The little e – formerly known as the Franklin County Home Show and Green Fair – is coming to the Franklin County Fairgrounds; the Big E is, of course, the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield.
GREENFIELD – First there was The Big E, and now there’s the little e.
The little e – formerly known as the Franklin County Home Show and Green Fair – is coming to the Franklin County Fairgrounds; the Big E is, of course, the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield.
Franklin County’s little e lifestyle trade show will take place April 20 and 21 at the Franklin County Fairgrounds from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“It’s Franklin County’s super amazing, fabulous collection of wondrous things to see and buy,” said Becky George, events manager for the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce.
Element Beer's headquarters is in the Millers Falls section of Montague.
Presented by the chamber and the Greenfield Business Association, the little e will highlight businesses, products, leisure services and information available in the greater Franklin County area in a trade show setting.
It will showcase how people live and make their living in Franklin County. Exhibitors will be included in categories such as home improvement, leisure activities and new environmental products, and there will be home; yard and garden; and fiber workshops with topics from solar energy options to raising chickens in the backyard.
Visit the little e and learn more about leisure and recreation, home security, energy production and conservation, crafts, recycled arts and foodstuffs, heating and cooling products and services, green thinking, banking and investments, business and home office equipment, transportation ideas and innovations, health and fitness products and services, home improvement design and equipment, home appliances, senior living innovations and products, gardening and farming and locavore living products and services.
The former home show and green fair “morphed” into the little e as a way to showcase area products and services from plumbers to local brewers, George said. “We wanted to have a more active event.”
In its 32nd year, the event will feature business and services and trade show booth exhibits in the Dole Building, the grandstand and heated tents on the grounds.
A Farm to Fiber (formerly the FiberTwist) display and sale will take place in in the Roundhouse, featuring more than 25 vendors of all things fiber. Included will be knitters, spinners, weavers and rug hookers.
Gail Callahan, owner of the Kangaroo Dyer in Greenfield and a longtime event participant, will sell hand-dyed yarn and woven silk cloth. She can also help persons to be more comfortable choosing and using color in their projects.
“This is going to be a great event,” she said. “Every year we’ve done better and better.”
The event is a way to bring business to the area, Callahan said, noting that this is a good time of year to have a fiber event because most fiber festivals are in the fall.
Also at the little e, local libations will be in the spotlight at the Franklin County Brewer’s Sampling Tent. Seven local beer, mead and hard cider producers will be on hand Saturday only from noon-4 p.m. There will be a $10 charge for a commemorative glass and 10 sampling tickets.
Among the beers to be sampled will be Element from the Millers Falls section of Montague. In business for three years, Element bottles its beer in 750 ml. champagne bottles.
“This will be a great opportunity for us to show what we do,” said Daniel P. Kramer, an owner. “There will be people there that are not typically exposed to our products,” which include three year-round beers, a line of seasonal beers and an anniversary beer.
Samples will be available of the year-round beers.
On Sunday the brewer’s tent will be used for locavore waffles from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. There will be a minimal charge for the waffles, the ingredients for which will come from Franklin County.
There will be family activities, freshly made foods and vendors at the little e, too.
George said “so many people do so many interesting things in Franklin County, and it’s such a great place to live” so the little e will give it more exposure. There is no charge to attend the event, but a $2 donation is recommended.