The Big E brings big eats

The Big E, New England's multi-state fair, opens today with carnival rides, tons of musical acts, and of course, a midway full of absurd food — deep fried and otherwise.

Why it matters: The Big E, as its affectionately known, is the region's annual agricultural showcase just about two hours from Boston in West Springfield. It runs every day through Oct. 2.

New England may not be renowned for its state fair culture, but we can raise cholesterol and diabetes rates just as well as any fly-over state.

• "If you can think of something to deep-fry, we've probably done it. Oreos, jelly beans, Kool-Aid – even butter," the fair's website proudly states.
• The Big E cream puffs and eclairs are the fair's signature dishes.

What to expect:

🧈 Sculptures made of butter.

🕯 Storrowton Village, a whole fake town with a Yankee Candles store that will let you sniff every candle. (Deehan has done it.)

🎡 Classic carnival midway rides.

Music:

• Boston heroes the Dropkick Murphys will perform today.
• Singer Kristen Merlin, who Deehan went to high school with, appears Sept. 18.
• You can ride wit Nelly Sept. 23.
• DJ Jazzy Jeff spins on Sept. 24.
• What's left of Lynyrd Skynyrd will perform on Oct. 2.

What's better than a road trip visiting all five-and-a-half states in New England? Visiting all of them at once at the Big E.

• The Avenue of States features replicas of the original statehouses of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and even Connecticut.

The bottom line: Advance one-day tickets to the festival are $15, and passes to all 17 days of the fair are $50.