I couldn't get any good shots of the arena itself, since it was all fenced off. I stood on a picnic table & took these. The stage is to the left. There are chairs set up on the lawn area & bleachers in the back.
.
I'm sorry I couldn't get better pics of the arena.
Just to give you guys an idea of how crowded it is, here ya go
:
Couldn't resist sneaking a pic in of my Taylor with her loot for the day:
My hubby & my mom stuffing their faces with cannollis:
And look at this cute lil baby I saw really Jonesin' for that turkey leg her Daddy had lol:
Thank you AllyKat, for taking those pics and posting them for us. I, for one, find them very helpful. So we should be prepared to wait in traffic if we come too late, huh. Oh well. It does look very crowded with fair goers!
Well, not to freak you out or anything, but we left the fair @ 4:00 & the traffic was backed up on Memorial Ave (the main street where the Big E is) alllll the way down to the rotary (about 2 miles) THEN in all directions from the rotary a good 2-3 more miles. It was just a parking lot. Crazy.
We were so grateful that we were headed in the opposite direction.
Try to get there as early as you can.
There is a back way from Riverdale Road but there is no way that I can recite it.
JAG:
I was SO looking forward to seeing you again, but considering, what can one do...?
At least we had Torrington, right?
There is always next year!
Ally:
Thanks SO much for scoping out the area, which will prove very beneficial to all...
Hmmm...
I knew that the crowds were larger on the weekends, but at least now we have an idea to HOW big they will probably be...
Geez, the photos that I took really blow lol!
To give you a better idea...see where the yellow "cold beer" flag is? Well, the structure beyond that with the white roof (behind that white tent) is the stage. The chairs on the lawn seem to be quite a distance from the stage.
, then behind the chair section (behind the white & yellow outhouses
) are the bleachers.
The good news is...the midway with all of the games & rides is right there for the kiddos.
Geez, I'm a little worried now. I wasn't going to leave my house in Spencer until about 11 am because a family member is taking my dog for the night. Didn't want to impose too much. That would get me there about 1pm....that's without waiting in the traffic!! Well, I have MaryMag's cell, so I guess I'll just have to call her when I get there.
Save me a spot in line guys!!
Angela
Thanks Ally for all the input! I laughed when you said you stood on a picnic table to get the photos of the arena area. Good Job!!!
I think most of us will be arriving fairly early so HOPEFULLY traffic won't be too much of an issue!
Looks like it is blactop where we are to stand and wait? Guess we need really comfy shoes ! Anyplace to sit nearby Ally? Is it OK to bring a backpack in?
Oh and if you go to gate 1 is there actually parking on that side? I don't see it on the map.. only the big space at Gate 9.
thanks for the photos Ally! You did a great job of investigating. My goal is to keep my hunny happy all day -- he would say I should leave him in the hotel with the TV remote -- we will scope it out some on Friday, and then check in with the line on Saturday, but we won't be able to stay in line.
Getting excited...
Looks like it is blactop where we are to stand and wait? Guess we need really comfy shoes ! Anyplace to sit nearby Ally? Is it OK to bring a backpack in?
Oh and if you go to gate 1 is there actually parking on that side? I don't see it on the map.. only the big space at Gate 9.
You're absolutely right, Duff. There is no parking at Gate 1, only at Gate 9. Sorry about that. I guess you can park at one of the many private parking areas that people have set up on their property, but I like the easy access of Gate 9 (you won't get boxed in).:
Big E Parking
Mon. - Fri., $5
Sat. or Sun., $10
Parking is available for our guests at Gate 9 for $5 Mon. - Fri. and $10 Sat. or Sun. Our handicapped parking and drop off area is located inside the Gate 9 parking area at Gate 9A. The Big E provides 580 accessible parking spaces, exceeding the code requirement of 58 spaces, on a first-come, first-served basis. The Gate 9A area is also available for the drop-off/pick-up of handicapped, elderly or otherwise impaired passengers. Several adjacent private parking lots are located in the neighborhoods along Memorial Avenue and are not affiliated with The Big E.
The chair area appears to be pavement but I call it the lawn area. I should call it the ground area. I need to brush up on my reporting skills. 
Backpacks are allowed. I had one & I went right through into the fair with no problem.
Places to sit are very limited. There are some picnic tables set up near the gate. That's where I took the pics. There are also a few benches here & there, plus a bunch of picnic tables set up right across from the State Buildings.