As a sophomore student at UMass, I thought that I knew most of the goings-on around campus and the surrounding area.
At least I thought that was the case until I heard murmurs all around campus about “The Big E.”
In class. At work. In the dining hall. I just couldn’t escape it. What the heck was this ‘Big E’ and why was everyone talking about it?
One thing was made perfectly clear: I knew I had to go and see what the hype was all about.
So, on a crisp fall Saturday morning, after calling shotgun in my friend’s 2007 GMC Acadia, we were off. Being from New Jersey, I had no idea what was in store. Luckily, I was in a vehicle surrounded by Big E veterans and Western Massachusetts natives to guide me.
From my understanding, anyone from Massachusetts (particularly Western Massachusetts), could tell you all about “The Big E.” But in case you, like me, were unfamiliar, allow me to explain what The Big E is all about. In short, The Big E is a fair, carnival, concert venue, and petting zoo all in one. Originally known as The Eastern States Exposition, The Big E is a culmination of the culture and delicacies spanning the six New England states. It runs for 17 days and sees crowds as large as 170,000 daily.
My first impression of The Big E? It certainly lives up to its name. The area it is held in is absolutely humongous and the sheer amount of people in attendance is insane. Even the size of the food sold at The Big E is big. Everywhere you turn there is a foot-long corn dog being sold, or a gaggle of people all sporting a huge turkey leg in one hand and a large lemonade (in a souvenir cup) in the other. Simply think of any quintessential fair food and not only would it be at The Big E, but they would also have it in six different flavors — including one deep-fried version covered in powdered sugar.
The Big E brings the expression “little kid in a candy store” to life. In fact, that is exactly how I felt. I ran to each vendor, trying every sweet and savory treat they had to offer. Needless to say, I dropped a pretty penny trying to fill my insatiable need for more sweets.
Although the food was great, the sweetest thing of all was getting to know more about how my friends, who are locals to the area, spent their childhood and high school years coming to The Big E and being able to share that experience with them.
If you haven’t been, The Big E definitely felt like a right of passage as a student at UMass and as a temporary resident of Western Massachusetts. I’ll totally be on the lookout for it when it returns next fall.
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