The Big E Breaks Attendance Record

Was it the weather? Hanson? The Better Living Center? Awesome junk food and beer? Circus?  Whatever it was, more people went to the Big E this year than ever before.

This year's attendance of 1,543,470 people breaks the all-time record set last year of 1,525,533, according to westernmassnews.com.

A picture of an elephant that appeared to be in ill health went viral during the first week of The Big E this year raising questions about the treatment of animals at the fair.

The Big E started in West Springfield circa 1917, and attendance that year was around 138,000 people.