We were off down the Mass Pike at 10:30 again, this time turning in the opposite direction towards Springfield and The Big Exposition, aka New England's state fair. Once again, there was no traffic, and we got into Springfield fairly quickly...until we actually got close to The Big E. Then we ran, not surprisingly, into traffic going towards the fairgrounds. Once we did make it in, we parked in the grass and headed towards the entrance.
The Big E is huge! They're the state fair for the entire New England area. They were already bustling when we arrived at almost noon. People milled around tables selling gutters and roof shingles, tents selling toys and airbrushed t-shirts, and booths with bright-colored signs that sold lemonade and anything that could possibly be fried. (Including Kool Aid and whoopie pies.)
After a quick look at a toy tent, we moved on through the Young Building and the Better Living Building. These are pretty much an extension of what's outside, only with slightly more upscale items sold, like handcrafted linens and knits. We mostly just browsed through them, but we couldn't resist stopping at a booth in the Better Living Building that sold all kind of stuffed animals, from Disney to Russ. I found the most adorable little brown and white beagle. Lauren picked up an owl and an Eeyore for her mom.
By the time we got out of there, we were both ready for lunch...but we wanted something different than the usual fair food. Eagle-eyed Lauren spotted a truck that sold kielbasa and all things made from it, including mac and cheese with kielbasa and pirogis. Lauren got the mac & cheese and a refillable pink souvenir cup with a handle; I opted for 3 spinach and feta pirogis and a bottle of water. I haven't had pirogis in years, and these were tasty, fairly large and filled with lots of spinach and cheese. Lauren's mac & cheese had lots of big kielbasa bits and so much cheese, it was practically decadent. The cup was too huge for either of us to finish.
We opted for ice cream for dessert at a barn-like booth across the street. Lauren wanted a black raspberry-vanilla swirl in a waffle cone. I got a chocolate-vanilla swirl in a regular cone. We both had chocolate sprinkles. I should have sprung for the waffle cone. The regular cone couldn't hold the towering mountain of ice cream the guy gave us. It melted all over my hand and made a tasty mess. I had to stop at a bathroom to wash my hands.
Next up was the Avenue of the States, a row of buildings representing the capitol of each New England states. Rhode Island was the busiest. They were having "Rhode Island Day," with a local band playing "City of New Orleans" on the patio outside. People admired a really cool display of jack-o-lanterns from a Rhode Island zoo and lined up for Del's Lemonade and Warwick Ice Cream. We could barely elbow our way through the crowds.
The other capitol buildings were only slightly less busy. The line for Maine baked potatoes and Poland Spring water went out the building. People bought raspberries and chatted with Amazon representatives in Massachusetts. Children clamored for Pez dispensers in Connecticut, while their parents wanted maple syrup products in New Hampshire. We passed Ben & Jerry's and thick blocks of Cabot cheese in Vermont, along with lots of flannels. Lauren bought workout pants with flannel inserts. I bought more of those comfy plaid flannel scrunchies I found there last year.
Doubled back to the Better Living and Young buildings next. There were a few booths we wanted to check out again. Lauren bought the full set of Pink Panther shorts from an imported DVD seller and a fluffy teddy bear from a woman selling items made from alpaca wool. She found a knit hat and woven scarf from a knitwear and accessories boutique. We returned briefly to the Avenue of the States for Lauren to buy orange cream fudge from Rhode Island for her father and raspberry fudge for herself.
By this point, we'd literally been outside all day and were dead tired. It was time to head home. It took us a few minutes to find Lauren's car, and another couple to get out of the fair. Once we got out onto the main road, there were no problems, not even as we passed downtown Springfield. It was clear riding all the way back to Lee.
Had dinner at Athena's, the same restaurant just off the highway in Lee that we ate at after the fair last year. It's a lovely little place with wooden booths and green plants everywhere. Lauren went with a crispy chicken wrap and a pink lemonade. I hadn't had a chicken gyro in ages. I had it here last year, and it was just as good this year, crispy and salty. The fries were even better. I'd never had crispier fries. I wonder if they were double-dipped in batter and then fried, like Lauren suggested?
We finally made it home around quarter after 7. The Millers were watching Wheel of Fortune when we got in. We continued on to Jeopardy! with them as we showed them our purchases and I went downstairs while they talked family things.
I'm so glad we went today! The weather couldn't have been nicer. It was windy, and the wind was chilly, but the sun felt nice and warm. Perfect September weather.
Hopefully, the weather will continue to be lovely tomorrow. We're going to head into Vermont for our annual trip to the Vermont Country Store.
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