About the Vermont Building
The Vermont Building at the Eastern States Exposition ("The Big E") showcases the authenticity, quality, and spirit of Vermont. Each year, companies from across Vermont head down to West Springfield to share their products with fair-goers who appreciate the high-quality products on sale in the Vermont Building. For 17 days each September, the building is a feast for the senses, from the sweet smell of hot cider donuts to the warm comfy texture of authentic wool and flannel.
Annual Application Process
The Vermont Building provides companies with the unique opportunity to share their products with an audience of more than 1 million people who eager to experience the quality of Vermont. Companies and organizations interested in participating in the Vermont Building must submit a proposal to the Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets, to be reviewed by the selection committee. Below are limited details about the event and important information for participating as a vendor. For more information, please contact the Agency of Agriculture directly. Application requests are typically released late fall. Application period for 2019 is closed.
Event Details
- The Event. The entirety of the Big E can bring 200,000-300,000 people per day. While we don’t know exactly how many people pass through the VT Building, it can be extremely busy for the majority of the time, sometime with foot traffic at almost a standstill. Weekends and special event days are the consistently the busiest. For more information on the schedule and special events, see the Big E's website.
- Hours. The building is open to the public from 10am-9pm each day, with the exception of Vermont Day where vendors are required to be there from 8am-9pm. Vendors are required to staff their booth for all hours of each day that they are contracted for.
- Booth Information. Vendors are responsible for programming and decorating their own space. The Agency of Agriculture will provide some design parameters as well as photos and floor plans to give you a sense of the space. We also encourage site visits during the fair to see the space in action before committing. If you are interested in a walkthrough of the Vermont Building, please contact the number below.
- Selling/Sampling Product. All sale of food and beverage products must adhere to the required health and fire codes as provided by West Springfield, MA. Vendors are required to communicate directly with the West Springfield, MA Health Inspector and Deputy Fire Chief. Both the Health Inspector and Deputy Fire Chief will be on-site to ensure safe and compliant booths throughout the fair.
- Storage. We have a locker and/or pallet sized amount of dry storage for each vendor, there is also cooler space available if needed. Additionally, there is a parking lot for vendors, referred to as “dead storage” where vendors can park their trucks or trailers to keep extra product or storage that is accessible to them throughout the fair.
- Vendor Fee. Each vendor is required to submit their daily sales to the on-site manager the morning following the close of the fair. A commission for total sales during the fair is payable to the State of Vermont. These funds are used for maintenance, management, and programming of the Vermont Building.
Harvest New England Day
If you are interested in participating in Harvest New England Day--a free farmers market style event that takes place on the last Friday of the fair--sign up here. For information on being a vendor in the future, click the link below to receive updates on the 2020 application.
