Saturday’s weather was hot but remained pleasant as the evening went on, possibly contributing to the record setting day of attendance. (Photo by Peter Currier)
WEST SPRINGFIELD- The Big E broke its own all-time attendance record for a single day of the fair Saturday, Sept. 21 with a total attendance of 176,544 throughout the day.
The previous record for a single day was just slightly less than that at 172,655 set just last year. The weather for the weekend helped, with no precipitation and warm temperatures. The first weekend of this year’s Big E saw 73,108 people on Friday, 100,147 on Saturday, and 81,334 on Sunday. Heavy rain and slightly colder temperatures may have stifled the attendance for that weekend.
Pending Sunday’s final total, the total attendance for the Big E so far is 694,647 people. The all time record for attendance was set last year at 1.54 million people attending in just over two weeks.
This weekend’s lineup for concerts featured shows for both adults and children. Playing in the Big E Arena on Friday was a “Back to the 80’s” collaborative show with A Flock of Seagulls, Naked Eyes and Missing Persons. On Saturday they moved forward a decade and featured 90’s band, Sugar Ray, and Sunday featured a Sesame Street performance for the kids.
The final weekend of the Big E’s headline performances will feature Collective Soul on Friday, Sept. 27, Carly Rae Jepson on Saturday, and Foreigner on Sunday for the final day of the fair.
This week will also include Salute to Westfield Day on Thursday, Sept. 26. A parade featuring Westfield student organizations, government officials, and businesses will begin at 5:00 as part of the daily Big E parade and will be going around the entirety of the fairgrounds. Salute to Westfield Day is sponsored by Westfield Bank.
