What should you eat at The Big E? Oh boy, that’s a big question.
New England’s largest state fair is famous for its food. But trimming things down to a short list is tough.
Do you want something deep-fried? A state-fair classic? A sweet treat? A combination of flavors that might be illegal in three states?
The Big E has everything you could want, and several things you probably don’t. How does one choose between a Turducken Sandwich and ice cream that looks like a tray of chicken nuggets? It can be a bit overwhelming.
So, to celebrate the 109th year of The Big E, here are 109 foods you can find at the fair this year. With that said, 109 is a lot. So we’re going to break it down into sections.
(Note: This is an updated version of a story that was originally published in 2023 and 2024.)
Deep-fried foods: If you can dream it, you can fry it
Deep-fried foods are the high-calorie backbone of any good state fair. The Big E is the perfect place to sail to sizzling international food waters of a deep fryer.
You can keep it classic with a fried Oreo or fried Twinkie – maybe a fried Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.
Or you could be a little more adventurous and try some Deep-Fried Kool-Aid or Deep-Fried Butter. They’re actually better than they sound.
1. Deep-Fried Oreos | Available throughout the fair
2. Giant Mozzarella Stick | From Angela’s Pizza | On Commonwealth Ave.
3. Deep-Fried Ice Cream Sandwich | From Deluca Family Foods | On New England Ave.
4. Chicken Parm Chompers | From Chompers | On New England Ave.
5. Fried Mac & Cheese Balls w/ Bacon | From E.B.’s Food For Fun | In The Food Court
6. Deep Fried Whoopie Pie | From Sugar Shakers | On New England Ave.
7. Fried Jelly Beans | From Marion’s Fried Foods | On New England Ave.
8. Deep-Fried BBQ Brisket Mac Taco from Jim’s Deep-Fried Tacos (East Road)
9. Fried Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups | From Piche’s Beignets | Near the Court of Honor Stage
10. Deep Fried Chile Relleño Al Pastor Street Tacos | From Macho Taco | On East Road
11. Fried Snickers | From Piche’s Beignets | Near the Court of Honor Stage
12. Fried Butter | From Marion’s Fried Foods | On New England Ave.
13. Empanadas Tacos | From Macho Taco | On Commonwealth Ave.
14. Deep-fried Cheesecake & Strawberries | From Poppie’s | Throughout the fair
15. Fried Shepherd’s Pie | From E.B.’s Food For Fun | In The Food Court
16. Loaded Tots | From Tots-A-Lot | On New England Ave.
17. Deep-fried Meatballs on a Stick | From Deluca Family Foods | On New England Ave.
18. General Tso’s Colossal Fried Shrimp | From the Harpoon Beer Hall | On New England Ave.
19. Fried Camembert Cheese | From Hofbrauhaus Beer Garden | In The Food Court
20. Tempura Plate | From the Veggie Patch | On Commonwealth Ave.
21. Fried Kool-Aid | At Marion’s Fried Dough | On New England Ave.
22. Fried Banana Balls | From Pop ‘n Fresh Fried Dough | On West Road
23. Blooming Onion | From The Big Cheese | On New England Ave.
24. Fried Twinkies | Fried Cheesecake Trailer | Commonwealth Ave.
25. Mozzarella Fingers | Hot Wisconsin Cheese | On Springfield Road
Classic Big E foods
There are some foods that have become institutions at The Big E. For starters, we’ve got the Cream Puff, which is produced on-site in The Big E’s own bakery.
We’ve also got fairground mainstays like fried dough and cheese curds. But The Big E also has some foods that have gained a cult following. That Baked Potato at the Maine Building? It has a separate tent to accommodate the lines that grow every year. There are also multiple spots to grab lobster rolls and kettle corn.
26. Big E Cream Puff | From the Big E Bakery | At the New England Food Center & Food Court
27. Maine Baked Potato | In the Maine Building
28. Lobster Rolls | In the Massachusetts Building, Rhode Island Building, Maine Building
29. Fried Cheese Curds | Available throughout the fair
30. Big E-clair | From the Big E Bakery | At the New England Food Center & Food Court
31. Kettle Corn | Available throughout the fair
Crazy burgers and sandwiches
If you’re going to a state fair, you’re probably not planning on sitting down to eat with a fork and knife. Fortunately, The Big E is here with some of the most bizarre foods ever placed between two slices of bread — or, in some cases, between two doughnuts.
32. Craz-E Burger (Bigger and crazier than before) | From The Emporium | In the Better Living Center
33. The Bear Necesset-E Sandwich | From Bear’s Smokehouse | On the side of the Connecticut Building
34. Insantit-E Burger (A double Craz-E Burger) | From The Emporium | In the Better Living Center
35. Spic-E Burger (Rolled in Hot Cheetos) | From The Emporium | In the Better Living Center
36. The Quadfather Burger | From White Hut | In the Food Court
37. Flatliner Burger | From West Springfield Lions Club | On West Road
38. The 18-inch “German Giant” Bratwurst Sandwich | From The Wurst Haus | On Commonwealth Avenue
39. Bacon Waffle Burger from Macken’s Specialty Sliders (Outside the Massachusetts Building)
40. Spicy PB&J Burger | From SoulFully Vegan | At The Front Porch
41. Turducken Sandwich | At the New England Craft Beer Pub | On The Avenue of States
42. Supreme Schnitzel Sandy | From Wurst Haus | On Commonwealth Ave.
43. Apple Cider-Glazed Pulled Pork Grilled Cheese | From Sam Adams Beer Garden | On the Avenue of States
44. Mac & Cheese Grilled Cheese | From Granville Country Store | In the Front Porch
45. Bacon Bomb Sandwich | From Bacon Bomb | On East Road
46. Rattlesnake/Pheasant Sausage | From Yankee Boy/International Lobster House | On West Road
47. Kangaroo Burger | At the Yankee Boy/International Lobster House
48. Polish “Bomb” | From New England Craft Beer Pub | On the Avenue of States
Sweet, decadent desserts
Even with fall just around the corner, it can get pretty hot at The Big E. Whenever that’s the case, you’re never far from an easy option to cool down. When the weather says it’s 85 (but it feels like 95), don’t hesitate to grab a crazy milkshake or a doughnut filled with ice cream. Sometimes you’ve got to eat to beat the heat.
49. Blueberry Pierogi Sundae | From Moo-licious | On Springfield Road
50. Maple Bacon Waffle Sundae | From Amy’s Sweet Treats | On Commonwealth Ave.
51. Dessert Ball | From Storrowton Tavern | On Commonwealth of States
52. S’macarons | From Vermont Marshmallow Company | Vermont Building
53. Ice Cream Cake Ball | From Storrowton Tavern | On the Avenue of States
54. Moo-nut | From Moo-licious | On Springfield Road
55. Frosting Shots | From LuAnn’s Bakery | At the Front Porch
56. The Moo Bomb | From Moo-licious | On Springfield Road
57. Milkshakes | From Chick-fil-A | On East Road
58. Oreo Cookie Cinnamon Bun | From Cinnamon Saloon | On Hampden Ave.
59. Beer-a-Misu | From the New England Craft Beer Pub | On the Avenue of States
60. Baklava Sundae | Sam’s New York System | In the Rhode Island Building
61. Mini Donuts | Hot & Fresh Mini Donuts | On East Road
62. Special Ice Cream Flavors | From Ben & Jerry’s | In the Vermont Building
63. Colorful Chocolates | From Chocolate Moonshine | In the Young Building
64. Samoa Apples | From Red’s Apples | On New England Ave.
65. Blue Razzle Chocolate Banana | From Veggie Patch Fruit Smoothie | On Commonwealth Ave.
66. Apple Pie w/ Ice Cream | From the Cold Hollow Cider Mill | In the Vermont Building
67. Cannoli Donut | From Cannoli King | In the Food Court
68. Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches | From Wright’s Dairy Farm | In the Rhode Island Building
69. Strawberry Dubai Cup, Sweet Crepes, Loaded Bubble Waffles with Ice Cream | From Crave Café | In The Young Building
Various vessels: On the bone, on a stick, in something edible?
Forks? Knives? Who needs those? You’re at a state fair. Who has time to sit down and eat? You could be spending your time walking around and looking at camels and spending too long looking at the hot tubs for sale.
The Big E has evolved beyond the plate to accommodate plenty of mobile eating options. You’ve got plenty of foods on a stick. But you’ve also got a number of options where you can simply eat what the food is served in. (No, paper plates don’t count.)
70. Giant Smoked Turkey Leg | Porky’s | On Commonwealth Ave.
71. Carmel Wafful | From Waffulicious | On Springfield Road
72. Bacon Mac & Cheese in a Cone | From Agawam Lion’s Club | On West Road
73. Dessert in a Cone | From Agawam Lion’s Club | On West Road
74. Waffle Dog on a Stick | From Tripp’s Farmhouse Cafe | Inside the Maine Building
75. Chicken Pot Pie in a Bread Bowl | From Storrowton Tavern | Located on the Avenue of States
76. Milk and a Bucket Full of Chocolate Chip Cookies | From Stella’s Milk & Cookies | On New England Ave.
77. Chicken & Waffle Bowl | From the Waffle Bowl truck | Behind the Vermont Building
78. Chicken-on-a-Stick | From Chan’s Original Chicken-on-a-Stick | New England Ave.
79. Frozen Cheesecake on a Stick | From Veggie Patch Smoothies | On Commonwealth Ave.
80. Blackened Chicken Mac & Cheese in a Bread Bowl | From Storrowton Tavern | On the Avenue of States
81. Clam chowder in a Bread Bowl | From Kenyon Corn Meal Co. | In the Rhode Island Building
82. Salmon On A Stick | From Sebastian’s Smokehouse | In the Maine Building
Crazy combinations: Who thought of this? And why does it work?
Who would have thought that pickles would pair with so many things? But that’s the way it goes at The Big E, which is sort of a mad scientist experiment for wild food combinations.
Remember, if it sounds crazy, there’s a chance it might actually be good. Give it a try. At the very least, you’ll have a fun story.
83. Burnt Bacon Ends in Chocolate | From Ultimate BBQ | In the Food Court
84. Mashed Potato Fries | From Macken’s Specialty Sliders | Outside the Massachusetts Building
85. Pickle Pizza | From Angela’s Pizza | On Commonwealth Ave.
86. BBQ Sundae | From Porky’s | On Commonwealth Ave.
87. DoughCo | From Anna’s Fried Dough | On East Road
88. Bacon-Wrapped Dilly Dilly Dog from The Meatball Factory | On West Road
89. Dill Pickle Cupcake | From Lu Ann’s Bakery | At The Front Porch
90. Maple Bacon Hot Dog | From Ferrindino Maple | On Springfield Road
91. Thanksgiving Nachos | From New England Craft Beer Pub | On the Avenue of States
92. Cowboys Nachos, with Pickled Eggs and Pickled Kielbasa | From Dolly’s Honky Tonk | On Industrial Ave.
93. Tater Tots Topped with Lobster | From Yankee Boy/International Lobster House | On West Road and Springfield Road
94. Caramel Apple Snicker Dessert Pizza | From Top The Crust | In The Food Court
95. Crab Rangoon Pizza | From Top The Crust | In The Food Court
96. S’mores Fries | From Friskie Fries | In the Rhode Island Building
97. Cornbread Sundae | From Mooliious | On Springfield Road
98. Chocolate Chip Cookie Croissant | The Mick Express | The Young Building
99. Pulled Pork Stuffed Popover | From the New England Craft Beer Pub | On the Avenue of States
100. Bear Attack | From Bear’s BBQ | Outside the Connecticut Building
101. Skippy’s Dare Peanut Butter Bacon Pizza | From Randy’s Wooster Street Pizza | In the Connecticut Building
102. Chicken Tot Pie | From Tots-A-Lot | On New England Ave.
103. Porky Pretzel Bites | From Wurst Haus | On Commonwealth Ave.
104. Pickle Donut | From Fluffy’s | On New England Ave.
105. Buffalo Chicken Poutine | From Poutine Gourmet | On Springfield Road
106. Chicken Pot Pie Stuffed Popover | From New England Craft Beer Pub | On the Avenue of States
107. Tajin Candy Apples | From the Cotton Candy Stand on West Road
108. Candy Bar Pizza | From Top The Crust | In the Food Court
109. Dr. Pepper Pickle Juice | From Big Kahuna’s | On West Road
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