Wednesday is Connecticut Day at the Big E and you will find new food options, new experiences, lots of entertainment and the fair favorites that keep you going back.
The day-long celebration of Connecticut will include more than 12 hours of live entertainment on the Connecticut Building’s front lawn stage and a guest appearance by UConn basketball player Donovan Clingan, a Bristol native and star on the NCAA men’s basketball winning team.
Local bands and singers, such as the Savage Brothers Band, Mass-Conn-Fusion, Coastal Chordsmen, KC Sisters and Jamie’s Junk Show, will perform.
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The Connecticut Building will have 12 vendors and 36 returning tourism attractions, restaurants, small businesses and artisans from every corner of the state.
Local
Interactive entertainment this year will include escape room tents and games, a “Connecticut Loves” photo booth in the beer garden, which will offer more than 100 craft breweries across the state and beer slushies.
Following two fights at the festival, there will be an increased police presence Wednesday. West Springfield police said they believe the fights may have been staged and recorded so that young people can "become TikTok famous."
Big E Hours
- Gates open at 8 a.m.
- The Big E Bakery: 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
- Buildings and Craft Common: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Avenue of States and Storrowton Village Museum & Shops: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- New England Center: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Midway: Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Big E Admission Rates
At the gate - Sept. 15 – Oct. 1
- Adults: $20
- Children, 6 to 12: $12
- 5 and under: Free
- Senior days: $16 (60 and over) Sunday through Thursday
Learn more about Connecticut Day here.
Learn more about the Big E here.
The Big E is at 1305 Memorial Ave. in West Springfield, Massachusetts.
Directions and parking
These are the directions from Connecticut:
- Take Interstate 91 North from Route 2, Interstate 84, Interstate 95 or the Merritt Parkway
- Follow I-91 North to Mass. exit 3 to Route 5 North to Route 147 West, Memorial Avenue approximately 3/4 mi. to ESE’s Gate 9 parking lot.
Alternate directions:
- I-91 North Exit 5 (East Columbus Ave.) and follow signs
- I-91 North Exit 7B (us 20) and follow signs
Cars, vans and trucks park on the grounds at Gate 9 located at 875 Memorial Ave. (Public Parking).
Cars are $10 per vehicle at Gate 9 and motorcycles are $5.
Motorcycles park on the grounds at Gate 9.
Cash only is accepted in the auto parking gates. There are no ATMs near Gate 9.
Several adjacent private parking lots are located in the neighborhoods along Memorial Avenue and are not affiliated with Eastern States Exposition.
