{"id":2858,"date":"2009-09-30T02:22:00","date_gmt":"2009-09-30T06:22:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kitfoster.com\/carport\/2009\/09\/big-e\/"},"modified":"2010-12-30T12:00:56","modified_gmt":"2010-12-30T17:00:56","slug":"big-e","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.kitfoster.com\/carport\/2009\/09\/big-e\/","title":{"rendered":"The Big E"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"McCormick<\/a><\/p>\n

When I was young the favorite fall activity was attending the Springfield Fair. Officially the Eastern States Exposition<\/a>, it was (and is) a surrogate state fair for the six New England colonies, each of which is too tiny to mount a state fair of midwestern proportions. For reasons I cannot explain, I had never been to Springfield Fair, or “Eastern States” as we sometimes called it, or the Big E<\/a> as it is known now. So when my family asked what I wanted for my birthday, which occured earlier this month, I said “Take me to the Big E!”<\/p>\n

The Big E began<\/a> in 1916 as an agricultural show, and it remains substantially so today. It is held in West Springfield, Massachusetts<\/a>, over 17 days in September and October. We arrived as the Jersey cows<\/a> were entering the show ring<\/a>, and took a stroll through the barns of sheep<\/a>, goats<\/a>, pigs<\/a> and poultry<\/a>. There’s a large presence of FFA<\/a> and 4H Clubs<\/a>, dairy promotions<\/a> and plenty of handicrafts<\/a>. But agriculture takes machinery so not far from the gate we were greeted by vintage tractors<\/a>. These were mainly Farmalls<\/a> and John Deeres<\/a>, but there was also an assortment of garden tractors<\/a>. I was delighted to find an old friend, a Farmall F-12<\/a>, just like the one I drove in my farming period, right down to the accessory overdrive<\/a> for road travel.<\/p>\n

I was surprised there were so few exhibits of new tractors, just a Bobcat<\/a> among the backhoes and loaders<\/a>, and a bevy of TYM tractors<\/a>, a make I’d never heard of but which are built in Korea. New England is snow country, so of course there were snow plows aplenty<\/a> and the first ever MXT International pickup<\/a> I’d seen in person.<\/p>\n

But what about cars? Were there cars at the Big E? Well, there was a Subway\/Aflac Ford Fusion racer<\/a>, with obligatory false face<\/a>, and soon I stumbled across a slightly slammed AMC Hornet<\/a>. It turned out to be one of the cars from the James Bond film<\/a> The Man with the Golden Gun<\/a>, a center-steer<\/a> stunt car from the barrel roll scene<\/a>, the work of stuntman and demo derby<\/a> entrepreneur Jay Milligan<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It was Connecticut Day, so we went to the Connecticut building<\/a>, and saw author Billy Steers autographing children’s books<\/a> with his own Tractor Mac Farmall Cub<\/a>. Around the back was a mysterious 1929 Buick<\/a> and a Camaro convertible<\/a> ostensibly for Connecticut’s Outstanding Teen, Acacia Courtney. The Connecticut State Police had an authentic 1958 Ford cruiser<\/a> of the type I remember, correctly fitted out with lights, radio and three speed stick shift<\/a>, just as I remember back in the day. They also had later generations of LTD cruisers<\/a> and a current Crown Vic<\/a>, and even one of the short run of Plymouths<\/a> ordered by Governor Meskill back in the 1970s. A flock of Harley-Davidsons<\/a> completed their display.<\/p>\n

Close by was a GM Futurliner bus<\/a>, now owned by Springfield’s Peter Pan Bus Company<\/a>, and a curious thing<\/a> promoting Lupa Zoo<\/a>, which displayed some of the customary characteristics of a car. And then there were trucks, from the local chapter of the American Truck Historical Society<\/a>. Announcing that the national ATHS show is coming to the Big E<\/a> grounds in 2012, they had assembled a good contingent<\/a>, including an authentically-outfitted<\/a> 1924 Model T huckster wagon<\/a>. Chevrolet is the “official car” of the Big E, enshrined in Chevrolet Court<\/a> and centerpiecing a new Camaro<\/a>. Much play was given to the fuel cell Equinox<\/a> and ethanol-drinking HHR<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But the Big E is hardly a car show. There’s a big midway<\/a> with rides, state exhibits like Massachusetts cranberries<\/a>, and pitchmen for every concievable contraption, from floor mops<\/a> to Sham Wow<\/a>. We filled up on fair food<\/a>, walked our feet off and had a thoroughly good time. You can, too. The Big E<\/a> runs through October 4th.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When I was young the favorite fall activity was attending the Springfield Fair. Officially the Eastern States Exposition, it was (and is) a surrogate state fair for the six New England colonies, each of which is too tiny to mount a state fair of midwestern proportions. For reasons I cannot explain, I had never been….<\/span>
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