Several Massachusetts entertainment venues have announced they will be in full swing this summer. The Big E in West Springfield, one of the largest annual agricultural fairs in the country, is among them.
Last year the fair was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Eastern States Exposition runs the two-week mid-September event. The organization's president and CEO, Gene Cassidy, said people who are not vaccinated will be asked to wear a mask, but mask-wearing will not be mandated.
“Some people are going to be reticent to be sure,” Cassidy told reporters Tuesday, about the crowds expected at the Big E. “Then there are others who are anxious to get back to normal. I think one will compensate for the other, but we do anticipate a decline in attendance because of that.”
In past years, the Big E's food, rides and animals brought more than a million people to the area.
The buildup to the fair is part of its appeal, with a slow rollout of new food items underway. They’ll be announced over the next few weeks. Cassidy said.
One thing he said he’s quite excited about is the Big E’s new 150-foot-tall Ferris wheel.
Tickets are general admission and will not be sold for a set time, as some venues did earlier previously in the pandemic — and some museums continue to do.
Cassidy said Tuesday that “the American citizen is beyond that point.”
One thing that won’t be on the grounds: The COVID-19 vaccination clinic hosted in recent months by the Big E is scheduled to close this week.
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