England's Great State Fair"

Yes, that's what they used to call it; or the Eastern States Exposition. You know it as the Big E, the 17-day extravaganza in West Springfield, Mass. that celebrates everything that is Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island -- along with much more.

A lot of people avoid the Big E like the plague. If you don't like crowds and spending a lot of money, and prefer an old-fashioned, small-town fair, this one may not be for you. But for many the Big E is tradition -- it's childhood memories and lots of food fried in multiple ways and the only time of the year you get excited about petting a sheep.

One of my favorite jobs ever was working for six months as a writing intern for the Big E's marketing department. I wouldn't say the experience made me a Big E connoisseur, but I did pick up a few tips that have been helpful in the years since.

Getting There
First, tickets: look for deals. Big Y sells tickets at a discounted price before the fair. There's usually a discount the first day of the fair, or if you go after 5pm as well. So many people prefer to go on a Saturday or Sunday, of course, because they have it off already. Have you considered a Tuesday?

When I worked at the fair, every day they would circulate the attendance figures. Tuesday was consistently the quietest day at the fair. It makes sense. Many people take a long weekend and go to the fair on a Monday, Friday, or even Thursday. Middle of the week is best. The second Saturday of the fair is traditionally the busiest day (weather permitting). Just to give a rough example of attendance stats (and this has probably changed somewhat in 20 years, as even more people are attending the fair): a typical sunny Saturday might see close to 150,000 thousand people, while a Tuesday might have 40,000. We love to take advantage of the early release days from school our kids sometimes have on Tuesdays in September to go to the fair. It gives us a good eight hours there. Did I mention parking is cheaper on the weekdays, too?If you have no choice but to go on a weekend, arrive as early as possible. Do not take the most direct route but rather back roads. The later in the day it gets, the worse the highway gets. We once spent three hours in a traffic jam on the highway five miles from the fair. I know many of you have similar stories. Some of us have just ended up turning around and going home.

Planning your day

Some people are unaware that the fair gates open at 8am, although many exhibits don't open until 10. And while those with families especially are going to find it hard to arrive at the crack of dawn, I recommend on a weekend morning to get there by 9. Once you're there, if you are crowd-averse, start thinking like you're at Disney or Six Flags. Get to what's most popular as soon as it opens.

If you're there at 9 there's plenty of time to park, roam through the animal barns (park near the Mallory Complex, Gate 9) and possibly even see a competition, as many of those occur early on. Grab a snack and then walk straight across the grounds to the state buildings.

Most people seem to either love or hate the state buildings. They're corny, kitchy, full of stuff that most people aren't actually going to buy, and most of all, packed to the gills with people shuffling around through the entrance on one side and the exit on the other. I actually like the state buildings. I love New England, I love celebrating each state, I love snacking on the special goodies and looking at merchandise I rarely buy.

If you want to see these buildings and actually enjoy them, get there at 10am when they open. Especially if it's raining and everyone is looking for an indoor location.

If your kids are desperate to do rides, the Midway opens at 10 or 11, depending on the day. When the rides open, it's a ghost town. Take advantage of it! And of the bracelet passes. They are so much less expensive than paying for tickets, if your kids really want to spend some time on rides.

Other tips

The circus: 

The circus at the Big E is included in the ticket price. You'll just need to budget your time. People start lining up to get in an hour before show time. That's a long time to wait with your kids. Once they open the doors, you end up waiting a long time for the show to start, too. Unless you're there on a really busy day, it's almost better to show up less than a half hour before the show starts and squeak in there. There aren't really bad seats, but if your heart is set on being in the front row, then get there early for your seats but be prepared to have one parent have to possibly take a toddler-aged child back outside for awhile to run around during the wait.

The parades:

The Big E daily parade is at 5pm, and the Mardi Gras Parade is also at 5pm on the weekends or 7:30pm on weekdays. If you're not a parade person, this is a great time to hop over to busier attractions and see them while some people are along the parade route.

The Coliseum

The Coliseum is an older building where they hold many of the horse shows. It's not air conditioned, but we've found it's a good spot to go if you are looking for quiet and a few minutes to rest your feet. The plus is if there's actually a show going on! No matter what, the place won't be completely packed. We like to take our food goodies and sit in the stands to eat sometimes. The Storrowton Green near the state buildings is another good (outdoor) spot for relaxing for a bit.

Farm-a-Rama (Stroh Building)
This building includes 4-H displays, giant pumpkins, and the ever-popular chick hatching exhibit. The chicks are another area that gets crowded very early. If you're there on a Saturday, I suggest seeing them as early as possible (make it your first stop after the Mallary Complex) or late in the day when some of the littler ones have gone home.

New England Center

I looove this building (near the Avenue of States) because of all of the sewing, art and photography exhibits. This is always really tough to see with kids who just won't sit still. The famous Big E cream puff area is also located in this building. I swear this time around I'm going to try plying them with cream puffs and sitting with dad for a few minutes so I can peruse more slowly.

I haven't even touched on the craft areas, Young Building (which usually houses the featured exhibit that changes year to year) and Better Living Center, to name just a few. I'm not a huge fan of mopping and chopping demonstrations or buying a new piano or spa at the fair, so I tend to take a perfunctory stroll through those areas.

There is so much more to see and do at the Big E. Maybe you have some tips or ideas not mentioned here. I'd love to hear them.

The 2018 Big E runs from September 14-30. Learn more at thebige.com.