The Big E broke all time total attendance record

With more than 1.6 million attendees, The Big E broke an all time total attendance record for the 17 days of the fair.

The Big E is considered one of the largest fairs in the U.S. and Canada, according to Carnival Warehouse. It opened for the season on Sept. 13 and lasted until Sept. 29.

It was named the third largest fair in 2021. However, by 2023 it was the seventh largest fair in the U.S.

Thwarted by rain, increased prices and parking woes, The Big E had a decline in attendance in 2023. Overall, 1,427,234 people attended the fair last year.

While that’s no small number, it was less than recent years.

Nearly a decade ago, The Big E set a record of 1,498,605 fairgoers. However, it was beat in 2017 when the fair welcomed 1,525,553 guests.

The following year it continued growing, welcoming 1,543,470 people.

And in 2019, it set a new attendance record for the third straight year in a row as 1,629,527 people visited The Big E.

Read more: ‘It was a lot more than minor’: What happened during chaos of The Big E barn fire

But the COVID-19 pandemic put the growth to a halt, closing the 17-day fair in 2020. The fair started in 1916 and had only been closed or put on hold twice before, once during World War I and when it was canceled for five years during World War II.

Numbers recovered in 2022 when 1,603,354 people attended The Big E.

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2024 attendance

More people than ever before went to The Big E this year.

After seven record-breaking days, including five of them in a row, there were a total of 1,633,935 attendees over the 17 days.

The record was 4,408 more people than the previous record in 2019.

“The fair has been amazing,” Eugene Cassidy, president and CEO for the nonprofit corporation, told The Republican. “Never have we had rain like we did last year, and never have we had sun like we had this year.”

But fairgoers told MassLive they have some concerns regarding safety in such large crowds.

Multiple viral social media videos show gridlocked crowds across The Big E during the second weekend, including on the day of an all-time single day attendance record of 178,608 people.

“It was almost impossible to walk through, because there were so many people,” said Alice Flyte, of Westfield.

The 74-year-old had just finished her last shift of the season volunteering at the 4H Club booth on Sunday at 4 p.m., and hoped to check out the state house buildings on her final day.

But with her own safety in mind, Flyte never made it inside.

“I just wanted to get out because if anything had happened, I don’t know how anybody could have gotten in to help, or how people could have gotten away from anything,” Flyte said.

Flyte was one of 49 people who told MassLive they did not feel safe at the fair over the last weekend, with others who said they experienced varying degrees of feeling secure with their family.

However, The Eastern States Exposition said it was prepared for the crowds.

“In preparation for these large crowds, Eastern States Exposition increased its security detail and worked closely with law enforcement and emergency service partners to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all,” a statement to MassLive read. “Thanks to these efforts, only minor incidents occurred, with just one arrest related to a domestic matter in the parking lot — an outstanding safety ratio given the high volume of attendees.”

The Big E officials did not provide information on maximum capacity levels at the fair despite multiple requests from MassLive. MassLive has also reached out to the West Springfield Fire Department.

Read more: ‘It was deadlocked’: Many Big E fairgoers concerned for their safety in large crowds

But large crowds don’t just mean the amount of people who enjoy things like cream puffs, rides and shopping, it also reflects how much the Eastern State Exposition can do over the next year, Cassidy said.

Keeping the fair alive and thriving is especially vital for farmers, since the awards they receive means they can sell and breed their cattle at a higher price and helps improve the lineage of the animals.

“The value is they can share and exchange best practices,” he said.