The Big E fair is held every September in West Springfield, MA (Massachusetts, USA), a short distance from the fall foliage riches to be found in the Berkshires. A magnet for devotees of landscaping, home accents and home improvement, the Big E fair was born in 1917. Events at the Big E go on for seventeen days, and the fair draws more than one million people to Springfield annually. Merchants rent space on the Big E grounds, promoting their wares, including home accents, to any passers-by who happen to be taking a break from the Big E's amusement rides and gastronomical delights.
If you've never heard of Springfield's Big E, picture yourself in New England on a fall day, surrounded by fall foliage....
The night air is now crisp, belying the warm days' promise of summer's survival. The first sparks of orange lie atop the maples, heralding the October flames that will soon be drawing leaf peepers from far and wide to view fall foliage. Yes, it is autumn in New England, and for many that means a trip to a grand event that annually marks the celebration of fall foliage and landscaping -- The Big E.
Even a casual tour of The Big E will inspire both do it yourself landscapers and landscaping pros with new ideas. Merchant displays relevant to landscaping are numerous, ranging from home accents to hand tools, and from water garden kits to power equipment. Home owners seeking to raise the real estate value of their property need to take note of such resources: landscaping enhancements add about fifteen percent to a home's value. So if you can tear yourself away from the fall foliage long enough, pay a visit to The Big E fair -- and ask plenty of questions!
On Page 2 take a virtual tour of the Big E, as I describe the displays of some of the merchants who typically have a presence at the fair....
