![]() It opened in 1916 for the first exposition, and since then it has been used for a variety of events. A century later, it is still held every September on the same site in West Springfield, and one of the centerpieces of the fair has been the Coliseum, seen here in these two photos. The Eastern States Exposition, better known as the Big E, began in 1916 as an agricultural fair for the six New England states. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress, FSA/OWI Collection. ![]() The interior of the Eastern States Coliseum during a cattle show in September, 1936. Categories 1930s, Carl Mydans, Massachusetts, Sports, West Springfield Massachusetts 1 Comment There were no events happening at the time that the photo was taken, but the Coliseum is still regularly used at the Big E every fall, as well as other times throughout the year. The present-day photo was taken during the 2016 exposition, when both the agricultural fair and the building itself turned a century old. Today, although 80 years have passed, very little has changed inside the Coliseum since Mydans photographed it. Built in 1916 when the annual exposition began, the arena was used for everything from professional hockey to equestrian shows, and the first photo shows a cattle judging event that was happening when Mydans visited. Many of these photos showed the harsh conditions that farmers endured, including Dorothea Lange’s famous Migrant Mother photo, and have become iconic representations of the Great Depression.ĭuring his travels, Carl Mydans, who was a Massachusetts native, took a series of photographs at the 1936 Eastern States Exposition, including some inside the Coliseum. ![]() During the Great Depression, the agency employed a number of prominent photographers who traveled around the country, documenting conditions of rural areas across the country. Like the photo in the previous post, the first photo here was taken by photojournalist Carl Mydans during his time with the Farm Security Administration. The winner will be revealed at some point during this year’s Big E.Another view of the interior of the Eastern States Coliseum, in September, 1936. To be entered to win, people must scan the QR code on their ticket and then answer four questions. We have a number of new food items from our team.”Īlso new for their 2022 fair campaign, they’ve launched a mystery giveaway. Jazzy Jeff coming, along with John Weight and some others. “The Golden Ticket was something for us to give back to our loyal patrons during COVID, right when things started to come out of COVID, so we decided to do a lifetime pass to The Big E, essentially a Willy Wonka-like Golden Ticket, so when we announced that sale, it started at 9 in the morning and we sold out in 61 seconds,” Garstka added.Īs for some new things to expect for the 2022 season, he said, “We have a killer concert line-up for the Court of Honor, which was just announced yesterday, so if you would like to go on The Big E website, that’s available. Garstka said events like this have proven successful in years past, like the lifetime Golden Ticket passes in 2021. We have done 100 days out, we did one on Valentine’s Day, so we try to keep the moving target out there,” Garstka explained. It’s nine bucks for you to preorder tickets…We’ve done it the last three or four years and it creates a lot of excitement for us, we have never divulged the date. “It is 99 days out and it is June 9, so we decided to run our flash sale today. Western Mass News spoke with Garstka, who told us they have launched a special sale for one day only as a way to thank the visitors who helped make last year’s fair historic success. The Big E is just 99 days away and preparations for 106th annual fair have begun. Fall is just around the corner,” said Tim Garstka, director of sales for the Eastern States Exposition. “It’s a way for us to create a little bit of excitement and get people really in The Big E mood. WEST SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) - The Eastern States Exposition has begun a 99-day countdown to The Big E and to kick it off, they launched a one-day flash ticket sale happening Thursday from 9 a.m.
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