After 47 years, the Big E set a new record for attendance this past Saturday. More than 170,000 people visited the agriculture and entertainment arena, and many American International College students were in the crowd.

Last Saturday’s attendance broke the 1980 record which was more than 169,000 visitors.

In 2013, nearly 1.5 million people visited the extravaganza during the three weeks.

Carnival rides, tasty food, and interactive buildings from all six New England states are just a few of the attractions luring in the families

The clear skies and above average temperatures Saturday may have been the reason for drawing in such a large crowd.

Record attendance means record traffic throughout West Springfield. A lot of the chaos began around Memorial Drive and permeated I-91.

“The traffic is really inconvenient because you have to park at least a mile away and pay for it,” said Chrystal Holland.

Parking on site is 10 dollars per vehicle. On Saturdays and Sundays there are shuttles that travel round trip to the Big E. Tickets for the shuttles are 20 dollars for adults and 10 dollars for children.

People still agree that the fun of the Big E is worth the wait of traffic. This weekend’s music entertainment included The Voice’s Cassadee Pope, American rock icon Eddie Money and Billy Joel band member Mike DelGuidice.

As temperatures are cooling and leaves are changing colors, those all over New England kick off the beginning of Autumn with a trip to the Big E.

Besides the entertainment, Eastern States Exposition is known for its food. The biggest fair in New England is offering fried bananas, beer-a-misu and endless other unique treats.

“The new Craft beer tent across the street from the state houses is fantastic,” said Greg Smedberg.

The agricultural exhibits feature events such as a cheese competition, 4-H shows, horse shows, sheep dog trials and a swine exercise contest just to name a few.

The daily parade works it way through the exhibits at 8 p.m. Monday through Friday. The parade was introduced in 2000 and features custom made floats. For just 10 dollars, tickets are available to ride atop these floats.

Joshua Brooks first began the Big E in 1916 after purchasing 175 acres of swampland in West Springfield.

According to the Big E’s website, “His hope was to create an exposition that would provide demonstrations of new farming methods.”

Brooks brought the agricultural demonstration east of Chicago for the first time ever. His goal was to revive the declining farming industry that was impacted from the rise in production costs.

The Big E runs until September 28th opening daily at 8 a.m. and closing at 10 p.m. The Big E’s website provides information such as specific exhibit times, parking, maps, and prices.

It’s safe to say that there is fun and food for the whole family in West Springfield during this time of year. With one more weekend left and beautiful weather in the forecast, there may be another record broken before the close of this year’s Big E.