WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Nearly 287,000 people visited the Big E fairgrounds between Friday and Sunday. That’s up almost 7 percent form last year at this time.

During the past record breaking Saturday, you’re looking at some of the nearly 178,000 visitors who came through the Big E gates. Big E President and CEO Gene Cassidy told 22News that the whole weekend was a record breaker, more than 275,000 visitors.

“I have to say this, the crowd as always pre-disposed to happiness. It gives us a great feeling at Eastern states. I never hope for a record breaking day. I just hope it’s sunny and I want people to have fun. That’s our best hope that folks enjoy themselves” said Cassidy.

As the Big E enters the final week of the season’s 17 day run, one visitor from Connecticut interprets the weekend attendance record as boding extremely well for the way the people of New England have bounced back from Coronavirus pandemic.

“My people, I’m glad to see that everybody’s coming together again like normal. We’ve got to start somewhere” said Lucy H of Bolton, Connecticut.

The week is still young, and if the sun keeps shining on the pioneer valley, there may yet be other attendance records to be set before the Big E wraps up another season.