Every fall Western Massachusetts hosts a state fair called the Big E. Our little family of three went for the day last year (see post here) and had so much fun with my brothers-in-law and nephews! This year we decided to make a day of the fair again, this time with James being a little older (last year he was not big enough for any rides) and Henry in tow!

We started off at the big yellow slide (James loves slides now that he can do them all by himself). The dads (Jimmy and his brother Sam) took the boys (James and his cousin Samuel) down the slide and they all seemed to love it (especially the dads!) After one ride, we walked towards the amusement park, stopping at my favorite spot: the State Houses. We took a break on the lawn for awhile so the boys could stretch their legs and the parents could enjoy some beverages.

En route to the rides and games, we made sure to stop at every food cart imaginable. We ate poutine, french fries, corn dogs, a steak and cheese sub, donuts, Italian sausages, and pizza.  If you go, make sure to check out the mac&cheese grilled cheese and the chicken parm rice balls. I didn’t know they had these until after leaving but they sound and look AMAZING! There are a bunch of beer stands throughout the park including the Samuel Adams trailer that caught my eye. It’s so cute and such a cool atmosphere with outdoor seating and hanging string lights.

The dads had fun playing games and showing the boys the ropes. Samuel and James even won their own prizes! They played the game where you fish for magnetic fish and both caught some. It was so cute to see how excited they both got when they won. As naptime quickly passed, we knew we only had a short window of time before the boys melted down. The dads took James and William on a few rides; the swings, a haunted roller coaster, and a car ride (which did not go over so well. Maybe next year!) 

I went back and forth on writing this post.  I saw some images and videos on FaceBook after we went to the fair that were really disturbing and heartbreaking and I don’t want to be associated with supporting an inhumane practice.  While we did not ride the animals nor watch them in action, we still enjoyed the fair while the animals were present.  I am so upset and sad for them and those images are now ingrained in my mind.