West Springfield Town, MA

West Springfield hosts the Big E, a 17-day September fair that brings agriculture, state exhibits, concerts, competitions, and crowds from across New England to the Eastern States Exposition grounds. The fair began here in 1916; in 2026 it was scheduled for September 18 through October 4, and Massachusetts describes annual attendance as more than 1.5 million. The exposition also has an unusual formal relationship with its host city: one percent of its gross operating revenue funds a local trust that has distributed more than $6 million since 1995. Away from the fairgrounds, West Springfield lies directly across the Connecticut River from Springfield. The 2020 census counted 28,835 residents, and the July 2025 estimate was 28,829. The river is also part of ordinary recreation. A 1.5-mile paved walk and bikeway follows the Connecticut and the city's levee, with two access points, benches, and an overlook; Thomas A.

Lagodich Riverfront Park has the city's only public canoe and kayak launch. Mittineague Park adds nature trails, sports grounds, disc golf, and pickleball farther inland. For summer 2026, the city operated Alice Corson Water Park and Memorial Pool and Splash Pad daily from late June to mid-August, with free admission for residents. The West Springfield Public Library stays open into the evening Monday through Wednesday and, in 2026, paired summer reading with technology help, youth programs, talks, crafts, and recurring teen and adult groups. Municipal cultural grants that year supported 33 projects at the library, Majestic Theater, Morgan Road Pavilion, senior center, schools, and exposition grounds, showing that the fair is the city's largest event but not its only organized public activity.