The Big E 2025: Strategic Changes Lead to Lighter Crowds as Food Costs Continue Rising
What’s the skinny on the Big E 2025 attendance seems down this year?
West Springfield, Massachusetts — For the first time in years, visitors to the Big E are finding themselves with more breathing room as they navigate the fairgrounds. The 109th Eastern States Exposition, which runs through September 28, has seen noticeably lighter weekend crowds thanks to deliberate changes made by organizers following last year’s record-breaking attendance that left some fairgoers feeling unsafe.
Big E 2025 Attendance: A Strategic Response to Overcrowding
The Big E broke its all-time attendance record in 2024 with more than 1.6 million visitors, but the massive crowds came at a cost. Multiple viral social media videos showed gridlocked crowds across The Big E, with some fairgoers becoming concerned for their safety. One visitor told media outlets last year that “It was almost impossible to walk through, because there were so many people.”
This year, Eastern States Exposition President and CEO Gene Cassidy made strategic changes to address the overcrowding. “We engineered our ticket sales this year so that we would try and lighten up the fairgrounds on the weekend and it worked really successfully,” Cassidy told Western Mass News.
The most significant change involved the annual flash sale tickets. Until 8 p.m. Wednesday, fairgoers can get the flash sale tickets, but they’re only valid Monday through Thursday. Previously, these discounted tickets were valid for all 17 days of the fair, including busy weekends.
Related: What are the travel trends for 2025 and beyond?
The Food Cost Factor
While organizers actively worked to reduce weekend crowds, rising food costs across the economy have also likely contributed to changing attendance patterns. Fair food, already expensive by nature, has been hit by the same inflationary pressures affecting restaurants and grocery stores nationwide.
In 2025, overall food prices are predicted to rise 3.0 percent, faster than their 20-year historical average rate of price increase (2.9 percent). More specifically, food-away-from-home, which includes restaurant meals, is expected to see a slightly higher increase of 3.6%.
At the Big E, visitors are feeling the pinch. One TripAdvisor reviewer noted that food prices (some) went up this year. I tried a turkey leg which was WAY too salty and it cost me $10! Beer went up to $6.50 and bottled water is now $3.00. The same reviewer observed that just to get through the Main Gate, it costs two people, $40! I can’t see how some people can afford to take the family and kids?
The fair has tried to address affordability concerns with initiatives like “bargain bites” where you can get select foods throughout the fair for only $3. However, these promotional efforts appear limited to specific weekdays.
Related: New England Fair List
Admission Prices Hold Steady, But Context Matters
Big E admission prices have remained relatively stable, with 2025 regular-price admission tickets are $20 for adults, $16 for seniors, and $12 for children ages 6 through 12, kids under 5 are free. Advance tickets offered through September 10 were discounted to $17.50 for adults.
However, these prices exist within a broader economic context where many families are feeling stretched. Fifty-three percent of the people surveyed by The Associated Press and NORC this summer said rising grocery prices are a significant source of stress. When household budgets are already strained by higher grocery and restaurant costs, discretionary spending on fair food becomes more challenging.
Early Results Show Strategy Working
The crowd control measures appear to be having their intended effect. West Springfield Police Sergeant Joseph Lafrance saw similar statistics from a first responder standpoint, and said the number of calls he has received has also been on the decline this year, “The disturbances seem to be down, the fist fights are down, we’re not seeing as many of those.”
Local businesses that depend on Big E parking revenue have noticed the shift. Fran Cardinal of Cardinal Classics, told Western Mass News what the business has been like for his car park over the past few weeks, “we had busier days this year on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, versus Saturdays and Sundays.”
WWLP News Reports on the Big E
Notably, The Big E is not reporting their attendance numbers daily as they have done in previous years, so you’ll have to wait until the seventeen days are over before we can share any records with you. However, as of late September, the exposition reported that attendance has exceeded one million visitors. Weekday attendance has been strong.
Physical Changes to the Fairgrounds
Beyond ticketing strategies, organizers also made physical changes to the fairgrounds layout. Eastern States Exposition Gene Cassidy told us one thing they did was move around some of the more popular businesses to try and disperse some of the larger crowds across the fairgrounds. As an example, the popular Macho Taco vendor was relocated to a spot where they can handle more people getting by them and we have a new business incubating in their spot.
Weather Not a Factor This Year
Unlike some previous years when rain significantly impacted attendance, weather has not been a major factor in 2025. Rain was a major factor last year, and as a result, attendance was on the lower side, especially for the middle weekend. This year’s generally favorable weather conditions mean that the lighter crowds can be attributed to the strategic changes rather than external factors.
Looking Forward
The success of the Big E’s crowd management strategy reflects broader challenges facing large events in an era of both social media documentation and economic pressure. While the fair’s 2024 attendance record was impressive from a business perspective, the viral videos of overcrowded conditions highlighted safety concerns that needed addressing.
The combination of strategic ticketing changes and persistent food inflation appears to be creating a new normal for the Big E. Fairgoers seeking a more relaxed experience are finding it on weekdays, while those who prefer the traditional bustling weekend atmosphere may find the crowds more manageable than in recent years.
For families watching their budgets, the Big E’s emphasis on weekday attendance through discount tickets and bargain food days offers a path to enjoying New England’s largest fair without the premium weekend prices and crowds. Whether this new model will impact the fair’s long-term financial success remains to be seen when final attendance numbers are released after the fair concludes on September 28.
Related: 2024 Big E Review
As the fair industry nationwide grapples with balancing profitability, safety, and accessibility, the Big E’s 2025 approach may serve as a model for other major fairs facing similar challenges in the post-pandemic economy.
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