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The Avenue of States at the Big E in West Springfield on a partly-cloudy late-summer afternoon. A red-brick Massachusetts state-house replica on the left with a tall white-columned cupola, a clock face, and a gilded sculpture above its pediment, an American flag on a pole at the entrance, fairgoers in shorts and backpacks walking down a wide paved avenue, smaller cupolas and white-trimmed gables of the Connecticut and Rhode Island replicas farther down the row, leafy green trees framing the right edge, and a bright blue sky scattered with cumulus clouds above.
Things to Do · Seasonal
Avenue of States, Eastern States Exposition, West Springfield, September 2014. Photo by Liz West, source, CC BY 2.0.

The Big E

West Springfield, Hampden County

Category
Seasonal
Town
West Springfield
County
Hampden
Price
$$

The Eastern States Exposition, universally called The Big E, is the largest agricultural fair in New England and one of the largest in the United States, drawing well over a million visitors across its 17-day September run. It has been held on the same 175-acre fairground in West Springfield since 1917.

The centerpiece is the Avenue of States: full-scale replicas of the six New England state houses, each hosting its state’s featured foods, crafts, tourism boards, and entertainers. Elsewhere there is a large midway, a circus, daily parades, livestock shows, horse shows, and a long list of grandstand concerts included with fair admission.

Visiting

In 2026, the fair runs September 18 through October 4. Advance adult admission starts at $17.50, with children ages 6–12 discounted and ages 5 and under free; gate and concert-package prices vary. Parking on the fairgrounds is additional, and satellite lots with shuttle service can be cheaper and faster on weekends. Avoid the final weekend if you don’t like crowds.

Sources