In front of the Connecticut Building at the Eastern States Exposition, John Barrows and Mackenzie Coburn crouched over the pavement, smoothing out a vivid pink decal. It’s round with bright yellow and white letters in the middle and says: “The Big E.”
“This is actually a first time for us with this material,” Barrows said.
But he’s no stranger to testing things first. Back in his workshop, every detail is tried out before it makes its way to the fairgrounds. At the Big E, not much is left to chance.
The Big E, the largest fair in the Northeast, attracts about 1.5 million people each year to the fairgrounds in West Springfield, Massachusetts.
More than 95% of visitors are returning patrons, with Connecticut accounting for almost 45% of the crowds.
Eugene Cassidy, president and CEO of the Eastern States Exposition, lit up when he described the impact the Big E has on the region.
“This is the greatest amalgamation of the American way of life,” he said. “You will never find more diversity of people who want to be in each other’s company, and I love the fact that we can present that.”
A team of Connecticut Public journalists walked almost four miles across the fairgrounds on Connecticut Day, speaking with dozens of vendors, staff, exhibitors and guests to learn more about what the fair means to them.
‘Just love the feeling’
At Cyndy’s Bears, customers have been coming by for decades to have teddy bears and plush bunnies embroidered with their names.
The work starts long before the fair opens. It takes a crew of six up to 10 days to set up the tent, starting with laying down mats as flooring and installing the racks. The racks are filled with teddy bears, bunnies, and other personalized products, like flashlights, hats, aprons, and pet accessories. Even uncommon names can be embroidered on a stuffed bunny's dress within 10 minutes.
Outfitting your bear or bunny with underwear is an extra $5.
Mary Naughton, now 80, founded the business and has passed it on to her daughter, Cyndy Penner.
“It's scary. It's tricky. She has high expectations, very organized and diligent,” Penner said with a laugh.
But it’s work they both love.
“I just love the feeling!” Penner said. “You do not expect to feel the excitement and joyfulness when the kid gets her name on a bear and she comes up and she's hugging that bear, and some of them even cry. They’ve never seen their name before.”
Across the fairgrounds, Andrea Anderson and Sabrina Gagnon of Hobby Knoll Stable rode their pick-up truck with a very special mission: To find and scoop up manure that their Clydesdale horses left on the ground. They brought eight of their 11 horses from their stables in Duxbury, Massachusetts, to the Big E. Cleaning up after them is part of the job.
“There's definitely a fling to the wrist to get the manure in the shovel," Anderson said. "The first time it does take a little bit of skill. For sure, it is an art.”
What happens when they’re not at the fair?
“We do a lot of weddings. We do hay rides. We do a lot of stuff on the farm,” Anderson said.
Melissa Russell from Bristol, Connecticut, was at the fair with her family. She’s a third-generation fife player and has been playing for nearly 40 years. On Connecticut Day at the fair, she was wearing her uniform to showcase the music’s history with her fife and drum corps.
Stopping for a cream puff is a non-negotiable for the Russells.
What’s her favorite part of the fair?
Russell looked at her 4-year-old twins and beamed:
“Honestly, it's watching these kids take it in.”
‘Rewarding to see things come to life’
Joseph Haag is far from his home in Plymouth, Wisconsin, but visits the Big E and other fairs to sell cookie dough on a stick to hungry fairgoers. (This year's new flavor is salted caramel.)
His stand, Kora & Mila's Cookie Dough, is named after his daughters.
Haag’s wife started the business almost two decades ago with her grandmother’s recipes.
He visits more than 20 events a year, mainly in the Midwest. His next stop will be the North Carolina State Fair in Raleigh.
“We start going really hard in June,” he said.
The hardest part, he said, is the time away from family. Still, he’s grateful his daughters “see how hard mommy and daddy work for them.”
The Big E is synonymous with agriculture, crafts and food, but it’s the workers and visitors coming from near and far who make the expo what it is.
Reflecting on his staff, Cassidy said: “These people are so incredibly committed to the mission that they work unbelievable hours."
For Mackenzie Coburn, sales manager at Eastern States Exposition, the payoff is clear when the fair finally opens its gates.
“It's rewarding to see things come to life here,” she said. “It's like all the hard work you put in all year round, these 17 days make it worth it.”
Learn more
The Big E runs Sept 12-28. For more sights and sounds from the fair, listen to Audacious with Chion Wolf on Oct. 4.
