The Big E, New England’s biggest fall festival, began on the second Friday after Labor Day, each year bringing in people from all over. Gates opened at 8 am on September 15th, with opening day tickets on sale for only twelve dollars. The festival ran for seventeen days, ending on October 2nd.
This year, there were big musical names performing such as Ginuwine, Third Eye Blind, Quinn XCII, and John Fogerty. Along with them, there was also some underground artists such as High Tea, Strange Neighbors, and the Baxbys.
Colby Sizer, country music fan, experienced her first live performance with Chris Young,
“I absolutely loved it; he even played new music at his concert,” Sizer added “You should definitely go on a night when one of your favorite artists is playing, because obviously the rides and everything was fun, but I feel like going to the concert really topped the night off.”
The entertainment was endless, as you were able to watch their big parade and circus that runs daily, live mind games, glassblowing, pig racing, fire eating, and magic shows.
If you are more of an activity person, there was a slip and slide, eight classic carnival rides, and even a mini petting zoo. The festival has something to offer for everyone, and was a fun time whether you went with friends or family.
Food is another huge part of the event, with over twenty different types of fair food. Fried food is one of their specialties, as they have deep fried almost anything you can think of.
“We had cookie dough, fried oreos, and fried dough,” Sizer added.
This season we had a lot of rainy days, which pushed some people to stay home. Rebekkah Lawton, who attended during the rain, actually prefers it that way.
“It’s even better in the rain because you’re getting cooled down,” Lawton added. “It’s also a lot less busy and you get easier access to food and being able to go on more adventures.”
The Big E should definitely be something everyone should go to at least once in their life.
“One hundred percent, no doubt in my mind that it’s worth it to go,” Sizer said. ”It was so much fun; I’ve never been to anything like that in my life.”
