I don’t know about you folks. But weekends here are all
about getting away. Even if it’s just for a little while. Turning off my laptop
& pushing back from my desk. Getting out of the house for even a few hours
with the hope that a temporary change of venue might help Nancy
& I recharge our batteries.
Take — for example — last weekend. When we hopped in the
car and drove on down to Massachusetts
to catch the last day of the Big E.
Photo by Jim Hill
For those of you who don’t know: The Big E is the largest
state fair in the Northeast. People from all six of the New England
states journey to the Eastern States Exposition (which is this 175 acre complex
in West Springfield, MA)
for 17 days of food & fun.
Photo by Jim Hill
Food is really a huge part of why people return to the Big E
year after year. I mean, where else can you get regional favorites like baked Maine
potatoes and/or a piece of hot apple pie with a thick slice of sharp Vermont
cheddar on top within just a few feet of one another?
Photo by Jim Hill
And — of course — this being a state fair and all, the Big
E had its stunt foods. Those things that sound pretty bizarre but you still
have to try. Like the item pictured below: deep fried shepherd’s pie. Which was
surprisingly tasty in a weird sort of way.
Photo by Jim Hill
Ah, but it’s not just those Big E Cream Puffs which
compelled 1,498,605 people to come tour the fairgrounds at the Eastern States
Exposition this year.
Photo by Jim Hill
Though I won’t lie to you. Those cream puffs were pretty
good.
Photo by Jim Hill
Nor was it that 600 pound butter sculpture which got all those turnstiles
spinning.
Photo by Jim Hill
No, strange as it may seem, the big draw at the Big E this
year wasn’t the midway.
Photo by Jim Hill
But — rather — a display that celebrated the 50th
anniversary of the 1964 – 1965 New York World’s Fair.
Photo by Jim Hill
This impressive display (which was housed in the Young
pavilion) featured more than 250 pieces of World’s Fair artifacts &
souvenirs from the collection of Mike Jacobson.
Photo by Jim Hill
And Mike’s collection really did touch on all aspects of the
1964 – 1965 New York World’s Fair. Everything from the special souvenir toys
that people bought back then …
Photo by Jim Hill
… to the silly hats they wore as they wandered around Flushing Meadow.
Photo by Jim Hill
Mr. Jacobson even managed to find some of the bags that were created especially
for the Fair.
Photo by Jim Hill
To be honest, it would be hard to identify the most popular
item on display here. It might have been that scale model of the Ford Pavilion.
Photo by Jim Hill
Or it could have possibly been that working version of the Mold-A-Rama machine
…
Photo by Jim Hill
… which allowed Big E attendees to make their very replica
of the souvenirs that used to be available for purchase at Sinclair Dinoland at
the 1964 – 1965 New York World’s Fair.
Photo by Jim Hill
Looking at all these very cool collectibles that were on display, it made me
wish that I had my very own official 1964 – 1964 New York World’s Fair Kodak camera
to collect all these images.
Photo by Jim Hill
But since I didn’t, I had to record what I was seeing with
my very own eyes. Which would have looked cool in these official 1964 – 1965
New York World’s Fair souvenir eye glasses.
Photo by Jim Hill
As you might expect, one of the big draws at this display
were the Disney-related items. Paper goods which celebrated GE’s pavilion at
the 1964 – 1965 New York World’s Fair, Progressland.
Photo by Jim Hill
Not to mention Pepsi Cola’s “it’s a small world” ride.
Photo by Jim Hill
I have to admit that I had never seen any of the official
souvenir dolls that had been created for the New York
version of this attraction.
Photo by Jim Hill
I found the back of this doll’s box especially fascinating since it was covered
with photographs of the original Small World AA figures prior to their
installation in that cavernous show building on Flushing Meadow.
Photo by Jim Hill
And speaking of Flushing Meadow, just three weeks from today, Len Testa, Mike
Newell and I are going to be at the World’s Fair Marina
Restaurant doing our first-ever, live-in-front-of-an-audience “Disney Dish” podcast. So if
you’d like to raise a glass …
Photo by Jim Hill
… to the 50th anniversary of the 1964 – 1964 New York
World’s Fair, then you should definitely make plans to join Len, Mike and I at
this E.T.C. event on October 26th. If — on the other hand — you’re more of a
games player …
Photo by Jim Hill
… then maybe you might want to join me in NYC on November
1st for E.T.C.’s Timed Square
trivia challenge. Which — if you’re someone who loves solving puzzles —
should be just your cup of tea.
Photo by Jim Hill
At the very least, these two upcoming E.T.C. events will give you a chance to
get away for a few hours. Do something different.
And isn’t that what weekends are for?