Yuletide at Storrowton

Eastern States Exposition’s Storrowton Village Museum will present Yuletide at Storrowton, Dec. 2 & 3, 11am to 4pm, in West Springfield, Mass. This free winter festival brings the community together to celebrate the holidays with traditional Yuletide activities, entertainment, and shopping in the historic Village. The event is also a stop on the annual West Springfield Boys & Girls Club Holiday Tour of Homes Dec. 2.

Decorated through the generosity of area garden clubs, florists and designers, the Village buildings will be bursting with innovative and original ideas to turn your house into a holiday wonderland. Walk through the buildings to find beautiful wreaths, swags, garlands, fresh evergreens and all natural materials around every corner.

Yuletide coordinator and Master Gardener Thelma Greene of Chicopee will oversee the festive decorating project.  Participating clubs and florists include: the Agawam, East Longmeadow, Wilbraham, Springfield and West Springfield Garden Clubs; the Garden Club of the Westfield Woman’s Club; Deena Rollet of Merry Mite Gardens in Suffield, Conn.; Anthony Gladu of West Springfield’s Rose Petal & Thorn; Flowers by Webster; and the Eastern States Exposition Landscape department.  Storrowton Village Volunteers will serve as costumed guides for the event.

Storrowton Village Museum's "Tales From Haunted New England"

“TALES FROM HAUNTED NEW ENGLAND”

Interactive Spooky Tales at Storrowton Village

Storrowton Village Museum presents its annual Halloween happening, “Tales From Haunted New England,” Friday, October 27 at 7 p.m. in the Meetinghouse on the grounds of Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, Mass.

Jessica Fontaine, director of Storrowton Village Museum, and museum staff members Sarah Platanitis and Jay Blaine, will join forces to present interactive storytelling in the candlelit Meetinghouse.

 

It all begins with an interactive activity where guests will join in to recreate a gentle rainstorm using anything they can as a percussion instrument (hands, feet, shoes, etc.). The tempo builds until the noises converge to become a deluge, echoing off the walls of the historic Meetinghouse. Let the spooky story begin as Fontaine embarks on a journey as a New England urban legend unfolds.

Platanitis and Blaine will lead the participants in storytelling as they impart haunted experiences of the time and offer guests the opportunity to improvise and share their own stories.

Families are encouraged to join in this fun and bewitching tradition of Halloween in Storrowton’s unique, eerie setting.

Admission to this one-hour experience is $10 and tickets are available online at www.storrowtonvillage.com/p/tickets. Tickets will also be available at the door. Reservations are not required, but are strongly encouraged. To reserve your spot, please contact Storrowton Village Museum at 413-205-5051. 

8th Annual Fiber Festival at Eastern States Exposition Nov. 4 & 5, 2017

Fiber enthusiasts are coming together for the seventh annual Fiber Festival of New England, Nov. 4 & 5 in the Mallary Complex at Eastern States Exposition. Hours are Sat., 9am - 5pm and Sun., 9am - 3pm. The event, co-produced by the Exposition and the New England Sheep and Wool Growers Association, promotes the use of wool and other natural fibers and related products to the general public.

More than 150 New England exhibitors will be showcasing their products including clothing, quilts, blankets, rugs, looms, spinning wheels and more. Workshops on felting, spinning, punch needle, Tunisian crochet, rug hooking and more will be held both days.

In addition to being an ideal holiday shopping opportunity with handmade items from over 200 vendor booths, The Fiber Festival is a great educational experience for visitors to learn how animals contribute to the fiber industry through live displays of llamas, alpacas, sheep, and rabbits.

Activities include:

• The Make It with Wool Competition is a national competition in which contestants select, construct and model their own garments. Make It With Wool promotes the beauty and versatility of wool fabrics and yarns and encourages creativity in sewing, knitting and crocheting. The competition is open to entrants of all ages.
• A Fleece Sale will be ongoing throughout the Festival and is open to all. Be the first in line to purchase a fleece. Those interested in contributing fleeces should send them to arrive on or before Friday, Nov. 3, or bring them to the Mallary Complex Nov. 3, 9am to 8pm. Please include the date shorn, breed of animal and producer information.
• Sheep Shearing demos will also take place throughout the weekend.

Admission to The Fiber Festival of New England is $7 for adults and free for children 12 and under. For more information and tickets, or to sign up for a workshop, please visit FiberFestival.org.

A Private Party at The Big E!

Imagine… a private party, catering to suit your taste buds, VIP wine and cheese tasting, a reserved spot on a Mardi Gras Float and all the fun you could possible ask for… at The Big E. That would be awesome, huh?

Well, we can make that happen at our all new Hospitality Pavilion!

Birthday in September? What better way to spend the day! How about a fun company outing or corporate event? The Hospitality Pavilion can be tailored to meet your needs.

Speaking as an avid fairgoer, nothing compares to the atmosphere you find at The Big E. While crowds might make traveling with large groups challenging, the Hospitality Pavilion provides a great meeting space for parties, convenient eating location, not to mention the craz-E discounts and benefits!

So, one thing you might be wondering, how can the buffet served at the Hospitality Pavilion possibly live up to the vast selection of food from around the grounds? Because as we all know – The Big E is the place to eat.

Well, to answer your question, the food at the Hospitality Pavilion is exceptional! Thanks to the help of Log Rolling, of the Log Cabin/Delaney House, the selection and quality of food offered will more than satisfy you and your guests.

Here are a few options – the Big Top Breakfast Buffet with an omelet bar; the classic BiggiE Buffet of endless hot dogs and hamburgers; chicken, ribs, steak and shrimp with all the fixin’s from the West Side Griller; or customize it to your liking with carving stations, dessert, a New England Clam Bake and more!

After your gathering, roam the grounds and enjoy the Big E experience! Don’t forget to check out the shows on the Court of Honor stage and xfinity arena, visit all of New England on the Avenue of States, travel back in time at Storrowton Village and so much more.

Wedding reception, family reunion, Jack & Jill party, anniversary, conference or even a pre-concert gathering – reserve your date at the Hospitality Pavilion today!

The Big E's Burgers

The Big E's Craz-E Burger

It’s National Hamburger Day! To celebrate, let’s talk about a few of the unique burgers you can find at The Big E.

In case you haven’t noticed, we aren’t your typical hamburger kinda place. A short walk around the grounds will give you a good idea why. Like with all great Fair food, we tend to push the envelope a little on what is considered “normal.” Of course we have your classic burger with ground beef, pickles, lettuce and tomato, but this is The Big E - there is also the opportunity for some bold food choices!  

Of course, The Big E Craz-E Burger wins the title of “Most Popular Burger.” It is a bacon cheeseburger brought to a whole new level – served between two halves of a grilled glazed donut. Would you expect anything less from The Big E’s signature sandwich?

The concoction with a sweet and salty flavor blast was first added to the menu in 2009 and has been a hit ever since. At the 2013 Fair, The Big EZ Café sold a whopping 16,000 burgers – almost 1,000 every day!

White Hut's Waffle Burger

Runner-up in the popularity contest goes to White Hut for their Waffle Burger. The sandwich consists of two waffles, two burger patties and bacon and cheese in the middle. I have yet to try it, but being a big fan of White Hut – this burger is at the top of my “To Eat List” for this year’s Fair.

Now, we also can’t forget about the Wild Game Burgers sold at Yankee Boy and The International Lobster House. Some of their current menu items and burger meat of years past include bison, elk, Cajun alligator, Alaskan salmon, wild boar, Aussie kangaroo and ostrich.

Alligator Burger & Kangaroo Burger from Yankee Boy
 Photo credit: davescupboard.blogspot.com

I haven’t been adventurous enough to try to Wild Game Burgers, but if you're curious to see what people think, check out this article from ABC40.

And during your Big E trip this fall, make sure to get yourself one of these burgers – or aspire to try them all!

The dates for the 2014 Big E are September 12-28! Be sure to follow us on social media to be the first to receive special fairtime announcements!

What is Cow Power?

New Eastern States Exposition logo

Last week, Eastern States Exposition held its Annual Meeting in Storrowton’s Carriage House. It was a day packed with special announcements, a look at what’s in store for 2014 and a celebration of the Exposition’s accomplishments this past year.

The day’s events included an early morning press conference, trustee meeting, luncheon (provided by the wonderful staff at Storrowton Tavern) and the presentation of the Agricultural Adventurers Award. During the press conference, we announced the Exposition’s regional economic impact of an astonishing $479 million and officially unveiled the new Eastern States Exposition logo!

During the luncheon, the prestigious Agricultural Adventurers Award was presented to the Audet Family’s Blue Spruce Farm, located in Bridport, Vermont.

Dick Nickless, Chairman of the Agricultural Adventurers Committee, introduced the recipients. “You’ve heard me say many times that the Agricultural Adventurers Award is for innovation and pioneering, with the recipients having made significant contributions to the agricultural revolution,” Dick said. “The award winners this year have even surpassed these goals. The farm, has been, and is now, extremely entrepreneurial and has never seen nor heard of an idea they haven’t explored,” he said.

Blue Spruce Farm is committed to experimenting with renewable energy and best known for pioneering “Cow Power.” The farm also supplies Cabot Creamery with milk to make Cabot cheddar cheese – about 100,000 pounds of milk every day. The Audets even brought us some samples of Cabot cheese. It was delicious.

Now, what is Cow Power? Basically the entire farm and about 400 homes in the community are run by electricity generated from cow manure. It’s pretty cool process. All manure from the farm is collected and pumped into two 14-foot deep, 600,000 gallon “bio-digesters.” The naturally occurring methane gases collect at the top. That methane gas is then used to power generators that push enough electricity into the grid for hundreds of homes in the community.

In addition to cow power, the farm has a wind turbine that generates 165,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year – about enough to power 25 homes – and will host a 2 megawatt solar farm on their land this fall.

Impressive, huh? And this explanation is only scratching the surface of the Audet’s eco-friendly operation. I also haven’t mentioned that this is a multi-generational family business. Out of the 25 employees on the farm, 12 of them are Audets.

From left: ESE President & CEO Eugene J. Cassidy,
Eugene, Marie and Norman Audet, and
ESE Chairman of the Board, Donald R. Chase.

“This is really a story about family,” Marie Audet said upon accepting the award. “It’s about the strength of family and character that was instilled from early on and its fearlessness and making good choices and seeing them through.”

The more we can share, the more people understand that farming is still hard work. Maybe we don’t do it perfectly, but we are doing it better, and the more we know, the more we do. We’re evolving like the rest of society and we are doing a much better job of feeding people a sustainable food,” she said.

When asked what made Blue Spruce Farm stand out, Dick said, “Everything, everything! They have been so entrepreneurial and so innovative and they haven’t seen any research that they haven’t played with. They even work with algae for making diesel fuel. They’re taking some left-overs from today to put through the digester and make electricity. It’s just a terrific farm.”

The Audets are clearly leaders in the agricultural revolution with renewable energy and have since inspired other Vermont dairy businesses to do the same. Vermont now has 17 dairy farms utilizing bio-digesters, giving the state more digesters per capita than any other in the US.

“We’re really proud to be dairy producers,” Marie said. “Dairy is one of those foods that’s going to be there in the future to feed a growing population. It can be produced in a way that is good for the planet, for the community – we provide jobs – and it’s a good family thing to do.”

On behalf of the Exposition, congratulations to the Audet family! There could not be a more deserving recipient of this award. We look forward to seeing your future research in renewable energy!

Want to learn more about Cow Power? Check out our press release and their website!

A Weekend at the Circus

Melha Shrine Circus Parade

There is something charming and nostalgic about the circus. It is ageless entertainment for the whole family. Apart from The Big E’s Circus Spectacular, I have never been to a classic three-ring circus that I can remember, so I had a great time checking out the Melha Shrine Circus last weekend.

It was Melha’s 60^th year, so we wanted to help them do it up big. In anticipation for the event, I went over to the Coliseum to take some pictures of the set-up. The cheerful environment was contagious – everyone was extremely friendly and excited to be there. I got to meet some Shriners clowns (behind the makeup) and also a few of the performers, including the tigers and their trainer who came all the way from Texas.

And let me tell you, those tigers are treated like kings. A lot of people seem to have a misconception of animals in the show business, but the animals I have encountered while working at The Big E are completely pampered. They have first-class living quarters, even nicer than my own animals I have on the farm. After all, they are pets and their owners love them.

Anyways, later that evening a parade was held to kick off the first showing of the circus. The route went along Memorial Avenue from ESE Gate 9 to Gate 5 and then into the Coliseum. There was a great turnout and luckily it was the first beautiful day West Springfield has seen in a while.

Piccadilly Circus kids in front of
Storrowton Village Museum's Meetinghouse

The circus life is fascinating. It is made up of generations upon generations of families. Mom, dad and the kids all travel and perform together. So, while they were here last Friday, some of the Piccadilly Circus kids took a tour in Storrowton. I was able to shoot some pictures of them in the historic village and then went over to the Coliseum afterwards to check out a special presentation of the show.

While I was sitting up in the audience taking photos, one of the performers, Johnny Rockett, came into the crowd. He was running up and down the grandstands high-fiving circus goers as he went. I thought, “What a great photo opportunity,” and started snapping pictures when he was several feet away. Before I knew it, I was being plucked from my seat and dragged into the spotlight.

If you haven’t seen him before, Johnny does a clown-like comedic routine with a hairdo that sticks up about a foot high. I saw him perform last year at The Big E, so although his act had changed, I had a pretty good idea what my fate would be from the beginning.

Johnny Rockett with his two lovely assistants

Another male victim and I had to mimic what Johnny did and then assist with his plate spinning act – both of us in maid outfits with feather dusters. Johnny stuffed balloons in the guys shirt and gave him a blonde wig so we would match.

His act was quite challenging to do in my work attire, especially since I was wearing high heels that kept piercing into the plastic matting on the ground. Lucky for me, the Marketing department came down to document the moment. Admittedly though, it was really fun. I left after my 15 minutes of fame and ended up going back to see the full show Saturday evening.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to sit down and chat with Johnny Rockett and the beautiful Tina Winn, Galaxy Girl. Both have been Big E entertainment icons in years past and will be coming back to The Big E Circus Spectacular again this year for an exciting performance together – Cybertrons.

Normally the duo performs the stunt outside, but they expect it to be way more incredible under the Big Top. “It’s a spectacular thing – visually it’s a cool act, but I think it’s going to be at a whole different level in that tent,” Johnny said. “It’s completely different once it’s indoors, with the lighting and the smoke and the fireworks – it really is. I've personally never done it in a tent like that, so it will be new for me too.”

In a nutshell, the act consists of a motorcycle rotating a trapeze as it rides around on a circular platform rigging at high speed. “They've never had anything like that – they've never had an apparatus of that magnitude in that tent as part of a free show at The Big E. It is definitely going to leave a mark for sure,” Johnny said.

Galaxy Girl has worked here many times and I was lucky enough to get to work in the circus last year. So up until now, there’s been Galaxy Girl and there’s been Johnny Rockett but this will be the first time we’ll actually be teaming up together and doing something at The Big E,” he said.

Also joining Johnny and Tina in The Big E Circus Spectacular will be comedian Rob Torres, contortionist Kevin Sadrak, some acrobatic house cats and many more exciting acts to be announced!

The 1964-65 New York World's Fair

The 1964-65 New York World’s Fair was one of the greatest and most historical events ever held in the United States. It is only fitting that The Big E, America’s Premier Exposition, brings the memory of the World’s Fair back to life for visitors of all ages to experience with a special 50th Anniversary exhibit at the Fair this September.

Being born in the 90s, I obviously never had the pleasure of attending the 64-65 World’s Fair, or any for that matter. Nowadays, nothing can even compare to the magnitude of that event in the US. The Big E is the only exposition that I’ve been to that would remotely resemble it. The 1964-65 New York World’s Fair ran for about 12 months of its two seasons, attracted 51,607,307 visitors and sat on over 647 acres of land in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens.

At the World’s Fair, visitors were exposed to the most diverse and extensive entertainment and education as well as the greatest technological innovations and predictions the world at that time had ever seen. Even fifty years later, the World’s Fair still remains synonymous with American culture of the 60s – even though colonies on the moon and jet packs have yet to come to fruition.

Since I was first told this exhibit would be in the Young building during The Big E, I felt the need to acquaint myself with the historic event. I am also a history nut so briefly familiarizing myself with the event turned into reading numerous articles and watching dozens of YouTube videos. The virtual experience got me so into it that I completely fangirled when my dad told me he had a model car featured in the General Motors’ “Futurama II” exhibit at the 1965 Fair.

The 1964-65 World’s Fair exhibit at The Big E will feature more than 250 pieces of souvenirs and artifacts from the Fair. A seven foot tall recreation of the “Unisphere,” will be the centerpiece along with a large amount of Ford’s World’s Fair memorabilia, including a scale model of the Ford Pavilion and an authentic 1965 Ford Mustang, the instantly popular car that Ford debuted at the 1964 World’s Fair.

In addition, displays will highlight the new technologies of the time, eating at the Fair, the Sinclair Dinoland and more! There will also be a unique film presentation featuring rare and never publicly screened home movie and commercial footage from the 1964 event.

The goal of the exhibit is to capture the fairgoer experience and create a nostalgic trip for those who visited the fair and for those who didn’t, the opportunity to see the significance of the World’s Fair for the first time. 

After we announced the exhibit on Monday, Big E fans shared their memories of the World’s Fair with us. Here are several of them.

“I was about 4 and have some vivid memories of it, including the Carousel of Progress, the dinosaurs, and It's A Small World. I look forward to seeing the exhibit at the Big E!” – Allison

“Went there on a field trip from Duggan Jr. High School with a good friend Douglas Johnson.” – Winslow

“I remember walking around there on a class trip. Wow! Long time ago.” – Shelley

“I went in '64 when I was 6 years old. My mom & dad had gone earlier and saw the "It's a Small World" exhibit and my mom said they had to go back so they could bring me. I have vivid memories of that display. I still have the record I got has a souvenir. Also, another item I remember well, is the Telephone where you could also see the person talking to you...amazing. There was also this money tank where you saw bills flying all around, I am not quite sure what it was for. One more thing, I decided I needed to use the restroom...my parents' panicked as I went alone and they didn't know what had happened to me. Hopefully, the city of New York will stay in discussion and will not tear down the remains of some of the iconic structures. Some are slated to be destroyed in the near future.” – Patty

“Was there in 1965. An experience to say the least.” – Judy

“Bus to New York World's Fair out of Springfield. Huge crowds; long lines. Disney's It's a Small World, Michelangelo's Pieta, jade Budda on a chain as a souvenir. Looooong fun day.” – Ellen

“My dad took me, one of my favorite memes with him!! Thanks for this reminder!! <3” – Linda

“My husband says he had his first Amana Radar Range (first microwave) hotdog at the fair. He said a lot of people would not eat them.” – Barbra

Do you remember your trip to the World’s Fair?

What's Going on at ESE?

These past few weeks have been extremely busy. We have so much going on at ESE from our off-season events to getting ready for the Fair in September.

I know, I can hear you already – “let’s not rush summer.”

I agree – I love summer as much as the next person – but we are by no means rushing the days of warmer weather.

The thing is, we need the whole season to get ready for The Big E. As soon as the Fair is over, preparation for the next year begins. In fact, we already started the planning process for our 100^th anniversary in 2016.

Currently, we are finalizing the entertainment lineup. It is looking incredible so far. There is something for everyone! We have just started announcing the entertainment and will release more information as it becomes available.

So, if you haven’t already heard, Little Big Town is coming to The Big E for the last Saturday of the Fair! This will be the second time the Grammy-winning quartet has played here – they performed on the same stage in 2009.

For those of you who don’t know Little Big Town, they are the reigning CMA & ACM Vocal Group of the Year, have sold 1.5 million records, received multiple Grammy, CMA and ACM awards and nominations and garnered an impressive collection of Top 10 Country hits including “Pontoon,” “Your Side of the Bed,” “Little White Church” and “Boondocks.” They also have a pretty great track record of putting on stellar concerts. Tickets went on sale today so get them while they last!

Another huge event we are preparing for is The Taste of Table & Vine. This is the second year ESE partnered with Table and Vine to host this event. Like The Big E, this year’s Taste will be bigger and better than before with more wine, beer, spirits and foods!

Let’s not forget about the 5K Grape Chase Road Race around the Exposition’s grounds! The first 700 people to register will also get commemorative merch. Let’s be serious, who doesn’t love free swag?

If that isn’t enough to make you want to grab your running shoes and start training, the fact that this is a charitable event should! All proceeds will benefit the West Springfield Parish Cupboard, the West Springfield Partnership for Education and The Big E Farm to Table Education Fund.

Join us & get tickets below!

Little Big Town

Taste of Table & Vine

5K Grape Chase Road Race

Maple Harvest Day & Pancakes

Being a pancake enthusiast, I am really looking forward to our upcoming event at Storrowton – Maple Harvest Day on March 16. Of course, my love of breakfast foods is not the only reason why I am excited for this day – it is a celebration of the tradition of maple sugaring and an awesome way to welcome spring!

This free event marks Storrowton Village Museum’s ninth annual Maple Harvest Day. The day will showcase the history and lore of maple sugaring in the Gilbert Farmstead’s front yard with Sugar Maple tree tapping, sumac spile making and sap boiling over an open fire.

If the aroma of maple sugar outside isn’t enough to make you hungry, the 19^th century open hearth cooking demonstrations inside the historic home certainly will! Docents will also be demonstrating quilting and wool spinning techniques of days past during the 11am to 3pm event. There will be a selection of gifts, maple-themed items and cookbooks for sale nearby for those who want to bring the celebration home.

And of course, there is no better way to end the festivities than by eating pancakes!  While guests walk around and take in the sights of the picturesque Storrowton Village, the West Springfield Lions Club will be flipping pancakes and serving them with pure Massachusetts maple syrup in the Village’s Red Barn. Storrowton Tavern will also be offering a Sunday Brunch in the Carriage House.

Bring your family, co-workers, neighbors and friends! There will be enough real maple syrup to go around! 

Let's Eat! 

West Springfield Lions Club Pancake Breakfast – 10am to Noon – $5

Pancakes, sausages and coffee/juice. All proceeds will be donated to Storrowton Village Museum’s educational programs.

Storrowton Tavern – 10:30am to 2pm – Reservations recommended – 413-732-4188

Sunday Brunch in the Carriage House with special pricing for Maple Harvest Day: $18 adults/$10 children. The brunch includes an omelet station, Belgian waffle station and French toast; all served with real maple syrup. There will also be a carving station, luncheon items, side dishes including maple laced butternut squash and a dessert bar. $1 per diner will be donated to the Village’s programs.

Valentine Vows in the Village

ESE is taking over the role of Fairy Godmother for those who are looking to tie the knot. For the next week, couples have the opportunity to enter our Valentine Vows in the Village contest for a chance to win a complimentary wedding ceremony on the most romantic day of the year!

Four lucky couples will be selected from the bunch to receive a private wedding ceremony in the historic Storrowton Village Meetinghouse. The Village is a picturesque setting – perfect for anyone’s big day.

Storrowton Village will provide an official Justice of the Peace, pre-written vows, decorations, music and a wedding coordinator to help out along the way. Weddings take place on the hour from 10am to 1pm. After the ceremony, couples may have their photographer take photos in the quaint Village or along the Avenue of States.

If you would like to enter the contest, all you have to do is tell us why you want to get married in the historic Meetinghouse! Maybe you had a first date at an ESE event, were an Early American Summer Days camper or just love The Big E! 

The four entries with the most votes will get the prize and be set to get married on February 14!

To submit your story and get additional information on Valentine Vows in the Village, visit our contest page. 

Storrowton's Christmas Carol

Many of you are probably only familiar with Eastern States Exposition (ESE) during The Big E. Well contrary to what you might think, the grounds are not completely desolate during the Fair’s off season. Apart from The Big E, there are over 100 other shows held at ESE throughout the year.

If you have been keeping tabs on this blog, you might recall that Yuletide week and Walking in a Winter Wonderland are going on now. Another recent event you may not have heard of is Dickens at Storrowton.

Storrowton Village Museum set the stage for this incredible event which featured Gerald Charles Dickens’ magical performance of “A Christmas Carol.” Gerald, the great, great grandson of author Charles Dickens, performed his rendition of the holiday favorite to a large audience in Storrowton’s Meetinghouse last Monday night.

Gerald captivated the audience as he made the entire Meetinghouse his stage. He brought life to each character, using different voices and interacting with audience members. Gerald’s Ebenezer Scrooge sulked on the pulpit steps as Jacob Marley walked the aisles of the church dragging his chains behind him. His emotional portrayal of Bob Cratchit and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come moved audience members to tears. Needless to say, it was an outstanding performance.  

The special event was preceded by a social hour in Storrowton Tavern and invited guests had the opportunity to meet the talented Gerald Dickens following his performance. 

As we were impressed by him, Gerald was impressed with Storrowton Village. Following the show, he wrote on his blog, “What a wonderful, spectacular setting. You are all doing something very special there and it was a complete pleasure to be a small part of it.”

Gerald, a resident of Oxfordshire, England, began his theatrical performance of “A Christmas Carol” in 1993. His one-man dramatization of the holiday classic was inspired by his great, great grandfather’s own readings of the timeless story. This remarkable performance has been recorded, performed at schools, colleges and universities throughout the county and across the seas. We are lucky to have had him!

19th Century Fashion Holidays at ESE

Yuletide coordinator Thelma Greene

Storrowton Village Museum has been swarming with garden clubs and designers in preparation for this weekend’s Yuletide at Storrowton.

If you didn’t see our last post, Yuletide is Eastern States Exposition’s holiday celebration set in the re-constructed 19^th century Storrowton Village. The event is completed through the generosity of local decorators and Storrowton volunteers. Everyone donates their time and resources to the project in the spirit of Christmas and community togetherness.

 Every year, ESE invites the community to its grounds for this free family fun event. This year’s Yuletide is taking place tomorrow and Sunday, Dec. 7 & 8! There are also Open House Tours and a Lantern Light Tour of the adorned Village during the week.

Yuletide has truly become a popular holiday tradition, now ready to open for its 24^th year. Needless to say, excitement is buzzing all over the grounds for this weekend.

Naturally, we document all aspects of the event, so amid the boxes of evergreen brush, branches of winter berries and Christmas trees, stood me with a camera, ready to capture some great set-up action.

At the beginning of this week, volunteers began hauling in assortments of different materials to their designated areas. The decorators are all assigned buildings and specific rooms to decorate in the Village. Some rooms took a couple days, others took an entire afternoon.

As you can imagine, Yuletide is brimming with innovate ideas for holiday décor thanks to the work of these clubs and designers. They use all natural materials ranging from greens and berries to fruit and fried herbs.

Check out this great arrangement by Merry Mite Gardens!

Merry Mite Gardens of Suffield Conn., decorated the Gilbert Farmstead kitchen. This arrangement used three terracotta clay pots which filled with dirt and stacked on top of each other in order of largest to smallest. The decorator utilized the space between the pots with cedar and balsam branches. Dried grasses were added to give the arrangement some height and dried hydrangeas provided a nice contrast from the greenery. She completed the decoration with a few branches of winter berries for a little holiday accent color. 


There's a lot more where this came from! Come to Yuletide at Storrowton this weekend to see them all. Everyone is welcome to take pictures or notes on the breathtaking displays. If you can't make it this weekend Open House Tours are Dec. 10 - 14, and the Lantern Light Tour is Dec. 11. Get the daily schedule for this weekend as well as hours for next week's tours on our website!

Check out the displays from years past on our Pinterest page!

Yuletide at Storrowton

The holiday season is the best part of winter. I love the decorations, festivities and music in the air. Lucky for me, Eastern States Exposition appreciates the holidays too and is bringing Christmas cheer to the fairgrounds with a couple of special winter productions.

Perhaps you’ve heard of our upcoming event, Yuletide at Storrowton. Once a year, ESE’s historic Storrowton Village is transformed into a 19^th century winter festival for the whole community to enjoy.

Through the volunteer efforts of local garden clubs and designers, the Village is completely adorned in all-natural decorations of the season. The authentic setting of the Village truly makes this a magical event, which has been drawing in crowds for over 20 years. 

During the Yuletide weekend, Dec. 7 & 8, visitors can tour the Village and experience the old-fashioned holiday fun of storytelling, ice sculpting, musical performances and early American craft demonstrations. The event is also a great way to get inspiration for your own holiday decorations. I know I’ll be taking notes!

Before you leave, stop by the Storrowton Village Gift Shop and Christmas Shop in Potter Mansion. You never know what unique holiday treasures you might find! There will also be hot beverages and delicious homemade treats available in the Holiday Sweet Shoppe.

The best part is – these weekend-long festivities are free!

If you can't make it on the weekend, Yuletide Open House Tours will be going on all week!

 Yuletide Events

Yuletide at Storrowton

Sat., Dec. 7 – Sun., Dec. 8

11am – 4pm – FREE

Yuletide Open House Tours

Tues., Dec. 10 – Sat., Dec. 14

11am - 3pm – $5

Yuletide by Lantern Light

Wed., Dec. 11

6 - 8pm – $5

Children under 6 are free and parking is free at all Storrowton events!

While you are on the grounds, I highly recommend topping off your day with Walking in a Winter Wonderland, going on now through Jan. 5. This ornate Christmas display is in the New England Center – only a short walk from Storrowton Village.

Be sure you visit these pages for more information!

Yuletide: http://www.thebige.com/ese/aboutus/yuletide.asp

Walking in a Winter Wonderland: https://www.facebook.com/WalkingInAWinterWonderlandAtTheBigE

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.