The Big E, with its entertainment, midway rides and exhibits, is fried-food-on-a-stick fun.
It can also be a pricey outing, especially if you bring the whole family. Get your tickets before you go though, and you can snag substantial savings.
Advance discount tickets are on sale at thebige.com, the Big E box office and at Big Y World Class Markets through Sept. 14. Adults are $12 and children aged six through 12 are $8. Pay at the gate and it will cost you $15 for adults and $10 for kids. Children under 5 are free every day. (Tickets purchased online and at the box office have a $1 service fee. Tickets purchased at Big Y do not.)
Opening day, Friday, Sept. 16, is “Be a Kid for a Day.” Admission is $10 for all ages and tickets can be purchased online or at the gate.
Buy your “Be a Kid for a Day” ticket at Big Y and you’ll pay just $6.
An advance-purchase Midway Magic Pass, also available online, at the Big E box office and Big Y stores through Sept. 14, is $23. The pass can be used for unlimited rides any one day, Monday through Friday, or it can be exchanged for 24 ride tickets that can be used on Saturday or Sunday.
An Advance Value Pass, $40 for adults, $20 for kids aged six through 12, gives you unlimited entry all 17 days of the fair. Value passes are available online, the Big E box office or at Big Y stores through Oct. 4.
Opening day is also Military Appreciation Day, with free admission for active duty and retired military personnel and dependents or veterans (no dependents) with valid ID.
Special admission prices: Six-After-Five admission for all ages is $6 when you arrive after 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Mondays through Thursdays are also Senior Days. Admission is $12 for those 60 and older.
Big E’s Official Program Books, $5, are available inside each gate as well as at all souvenir and information locations. Along with helping you find your way around, books contain coupons for discounts on fair foods and products.
Big E parking lot prices are $10 for cars and $20 for campers and payment is by cash only. Prices vary at private lots in the area.
The Big E runs Sept. 16 through Oct. 2 on the grounds of the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield. General admission is $15, $10 for children and free for children under 5. thebige.com
