Eastern States Exposition – the Big E – the largest of the New England state fairs, gets underway in West Springfield, Massachusetts this weekend.

The whole bash kicks off on Friday September 18^th, 2009 and goes through to Sunday October 4^th, 2009. Opening day this year features “Be a Kid for a Day” and Military Appreciation Day where there is free admission for military personnel, their dependents and veterans.

While it’s a worn cliché I know – there really is something for everybody at the Big E. The familiar livestock shows, Avenue of the States along with daily parades, a circus, rides, special shows and exhibits and of course the food – always plenty of variety.

Special this year is the James Bond Stunt Car Exhibit and Sea Lion Bash. 007 fans will relish in seeing many of the artifacts and memorabilia from the famous spiral stunt car sequence in “Man with the Golden Gun.” And the crowd pleasing Sea Lions return to capture the hearts of all ages with their entertaining and educational show.

If you love traditional one-ring European style circus then head on over to the Big E Super Circus where you’ll marvel at a high-flying trapeze act, a contortionist –see what she can do with her toes and I can’t even touch mine – and of course acrobats, clowns and the wonderful Elephants.

The North American Midway is the fairs own amusement park with rides for all ages, but of course plenty of fast thrilling rides for teenagers such as Niagara Falls, Spinout and Crazy Flip. But young kids are well-catered for at Kiddieland as well.

The popular Mardi Gras Parade returns with seven New Orleans-designed floats, and if you’ve always wanted to be one of those people who throws beads to the spectators then join the team for your costume 30 minutes before parade time to participate.

One of the most popular exhibits is always the Avenue of the States with life-size replicas of each state’s original capitol building. The exhibits is a chance for each state to showcase their unique products and heritage while visitors journeying to each state without leaving the Big E grounds – that’s right each state “owns” the ground their building sits on.

Free entertainment shows this year on the Comcast Arena Stage include: Charice, Foghat, Boyz II Men, Lane Turner, Little Big Town, Jamey Johnson, Bret Michaels, and Seether. And free entertainment shows on the Court of Honor Stage include: Stars of the Peking Acrobats, Terry Sylvester (Hollies fame) 9/22 – 9/26, Thelma Houston 10/1 – 10/4, Richard Street 9/18-9/21, and “Mack the Knife” 9/27-9/20.

For information on admissions, directions, show times, and much more details on daily events check out the official web site here: http://www.thebige.com

For suggestions on more things to see and do in western Massachusetts check out Massachusetts attractions page here and our Berkshires Vacation section here.

Another New England post by one of our writers is being prepared right now so be sure to visit again or just subscribe to our RSS Feed here and get notified automatically of events and news.

Joan Daniels
Staff Writer
New England Online Magazine

If you enjoyed this article please share with others at your favorite sites below:

Related posts:

1. Countdown to the Big “E” 2007 in Massachusetts
2. Fall Festivals and Country Fairs in New England
3. The Largest Fair in the Northeast is Open for Business…
4. Boston Ballet “The Nutcracker” Kicks Off Another Season…
5. Here’s Fall Events Happening in The Berkshires