For the second year in a row the annual western Massachusetts fair known as the Big E ranked as the fifth largest fair in North America.
The 2014 Big E drew a total of just under 1.5 million people during its 17-day run. A single-day attendance record was set on the middle Saturday of the fair when 170,000 people passed through the fairground gates in West Springfield. Big E President Eugene Cassidy said he was thrilled the fair had maintained its place as the fifth largest in North America.
"The impact of the Big E is really quite dramatic," said Cassidy. " I hope it is something people take note of and appreciate."
The year-round fairground operations have a $500 million local economic impact according to a 2013 study. The Big E will mark its centennial in 2016.
