AUGUSTA – From loaded Maine baked potatoes and lobster rolls to wild blueberry crisp, maple milkshakes, smoked salmon, and wood-fired pizza featuring Maine ingredients, the tastes and traditions of Maine are returning to The Big E this fall.
The State of Maine Building, located on the Avenue of States alongside buildings representing the five other New England states, will welcome visitors throughout the 17-day Eastern States Exposition, September 18 through October 4, 2026, in West Springfield, Massachusetts. Maine Day will be celebrated on Saturday, September 19.
For more than a century, the Maine Building has introduced generations of fairgoers to the people, products, and traditions that make Maine stand apart. The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) owns and operates the building as a showcase for Maine agriculture, food, fisheries, forests, tourism, artisans, and businesses.
“The Big E gives Maine a special opportunity to showcase our food, farms, and agricultural businesses to people from across New England and beyond,” said DACF Commissioner Amanda Beal. “Food is one of the most immediate and memorable ways to make that connection. Someone may come into the Maine Building for a baked potato, lobster roll, or a maple or wild blueberry dish, but they leave with a greater appreciation for the farmers, producers, and small businesses behind those products.”
The Big E is one of the largest fairs in North America, providing Maine businesses with access to an enormous regional marketplace. For exhibiting producers and makers, the opportunity extends beyond sales during the fair, helping introduce their products to new customers and build awareness that can lead to future visits, online purchases, and other business opportunities.
“We view the Big E as both a marketplace and a long-term opportunity to build awareness of Maine agriculture,” said DACF Bureau of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources Director Craig Lapine. “Many of Maine’s farms and food businesses are small businesses, and reaching an audience of this scale is difficult to accomplish individually. By bringing them together in the Maine Building, we can show visitors the robust diversity of what Maine grows, harvests, makes and creates.”
Taste Maine at The Big E
Food remains one of the biggest draws at the Maine Building, and the 2026 lineup offers fairgoers plenty of ways to experience Maine.
Longtime favorites include the Maine Potato Board’s iconic loaded baked potatoes and Maine lobster rolls. Tree of Life Maple Farm will offer organic Maine maple syrup, maple cream, candy, cotton candy, coffee, and milkshakes, while Valley View Orchard Pies brings fruit pies, whoopie pies, and other baked goods from its Oxford bakery.
Maine aquaculture is also on the menu, with the Maine Aquaculture Association offering smoked salmon while introducing visitors to Maine’s growing aquaculture sector and the Maine Oyster Trail.
This year’s offerings also highlight collaborations among Maine farms and food businesses.
Fields Fields Blueberries, a woman-owned organic wild blueberry farm in Dresden, will serve its renowned wild blueberry crisp topped with Maine-made Gifford’s ice cream.
QP Burger Food Truck will bring together products from multiple Maine businesses in its burgers, hot dogs, and sides, including Fox Family Potato Chips, Raye’s Mustard, and Morse’s sauerkraut.
Fire & Company Catering will showcase Maine flavors through wood-fired pizza and beverages featuring Maine producers and ingredients.
“These collaborations tell an important story about Maine’s food economy,” Beal said. “When Maine farms, food producers, and businesses use and promote one another’s products, the benefit reaches beyond a single business. Visitors get a great Maine experience while seeing firsthand how interconnected our agricultural and food community can be.”
More Than Food
The Maine Building experience extends well beyond the menu.
Visitors can shop for Maine-made wood products, jewelry, personal-care products, artisan goods, and gifts. Dailey Woodworking and Friends will feature work from more than a dozen Maine makers, alongside longtime and returning exhibitors including Ledgeway Farm, MARTINI Jewels, Sider’s Woodcrafting, Sunshine Apothecary, and Winter Whimsies.
Short-term exhibitors rotating through the building include Maine authors and makers, Liberty Graphics, Pussums Cat Company, Sweet Monkey Business, and West Maquoit Vinegar Works.
The Maine Flower Collective will greet visitors with a display of Maine-grown dried flowers highlighting the state’s flower farmers and florists, while the Maine Forest and Logging Museum will help tell the story of Maine’s forestry heritage.
The Maine Office of Tourism will also be on hand, along with the Maine Tourism Association, to help visitors discover Maine destinations and experiences.
“Our goal is to spark a connection with Maine that inspires a visit to our state for culinary experiences,” said Maine Office of Tourism Director Carolann Ouellette. “The Maine-made products on exhibit at the Big E all tell a story that is shaped by the landscape and culture of Maine. When fair attendees discover a Maine product, they get to learn about the farm and people behind the product, and that develops a bond that we hope will carry forward in a trip to Maine’s farms and food businesses.
Maine Day is Saturday, September 19
Maine Day at The Big E is Saturday, September 19, offering an expanded celebration of Maine on the Avenue of States.
Activities begin with a Maine Day opening ceremony and ribbon cutting in front of the Maine Building, followed by exhibits and activities throughout the day.
Maine Forest Rangers and Smokey Bear, the National Park Service, and Real Maine will be among those participating on the Maine Building lawn. Maine 4-H and Maine FFA members will also represent the state during Maine Day and through agricultural competitions held throughout The Big E.
The celebration continues into the evening with Maine featured in The Big E’s daily parade.
Connecting Visitors with Maine Agriculture Year-Round
DACF’s Real Maine program will participate during Maine Day and Harvest New England Day, helping visitors discover Maine farms, food, and agricultural experiences they can explore long after The Big E ends.
Storyboards outside the Maine Building will also introduce visitors to Maine agriculture and the people and practices behind Maine-grown products.
“Our small businesses are proud to put themselves and the very best of Maine on display at The Big E,” said Maine Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Michael Duguay. “We hope visitors find Maine products, connect with the farm or business behind it, and continue that relationship long after they leave the fair. Whether they seek out Maine products when they shop or plan a future visit to a Maine farm or food business, we invite them to discover more Maine.”
A Maine Tradition Since 1925
The State of Maine has participated at the Eastern States Exposition since 1925. Located on the Avenue of States, the Maine Building is owned by DACF and operated by the Department’s Agricultural Resource Development Division for the purpose of exhibiting and promoting Maine products and resources in agriculture, industry, fisheries, forests, wildlife, and recreation.
The colonial-style building, modeled after Maine’s original State House, remains a destination where visitors can experience Maine food, products, craftsmanship, and traditions in one place.
2026 Maine Building Exhibitors
Full-fair and food exhibitors include: Dailey Woodworking and Friends; Ledgeway Farm; Maine Aquaculture Association; Maine Lobster Rolls; Maine Office of Tourism; Maine Potato Board; MARTINI Jewels; Sider’s Woodcrafting; Sunshine Apothecary; Tree of Life Maple Farm; Valley View Orchard Pies; Winter Whimsies; Fields Fields Blueberries; Fire & Company Catering; and QP Burger Food Truck.
Short-term exhibitors include: Author Ash; Funky Ware by Polly; author Haylei Wilson; Liberty Graphics, Inc.; Pussums Cat Company; Sweet Monkey Business; and West Maquoit Vinegar Works.
Special displays and features include: Maine 4-H, Maine FFA, Maine Forest and Logging Museum, Maine Flower Collective, and Real Maine.
* Exhibitor participation and schedules may change throughout The Big E.
Visitors are also encouraged to explore Maine throughout The Big E. Beyond the Maine Building, Maine businesses, products, competitors, and participants can be found in the Marketplace, on the midway, and across the fairgrounds, including Maine 4H and FFA students competing and showing alongside their peers from across New England in the New England Center and on the Farm-A-Rama Stage.
Plan Your Visit
The Big E: September 18–October 4, 2026 Maine Day: Saturday, September 19, 2026 Location: Eastern States Exposition, West Springfield, Massachusetts
For the complete Maine Building exhibitor lineup and information about Maine’s participation at The Big E, visit the State of Maine Building at The Big E.
For information about The Big E, visit The Big E.
