HARTFORD, Conn. — Connecticut’s agricultural businesses are returning to the Connecticut Building at The Big E. As the largest fair in the Northeast offering entertainment, exhibitors, fair food, and rides, this is also an opportunity for Connecticut farmers and agricultural organizations to showcase their products to a vast audience of fairgoers and potential customers.
This year’s fair runs through Sunday, October 2, 2022, at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, MA. In 2021 The Big E attracted 1,498,774 visitors. Connecticut residents account for roughly 50% of attendees according to Big E statistics.
One of the most popular attractions at the Big E is the Avenue of States, which includes all six New England States (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont). This year, The Big E’s Connecticut Day is scheduled for Wednesday, September 21. To celebrate Connecticut Day, the CT Department of Agriculture will be offering CT Grown apples and promoting the agency’s CT Grown brand, trivia, and offering giveaway items.
In addition, a rotation of agricultural exhibitors throughout the fair will provide visibility to a number of organizations and businesses including:
Twin Pines Farm and Union Bee Company – September 16-18
Guardians Farm – September 19-20
CT Agricultural Experiment Station – September 19
CT Farm Bureau Association – September 20
CT Department of Agriculture & CT Apple Marketing Board – September 21
CT Milk Promotion Board – September 22
Killam & Bassette Farmstead – September 22-25
Bridgeport Aquaculture School – September 23
2nd Co Governor’s Horse Guard – September 25
UConn Extension – September 28
Sweet Little Details – September 29-30
Sweet Wind Farm – September 27-28
Soapium – September October 1-2
Newgate Farms – September 29-October 2
The Connecticut Farm Wine Development Council will also be present with a total of 18 wines from nine participating wineries, including Bishop’s Orchards & Winery, Hopkins Vineyard, Jonathan Edwards Winery, Jones Family Farms Winery, Lost Acres Vineyard, Maugle Sierra Vineyard, Preston Ridge Vineyard, Staehly Farm Winery, and Taylor Brooke Winery. Back by popular demand will be frozen wine, known as frose’.
The Harvest New England Association will again be coordinating Harvest New England Day at The Big E on Friday, September 30. Harvest New England Day will include the Passport to New England Agriculture program where fairgoers can visit each state building along the Avenue of States, plus the New England Grange Building, to answer a trivia question and receive a stamp. Once their Passport card is full it can be redeemed at the Vermont building to receive a Harvest New England tote bag. For more information visit The Big E or follow the CT Building-Big E Facebook page for daily updates.
The Department of Agriculture still has limited dates available to exhibit in the Connecticut Building and is seeking exhibitors for Saturday, September 24, 2022, and Tuesday, September 27th. To learn about current opportunities to exhibit, please contact Rebecca Eddy at Rebecca.Eddy@ct.gov or Erin Windham at Erin.Windham@ct.gov.
To learn about opportunities to exhibit in 2023, please contact Rebecca Eddy at Rebecca.Eddy@ct.gov.
–Connecticut Department of Agriculture