Big E Trees Get a New Home

Removal of the Trees in front of the N.E. Grange

When we are exposed to things on a daily basis, it is remarkable what can be overlooked. It might be historical significance, value or the individuality and uniqueness of an item. In this case, I am referring to trees.

This week, Eastern States Exposition’s Landscaping department began the process of redesigning the planters in front of the New England Grange. This project included the removal of several trees that surrounded the iconic building.

They are beautiful trees – there is no denying that. Each has vibrant mahogany bark and magnificent flowers during the spring. Despite their eye catching appearance, I only knew them as the trees in front of the Grange.

Come to find out, they are Paperbark Maples and Stewartia. Both are slow-growing, specimen quality varieties which were planted on ESE grounds during the ‘80s. The branch shape, bark color and trunk caliper (trunk diameter) of the trees, all attributed to their specimen grade.  

While tree removal was necessary to showcase the front of the Grange better, Scott Paton, of the Landscaping department, did not want to see the trees destroyed. “Since they take so long to grow, I couldn’t imagine just chopping them down,” Scott said.

To fulfill his mission, Scott recruited Don Ford, owner of Stonegate Gardens Inc., in Granby, Conn., to find the trees a new home. Scott met Don on a field trip to his nursery 13 years ago while he was studying at UConn and always remembered his experience. Don specializes in specimen trees and works with landscape architects across New England. Scott said he has a great business model for larger trees.

When asked whether he would like the trees for his nursery, Don did not have to think twice. “This is a wonderful opportunity,” Don said. “They are beautiful trees and far too valuable to be cut down.”

According to Don, it is a rarity to find Paperbark Maples as large as these. “It is like finding an antique or gem – You can’t pass it up,” he said. Scott even mentioned that one of the Paperbark Maples in front of the Grange is the largest he’s ever seen.

The removal process took two days. The trees, weighing upwards of one ton each, were dug up by hand and wrapped using a special drum lacing technique with rope and burlap.

Drum Lacing Technique

According to the men, this process is a dying art form. Machines that quickly “ball and burlap” plant roots eliminated the necessity of using this old fashioned method.  However, drum lacing still comes in handy for circumstances such as this – when the trees weigh the same as a small elephant.

Once the surface area of the roots was secure, the workers lifted each tree from the ground with a backhoe. They were then able to cut the tap root and continue tying the bottom by tilting the tree from side to side.

After all of the trees were wrapped up into giant disk-shaped mounds, they were put en route to Granby, Conn., where they will be stored in outdoor manmade dirt pits until Don finds a home for them. They will hopefully find permanent residence in the Berkshires.  

Hot Fudge Sundae Dessert Pizza

Have a sweet tooth? We have just the thing for you!

Check out this awarding winning recipe from one of the national cooking contests held at The Big E in 2013.

Fleischmann’s Yeast – Best Baking Contest Best Dessert Pizza submitted by Elinor Ives of Fiskdale, Mass.

Hot Fudge Sundae Dessert Pizza

Crust:

2 cups chocolate chips, divided

2 sticks butter

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1 packet Fleischmann’s Yeast

Topping:

2 sticks butter

1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

2 tablespoons heavy cream

Garnish:

Fudge sauce

Pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Place 1 cup chocolate chips and the butter in double boiler over medium heat until melted. Set aside to cool. Mix eggs, sugar and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Add flour and Fleischmann’s Yeast and mix to combine. Stir in cooled chocolate and mix. Add the rest of the chocolate chips and combine. Pour the batter into a greased 12-inch round pizza pan. Bake for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, whip the butter until fluffy. Add confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and cream. Spread topping on the cooled crust and then drizzle with fudge sauce and sprinkle with chopped pecans.

Your New Holiday Tradition

The holidays are right around the corner which means snowy nights, warm fires, sweet aromas and family fun. What are your favorite traditions? Perhaps decorating gingerbread houses, skating on ice rinks, hunting for the perfect Christmas tree or baking holiday cookies?

Get Ready for your New Holiday Tradition

Walking in a Winter Wonderland!

Some of you may remember the whimsical Walking in a Winter Wonderland exhibit that took center stage in the Young Building during the 2012 Big E. The inaugural display was decorated to a “T” with a forest of trimmed trees, lights and themed Christmas décor. To top it off, there was even a light snowfall.

We are excited to announce that the ornate display is returning to Eastern States Exposition for a special holiday production this winter season. Walking in a Winter Wonderland will be presented in the New England Center from November 16 to January 5 and it will be more spectacular than ever!

Prepare to be whisked away as you enter a life-size, winter snow globe. The display is sure to dazzle and amaze you with five themed rooms to tour – Wintery White Snow Queen, Vintage Glamour, Holiday Tradition, Sweet Treats and Victorian Romance.

After walking through the exhibit, capture a lasting memory or get a picture for your holiday greeting cards at the Green-Screen Photo Studio. Pose with the Eiffel Tower or other popular destinations when you select a travel theme or stick with a classic holiday background. Before you leave with your new memorabilia, peruse the Wonderland Gift Shop where you’ll find unique holiday gifts, ornaments and home décor!

No matter what the weather is outside, snow flurries are always in the forecast when you come to Walking in a Winter Wonderland. Mark your calendars for your new holiday tradition this season!

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

Nov. 16, 2013 to Jan. 5, 2014, New England Center

Hours:

Monday-Thursday…………………...3pm-9pm

Friday………………………………...3pm-10pm

Saturday……………………………..10am-10pm

Sunday……………………………….11am-9pm

Admission: $10 for adults and free for children 12 and under.

For more holiday fun, be sure to visit Storrowton Village Museum for Yuletide at Storrowton, free, Dec. 7 & 8, 11am to 4pm. Yuletide week events include Open House Tours, Dec. 10 – Dec. 14, 11am – 3pm; and Yuletide Lantern Light Tours, Dec. 11, 6 – 8pm. Tour admission is $5 per person, children under 6 free. The Village Gift Shop and Potter Mansion Christmas Shop are open during all Yuletide events.

Visit www.walkinginawinterwonderland.com for more information and dates and times for Santa visits. Like the event on Facebook and follow @winwonderland on Twitter. If you are interested in Yuletide, visit www.TheBigE.com and stay tuned for an upcoming blog post on Eastern States Exposition’s favorite old-fashioned holiday tradition.

Early American Summer Days

Eastern States Exposition’s Storrowton Village Museum is truly a gift to Western, Mass. The 19^th century reconstructed village is a year round attraction that offers incredible educational opportunities and other exciting events to the community.

Every summer my parents would sign me up for Early American Summer Days – a week-long camp at Storrowton. It was always cool to come to Storrowton during The Big E’s off-season and see a different side of the Fair.

The summer camp was such a fun, unique experience.  We would partake in a number 19^th century activities from basket weaving to writing with a quill pen and churning milk into butter or cheese. Campers had the opportunity explore the historic buildings, play games and watch animal demonstrations on the Village Green. 

To fit the part, we would get dressed up in the century’s attire complete with an apron and bonnet for the girls and a straw hat or cap for the boys. Some of the fun was seeing what your outfit would be. Generally we would end up with a mishmash of patterns and colors. I don’t think my costume ever matched.

Once we were dressed, our journey to the past began. An activity I really looked forward to was dipping candles. I guess I’ve always had a fascination with wax. If there is a candle on a table, you bet I’d be playing with it.  

I would have made candles all day if they allowed me.  Each camper, equipped with a wick string, would take turns dipping their wick into the bucket of hot wax. We were highly supervised and received strict instructions not to hold the candle in the wax too long or else it would melt off. After a few rounds, the candle would begin to form.

Playing marbles was another one of my favorite activities. We would form a line and roll our marbles into chalk drawn circle on the ground. Any marbles we knocked out of the circle were ours to keep. My collection became seriously impressive after a few years. I still have it too.

I also loved to grow beans. On the first day of camp we would fill up a plastic cup with dirt and plant a bean. It was fun to watch them sprout over the course of the week. One year I forgot to bring home my bean plant on the last day of camp and was seriously devastated.  

Since the program is only for kids ages 7-12, I always told myself I would volunteer at Storrowton or work as a camp counselor when I was too old to be a camper. Unfortunately, I never got around it out. Even after all these years, Early American Summer Days still stands out in my memory as one of my favorite summer activities.

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There are two, week-long sessions of Early American Summer Days offered each year in August. The program takes children on an exciting journey into New England’s bygone days where they will experience challenging and fun hands-on activities, craft and games.

Campers will have the opportunity to milk farm animals, work in the blacksmith’s forge, mill corn into a meal for cooking, churn milk into butter and cheese, make a woven basket, learn dances and songs, write with a quill pen, roll hoops, sack race and play games, dip candles, tell stories and a variety of other 19^th century craft projects.

Apart from Early American Summer Days, Storrowton offers many other educational programs. Check them out on the Storrowton tab! Get more info on the summer camp at http://www.thebige.com/sv/schoolprogram/Vacation.asp.

Can’t Have Just One Sticky Bun

Try this award winning recipe from Fleischmann’s Yeast – Best Baking Contest  at The Big E and you’ll understand why you “Can’t Have Just One Sticky Bun.”

Best Baking Contest 1st Place recipe submitted by Crystal Russell of Willington, Conn.

Can’t Have Just One Sticky Bun
Dough:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/4 teaspoons Fleischmann’s Instant Yeast

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

12 ounces butter, chilled and cubed

2 eggs

1/2 cup cold milk

Caramel Topping:

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

2 tablespoons Karo Light Corn Syrup

12 pecan halves

Filling:

2/3 cup sour cream

1 cup brown sugar

Cinnamon, for sprinkling

For Dough: Mix the dry ingredients together in a stand mixer with dough hook attachment. Add butter and mix until crumbles form, and then add eggs and milk until dough forms. Remove from bowl and place onto a floured surface. Roll into a rectangle about a 1/2-inch thick. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, roll the dough out into a bigger rectangle until the dough is about 1/8-inch thick.

For Caramel Topping: Heat brown sugar, butter and corn syrup on stovetop until bubbly. Pour hot caramel directly into muffin tin cups. Top caramel with pecan halves. Let caramel cool to room temperature.

For Filling: Spread the sour cream over the rolled out dough, leaving an inch at the bottom filling free. Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon over the sour cream. Starting at the top, roll the dough down until you get to the bottom. Wet the bottom filling free area with water and finish rolling. Cut into 12 sections. Place a section in each muffin tin that has cooled caramel topping already in the bottom of the cups. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until done. 

Let’s Celebrate Kettle Corn!

October is National Popcorn Popping Month! To celebrate, we wanted to profess our love for a Big E favorite – kettle corn.

It’s no surprise that the sweet and crunchy treat is beloved by the masses of fairgoers who come through our gates. I am a member of the kettle corn fan club as well. Each year I get in line to buy myself a bag at least once. I usually get a medium sized bag thinking it will last me a few days – but that is never the case. Before I know it, all I have is a few un-popped kernels scattered across the bottom of my bag. What’s worse, it has only been a half-hour.

I’ve come to find that I’m not the only person who has this problem. Many fairgoers stock up to get themselves through a few days at the very least. This past year I stood in line behind a family that bought six large bags of kettle corn. In hindsight, they were probably saving it to celebrate this awesome month.  

     

Luckily for all us aficionados, the popular snack was sold from multiple vendors this year – Henry’s Old Fashioned Kettle Korn, Cloud Nine Delights (New Hampshire Kettle Corn), Pioneer Valley Poppers Kettle Corn, Good Ole Boy Kettle Korn and Kettle Korn Express.

Liz Roman, our embedded reporter at The Big E this year, even did a kettle corn showdown to find out who had the best kettle corn on the grounds. Visit the link at the bottom to check out what she had to say!

Now that you’re craving kettle corn, join in the festivities of this national celebration and pick up a box of Orville Redenbacher’s or try your luck at making some at home.

http://www.masslive.com/the-big-e/index.ssf/2013/09/a_kettle_corn_showdown_at_the_big_e.html

Who Knew Butter Could Be Art?

Butter sculptures at The Big E are like peanut butter to jelly. Although the butter sculpture was only made an annual tradition in 1996, the popularity of this attraction makes it difficult to recall a time when butter art was not part of New England’s Grandest Fair.

The sculptors behind the extraordinary, 17 year butter montage are Jim Victor and Marie Pelton. The team creates original food sculptures across the United States at state fairs, corporate events and even for private clients. While their primary medium at The Big E is butter, they have used a wide array of edible items in their other work. 

75th Anniversary Butter Cow

Now, before New England’s Grandest Fair even existed, Eastern States Exposition hosted the National Dairy Show in 1916. One of the attractions – a life-sized butter cow.

When the time came for The Big E’s 75^th anniversary celebration in 1996, the administration began envisioning something special to mark the occasion. A decision was made to recreate the 1916 cow made entirely out of butter. Jim Victor was hired for the job, which became a smash hit among fairgoers of all ages. Marie Pelton joined the team in 2001.

The butter sculpture starts out as a theme or topic and over the first week and a half of the Fair, it is brought to life. Being an avid fairgoer, seeing the butter sculpture each year was a treat. It is always cool to watch the creation take shape and take guesses on what it would be.  

Each year, hundreds of pounds of butter are plastered on wire frames to create the scene. In fact, over 600 pounds of butter, donated by Agrimark/Cabot Creamery, are used for each design. During the Fair, the work all takes place in a specially designed cooler located under the Mallary Rotunda.

"Grown in New England"
2013 Butter Sculpture

Over the past nearly two decades, we have seen Dr. Seuss’ “Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?” memorialized in butter, a daredevil cow on a motorcycle and even a scene from Norman Rockwell’s “The County Agent.”

This year’s butter sculpture followed the theme, “Grown in New England,” sponsored by the Massachusetts Dairy Promotion Board. It featured a farmer with specialties from each New England State – cheese, lobster, wine, trees, milk, ice cream and bees.  

Don't miss out on seeing The Big E's most unique attraction next year!