State Representative Margaret Drye of Plainfield, N.H., has proposed a bill to acknowledge the third Friday after Labor Day as “New Hampshire Day at The Big E” in the state of New Hampshire. The Big E is the fourth largest fair in North America and exists to support and preserve agriculture, industry, education and entertainment across New England.
Among her many obligations, Drye has served on the board of directors for Eastern States Exposition (ESE), the home of The Big E, since 2014. Prior to her formal involvement, she attended annually with her nine children and husband, enjoying the amusements and cheering on her children as they competed in the Fair’s 4-H contests.
In 2025, ESE’s N.H. Trustees convened in their state’s flagship building along The Big E’s Avenue of States on New Hampshire Day for their annual meeting. As they assessed the state of the building, reviewed its maintenance plan and heard from its vendors, a thought occurred to Drye.
She recounted, “That meeting happened to fall on the same day as the deadline for representatives to put forward ideas for bills. The governor has a list of things that they need to proclaim every year, including such occasions as ‘Lafayette Day.’ I thought, ‘There’s nothing stopping us from having her proclaim New Hampshire Day at The Big E.’ Our building will be 100 years old come 2030, and it is the only building that the states owns outside of its borders.”
HB1395 states that the governor “shall annually issue a proclamation observing the third Friday after Labor Day as ‘New Hampshire Day at The Big E’ in recognition of the more than a century of support that Eastern States Exposition, the home of The Big E, has given to promoting agriculture and cooperation in the New England States.”
On Wednesday, February 4, a formal hearing was held for the proposed bill. As its sponsor, Drye introduced HB1395. ESE President and CEO Gene Cassidy and ESE Director of Sales Tim Garstka were both in attendance to voice their support and testify ESE’s role as a national authority on agriculture.
An economic impact study conducted by Regional Economic Models, Inc. (REMI) of Amherst, Mass., found that the organization’s footprint across New England and New York equaled an astounding $1.167 billion in 2024. In 2025, thousands of students from nationally recognized agricultural groups, including FFA and 4-H, attended the Fair to exhibit their project crops and livestock. The Eastern Regional FFA Contest is the second largest competition of its kind in the country, and welcomes more than 100 FFA chapters from 17 of the 18 participating states, including N.H. This is one of many ways that ESE ensures the future of farming.
“Many members of the committee had not heard of The Big E,” said Drye. “It was great to inform them and have them learn of its impact. People are hearing about it through this bill, so the initiative is serving its purpose and advertising for the Fair. It costs no money to provide a proclamation, and little for the governor to visit The Big E, so my job is to let her know that we should be using this resource to promote New Hampshire agriculture. This has proven a timely idea.”
Residents of N.H. can bolster HB1395 by visiting the webpage for the general court (GC.NH.gov), scrolling down to Meeting Resources, signing in and opting in favor of the bill. Help us advance agriculture in the state of N.H. by bringing more attention to one of its most steadfast supporters, The Big E.