My friend Anne and I thought it would be fun to go to the Eastern States Expo this year, so shortly before noon, we set off from my house toward West Springfield, which is about an hour’s drive away. We got on the Pike in Palmer and about 12 miles later got off at Exit 6 to get on 291 West to I-91 South. Our directions said to take Exit 3 to Route 5 North to 147 West, so we did that and soon realized that everyone else was doing it too. Traffic was at a near-standstill for what seemed like hours, and in fact, it took us about two hours to arrive at the gates. We parked in a private yard on Norman Avenue, the first available space we saw, and walked the half mile or so to the entrance on Memorial Avenue.
It was a gorgeous, sunny late summer day, and the fair was jammed. In fact, attendance today was 150,889, by far the most popular day since the fair opened on September 12. True, the exposition grounds cover over 100 acres, but it often seemed like wall-to-wall people, and there were long lines everywhere.
By the time we arrived, it was past 2 pm and we were famished, so lunch was the first order of business. We settled on soup and sandwich fare at the Storrowton Tavern, which we ate as we listened to a country music duo called the Skidmarks.
Thus fortified, we ventured into the exhibit halls. Here are some of the highlights:
Better Living Center: I was mesmerized by one of the kitchen gadget demonstrations and bought a garlic grater, a small ceramic plate with tiny spikes. Anne and I also admired the Cutco cutlery; we each bought a Trimmer, one of the most popular of the utility knives.
Farm-A-Rama: This is an agricultural fair, after all, so we had to wander through these exhibits. Check out the giant pumpkins! At one of the booths, I bought a jar of honey from Hampden County hives; I had run out of this kitchen staple a few weeks ago and was happy to replenish my stock with local produce. And of course, there were the animals, so this was probably my favorite venue.
Coliseum: We watched a few young ladies compete in the Hunter Division, which means the horses and their riders jumped over fences. Neither Anne nor I know anything about this sport, but we thought the horses were beautiful and graceful.
Storrowton Village: Anne and I are both interested in local history, so we couldn’t resist this part of the expo. This Museum is an authentic recreation of a 19th century village, consisting of nine historical buildings assembled around a traditional Green. We stopped in the church, the schoolroom, the forge, the law office, the farmhouse, and the Potter mansion. Volunteer docents were available in all the buildings to answer questions from visitors.
Avenue of the States: Everyone enjoys this feature of the expo. According to the website, founder Joshua Brooks
wanted the Exposition to be a truly regional event. He believed that to achieve this, each of the six New England states should construct a building that could display both its character and its products.
Anne and I sampled flatbread pizza in the Vermont building, and at the end of the day, returned to the Maine building determined to snack on the baked potatoes. I must say, my potato was worth waiting in line for. Shortly before we left at closing time, Anne bought maple syrup from the New Hampshire pavilion.
Tired but satisfied, we wended our way home. Thank you to Anne who suggested this excursion and who drove patiently and cheerfully through the traffic and unfamiliar roads.