Dan Antion

Big-E 2022

Welcome to Thursday Doors! This is a weekly challenge for people who love doors and architecture to come together to admire and share their favorite door photos, drawings, or other images or stories from around the world. If you’d like to join us, simply create your own Thursday Doors post each (or any) week and then share a link to your post in the comments below, anytime between 12:01 am Thursday morning and Saturday noon (North American eastern time). If you like, you can add our badge to your post.

Our daughter and I went to the Big-E, The Great New England Fair, on Tuesday. Most of the photos in the gallery include doors or things that represent an opening between an inside and an outside.

The reason I point that out, is we (Thursday Doors is a group thing) have received a few comments during the past few months (including two I have removed) that seem to question the validity of certain photos / posts. I’ve covered some of these issues before. I promised to update the general participation guidelines. I have not done that – sorry. But for the record, every post that has been linked to this page and/or included in the Sunday Recap has been a valid Thursday Doors post.

Photos of doors, drawings of doors, descriptions of doors, photos of places that used to have a door, images of doors legally provided by others (and yes, for the kind of blogging that gets attached to Thursday Doors, that includes Google Maps), memories of doors, doors in our imagination, door metaphors, openings, gateways and portals and things that look like any of these things are welcome here. And every photo in a collection shared to Thursday Doors doesn’t have to be a door.

Scroll through the gallery. Click on some of the links in the comments. Come back on Sunday to catch up. Enjoy the doors!

Information stand
Massachusetts building
The New England Grange
Rhode Island entrance
Farm equipment, and Clydesdales
If you look close, you might see Faith and me reflected in that door
2300 lb (1043.3 kg) of gentle giant
A little of everything
Connecticut tobacco for sale, in case you want to roll your own (cigar)
So far, I’ve been able to avoid deep fried cheese snacks
The first state building is the New Hampshire building (home of blueberry pie and ice cream)
I think this is in the Connecticut building
Entrance to the Rhode Island building
Outside the entrance to the Maine building
Inside the main entrance to the Vermont building
The Big-E fire station

If you are in a hurry and don’t wish to scroll through the comments, click to Jump to the comment form.


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117 comments

    • We try to get to this fair every year. We walk our standard loop, eat the things we eat and enjoy a fall day.

      I remember including some things that we’re your typical door, when Norm ran the blog. He never seemed to mind. I figure, if someone thinks of Thursday Doors with a photo or a post or whatnot, it’s welcome here. Doors to the other side is a great example. I hope you have a nice weekend coming up.

      Liked by 1 person

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  3. Just wondering…is that one guy selling corn dogs?😂😂love it but the tobacco is an intriguing photo. Sometimes I wonder why people are so horribly picky. I can’t imagine what they have to complain about, live your posts Dan

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

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  9. Hi Dan – I thought a mannequin was manning (or mannequining) the info stand?! Lots of specific buildings with appropriate local businesses and crafts to spend time in … and then lots of snacks to be tempted by, let alone the proliferation of scents and signs … a daunting fair to visit comprehensively. Still glad you and Faith were able to enjoy together … cheers Hilary

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    • Haha – I’m laughing, Hilary. The guy in the information stand didn’t seem all that interested. I can’t imagine it’s an exciting job. We don’t take in the entire fair, but we do walk through a couple of the exhibit buildings. It’s a good time. Tempting food, but I didn’t overeat too much.

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  10. The gentle giant with his low and symbolic door and the tobacco barn :)
    So luck, both of you, to enjoy spending time in each other’ company :)

    Thank you for standing up for our wide variety of door-related blog posts, Dan.

    Best wishes going forward,
    Pat

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    • Gentle Giant, indeed, Patricia. Baron could bust out of that place in a heartbeat. They are such beautiful animals. We enjoyed our afternoon at the fair.

      Thursday Doors welcomes every celebration of doors. Thanks for bringing us such an interesting one today.

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  11. A great collection of doors! I think one of the best things about Thursday Doors is how it gets us thinking about what doors (or their absence) mean, and then we see how doors mark our living. I congratulate the organizers of this fair on arranging for that very blue sky — what a topping!

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    • We were grateful for that blue sky and for the moderate temperature. We’ve baked under 90-degree temps, and we’ve been there during a cold rain that had us buying hot coffee just so we could hold the cup.

      Several people have said that they look at doors differently after following or participating in this challenge. I know I have

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  14. The New England Grange is an attractive building with a nice clean cut entrance. But what I like most about it is the window above the entrance.

    The Farm-A-Rama doorway is the best because it leads to Baron and his buddies. The Clydesdales are magnificent gentle giants.

    I really like the door on the Connecticut Building.

    The West Springfield Fire department/restaurant has two great entrances.

    Only have to look at that sky to know what a perfect weather day you and Faith had. Keep the memory of this outing Dan….soon we will be knee deep in snow!
    Ginger

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    • I’m glad you enjoyed this, Ginger. In January, we hope that the Woodworking Show returns to the fairground. They setup in one of the buildings, but we often have to park in the snow and trudge through some slush to get there. One year, we waited in line in single-digit temps. Hey, it’s New England, that’s what we get.

      We like stopping in the Farm-A-Rama. In addition to those beautiful horses they had chickens, goats, pigs, llamas and alpacas.

      And you know I can’t walk past a fire station without stopping for a photo.

      I hope you have a nice weekend.

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  19. Why are people getting bent out of shape over the validity of a door? After all, Thursday Doors is a fun group for the one purpose of entertaining the bloggers within the group and their followers. Policing the group is unnecessary and ridiculous.

    It’s been ages since I’ve been to a fair. I hope you and Faith had a good time.

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    • Thanks Glynis. We had a great time. As to why people complain, I have no clue, but their complaints fall on deaf ears with me. The ones that called our particular bloggers are gone. This is a community challenge, and I’ll let the community establish the boundaries. I like the way people expand the meaning of “door” to include many wonderful things. That’s what’s great about people.

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  21. Blueberry pie and ice cream..oh, yeah! A small town in AL has a blueberry festival every year and we go, mostly for the blueberry desserts. Husband has been known to say, “But you can make this stuff…” But it tastes so much better at a festival/fair.
    Baron is such a beautiful horse. Gentle giant is a wonderful description.
    People complaining about doors…good gosh. Get a freakin’ life.

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  25. It looks like a great fair! I enjoyed the foot steps or would they be foot holds in the blur booth.? Do people really climb them to get up high enough to talk to the person sitting in the booth I wonder? 😀

    The Clydesdale Gentle Giant is gorgeous and his stall door for the day/fair was lovely.
    It’s hard to pick a favorite building and or door but, I’ll go with the stately New Hampshire entryway…what a portico and entrance! It’s grand!

    I’m so glad the rules for doors here are relaxed because there have been so many interesting, fun, and entertaining portals shared over the years! Thanks for keeping it that way.

    My door entry for this week is here… https://circadianreflections.com/2022/09/29/thurs-doors-the-little-church-of-the-crossroads/

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    • Thanks Deborah. I guess you can shout up to the guy (seems like you might have to wake him). What a job. Still, I guess it comes with free admission, so you’re going to eat well for a couple weeks.

      The state buildings are the signature highlight of the fair. The ground they sit on is actually considered part of the state the buildings represent.

      I love the range of posts that link to this challenge. If you haven’t checked Teresa’s (two up) you should. I know you are also talented in sketching and painting.

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  26. Naturally I like Baron’s door (and Baron) and I love the color of the information stand and that it’s so tall, where people who need it wouldn’t have trouble finding it. I love the look of the building selling tobacco, although none for me, thanks. The door to the Connecticut building is quite nice as well.

    I’m sharing some small doors this week, apartment doors really…https://sustainabilitea.wordpress.com/2022/09/29/thursday-doorsinsect-doors/#DesertBotanicalGarden/#Phoenix/#insecthouses

    janet

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  28. Goodness, those fairgrounds must be HUGE! What a venue this is, to have those buildings dedicated to particular states. And they’re permanent, to boot! Are they open year round? I’m with you on the deep-fried cheese, except for maybe Mozzarella sticks… with some Zucchini sticks thrown in, yum!

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    • The fairgrounds hold functions throughout the year. The state buildings are owned by the states, and the property they stand on is considered part of that state. States can and do hold functions there throughout the year, though not often. The fairground cover 175 acres.

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    • Fall is coming in fast up here. The temperature in the mornings is in the high 40s now. We don’t have a lot of leaves on the ground yet. That usually starts the end of October.

      I liked your doors today, and I especially liked the photo of the windows with the reflections.

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    • I am officially ignoring those comments. I wanted to make it clear, in case anyone, to whom the comments referred to, had seen them. The fair is always a good time. We try to visit a lot of different exhibits.

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    • The Big-E fairground is tucked away in West Springfield, MA. It’s not on the beaten path, unless the fair is underway. I don’t know how much advertising they do outside the Connecticut River valley.

      I enjoyed your post today. A little history and a little mystery. Great photos.

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  37. Question the validity? How rude. I love your guideline paragraph. And I love Baron. The food displays seem a bit… loud. I love the tobacco display more. (Even though I wouldn’t.) But most of all I’m glad that you had a lovely together time.

    (I didn’t write this in my post, but my father is in hospital for Covid pneumonia since Tuesday. He is on oxygen, but needs less and less of it. He had been testing negative for an entire week with high fever before he was admitted. I do hope he is out soon.)

    My post brings a selection of doors from our happening September of last year. I find them cheerful and extremely valid. https://manjameximexcessive6.wordpress.com/2022/09/29/thursday-doors-29-9-22-september-2021/#Italy#Slovenia#Padua#Tuscany#Lazio

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    • I am sorry to hear about your father. I will include him in our prayers. Through all these years, I feel like I know him. I’m glad you like Baron and his door. I don’t think it would stop him, if he wanted out, but he was content to stay in his stall and eat.

      I love the images people bring to this challenge to share. I don’t want anyone to feel like their doors aren’t welcome.

      Your doors are excellent. I had a hard time finding ones to put ahead f the others, but I picked three.

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  38. My favourite would have to be the door in the Connecticut building. I’ve always loved sliding barn doors. And you were right: the word door could refer to so much, both internally and externally. Wonder if I should think more on this…?

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  41. Humans. Once again thinking the world is interested in their judgment. If not for your broad view of what constitutes a door I’d be out in the cold. That is one beautiful horse. And I can’t help it… ‘Farm a Rama’ 🫢😂😂It looks like a fun event Dan. Hi to Faith.

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  47. […] Welcome to Thursday Doors, a weekly feature allowing door lovers to come together to admire and share their favorite door photos from around the world. Feel free to join in on the fun by creating your own Thursday Doors post each week and then sharing your link in the comments below, anytime between 12:01 am Thursday morning and Saturday noon (North American eastern time). You can join in here: https://nofacilities.com/2022/09/29/big-e-2022/ […]

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  50. WHew! I’m relieved at the relevancy of doors you so graciously clarified. And always enjoy a fair to see exhibits. My favorite is quilts, naturally :) And to those unaware, door quilts are a thing. My next endeavor…….

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  51. It has been some time since I attended a fair. Thank you for the wonderful photos and the good memories they brought back, Dan
    Thank you for your kind explanation of the latitude we have to share the love for all manner of doors. Much appreciated.
    Love the barn/barn door and the horse paddock.

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  52. I love all the colorful photos! It looks like a fun day for dad and daughter. :) Living overseas, I do miss the autumn fair atmosphere, but I really enjoyed imagining it again through your photos. Thank you, Dan, for being a wonderful host of Thursday Doors!

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  53. It’s interesting to learn that there is a festival/fair dedicated to New England. It seems so fun too! The only city I have really visited in New England is Boston, but I want to revisit the whole state, especially in autumn. It’s among my most favorite states in the US (based on what I have seen and read, because I believe I have seen less than 1% of what the USA has to offer).

    And I’m personally very thankful for how you allow several types of doors/gates/entrances/the metaphorical.

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    • There are six NE states, but they are pretty easy to see in a short time, unless you want to see a lot of Maine.

      I’m glad you like the format here. Thanks for participating.

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      • Oh I just realized I accidentally called New England a state instead of a region. Embarrassing mistake. Either way, I personally hope I can spend a longer time in NE so that I can properly enjoy it and I’m particularly interested in Maine for Acadia and Massachusetts for the small towns. But if I have limited vacation time (the usual), it’s quite reassuring to hear it will be easy to see in a short time.

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