By Kristen Brassard, VT Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets
The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets is pleased to invite Vermont businesses to apply to vend at the Vermont Building at the 2024 Big E. The Vermont Building is one of six New England buildings on the Avenue of the States at the Big E, a 17-day fair and exposition which takes place each September in West Springfield, MA. During this event, which brings in approximately 1.6 million people each year, the Vermont Building hosts a variety of Vermont food and retail businesses which showcase the best of what our state has to offer. The 2024 Big E will take place September 13th-29th.
This annual event provides a unique regional marketing opportunity to Vermont businesses. It is among the top-five largest fairs in the United States, with daily attendance regularly exceeding 100,000 people, and is the premier event of the year for many vendors. Fairgoers from all over the Northeast come to the Big E looking to find unique products and to get a head start on their holiday shopping. Last year alone, total sales in the Vermont Building exceeded $2 million!
Booth spaces are offered for both retail and food/beverage products. There are booth spaces for the entirety of the 17-day fair, for 8-9 day rotating spots, and occasionally for 5-7 days. While most booths are inside, we will also be accepting applications from food truck vendors who would like to sell their products on the Vermont Building grounds. Any business or organization will be considered that is registered with the Vermont Secretary of State, has been in business for over one year, and is in good standing with the State of Vermont.
The Agency has identified the following product priorities for the Vermont Building for 2024: 1) Products that use Vermont-sourced ingredients and/or materials; 2) Vermont-made pottery; 3) Children’s toys and games; 4) Glass products; 5) Producer associations interested in representing a variety of producers from their industry; 6) Products that showcase the diversity of producers within the state; 7) Products that align with regional/national trends.
The application to vend in the Vermont Building will be open from February 2nd - March 17th. Visit https://agriculture.vermont.gov/bigevendor for more information.
For questions regarding this opportunity, please contact Kristen Brassard via email at kristen.brassard@vermont.gov or call 802-522-3742.