I am nothing if not enthusiastic about things I feel are great. So when a co-worker in the NY office expressed doubts about coming up for the Big E, which he of course had never even heard of, it was time to spring into action. I wrote him an email:

Hi. I have heard that you are waffling on visiting us during the Big E. Perhaps JD hasn't been able to convey to you the glory and the splendor of this event. It is life-changing.

Did you know that there's a huge midway with many rides run by suspicious carnies? Look here: http://www.thebige.com/fair/big_e_midway.html

There's the avenue of states, which has life-size replicas of each New England state's capitol building, and the buildings are full of regional food and crap to buy: http://www.thebige.com/fair/big_e_avenueofstates.html

The Big E is the only place where you can get the 56,000-calorie Big E cream puff: http://www.thebige.com/fair/big_e_creampuffs.html

There's a Mardi Gras parade every single day. Mardi Gras!: http://www.thebige.com/fair/big_e_mardigrasparade.html

And one word: Foreigner. OK, two more words: Carrie Underwood. Jesus, take the wheel! http://www.thebige.com/entertainment/index.html

There are also cooking contests, enormous buildings full of "As Seen on TV" products, a petting zoo with giraffes and zebras, vendors selling t-shirts that say things like "Cowboy Butts Drive Me Nuts", a butter sculpture, crazy car stunt shows, prize-winning farm animals all over the place ... It's astounding. You simply have to go.


He responded with this: "Geez, I'm SO there! I never knew it was a cultural buffet of all my favorite things! I hope we can drive around singing "Cold As Ice" all weekend.
I appreciate the time and thought you put into that email -- it's the mark of a true friend of both me and the Big E."


Mission accomplished!