Volunteer Orientation

Volunteer with Us at The Big E!

Sign-ups open on August 3rd, 7am for volunteers. Check back here for the link.
West Springfield, MA
Friday, September 18 – Sunday, October 4, 2026

Email Kelly at info@visitnh-bige.com / bige@nhgsa.com for information about volunteering or click here to register as a Big E volunteer and sign up for shifts. GSAs - please use your usual sign up method.

Join us at New England’s biggest fair! Granite State Ambassadors are the contracted managers of the New Hampshire Information Booth in the NH Building at The Big E, representing the NH Division of Travel and Tourism—and we’re inviting all NH residents and friends with ties to NH to be part of the fun.

As a volunteer, you’ll help guests who love New Hampshire plan their next visit. You’ll have access to brochures, a computer, and on-site support from staff and fellow volunteers.

Available Volunteer Shifts: 9:45am-2pm; 2pm-6pm; 6pm-9pm
On Duty per shift: 1 booth manager; 1 volunteer supervisor; 2 volunteers.
** If you are coming to volunteer as a group and there aren't enough open slots for your chosen shift, please reach out. We can accommodate you if we can.

Volunteers receive FREE:
* Admission on your volunteer days
* Parking in the employee shuttle lot + shuttle to the fair
* Snacks, coffee/tea, water, and a secure spot to stash your stuff
* Access to the NH Building kitchen and restrooms.

Optional lodging: Stay with us at Candlewood Suites for just $110/night (incl. tax) through our special room block—book directly through us at bige@nhgsa.com. Our rooms have 2 double beds, a full kitchen, and free parking.

You can also rent a bed in the NH building dorms in the attic space for a modest fee. Reach out to the NH Department of Agriculture to reserve.

Own or support a tourism business?
Showcase your brochures or promo items—or even volunteer in person to represent your business (Featured). During your shift you can set up on a side counter to directly engage with potential visitors.

With over 1.5 million attendees, it’s a great (and free!) way to reach a huge audience made up of your drive market.  

Sign up for a shift and email info@visitnh-bige.com or bige@nhgsa.com  that you would like to be a featured business. 

On-site Management

The New Hampshire Building is owned by the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture. They manage the building vendors and grounds. They contract with an organization called Champions of New Hampshire Farms which manages the daily operations of the building and all of the food concessions.

The New Hampshire Information Booth is owned by the NH Division of Travel and Tourism. They contract with Granite State Ambassadors to run all aspects of the information booth. The booth has one paid staff on Granite State Ambassador's payroll - The Manager. 

The Manager is responsible for the booth overall and relations with the building's manager. The Manager manages the literature inventory, schedule, reporting and oversees the booth and the Supervisor.

The Supervisor is a volunteer themselves and manage the volunteers, breaks, and counter displays. Volunteers report to the Supervisor for an on-site orientation prior to starting their shifts.

Shifts

Volunteers can sign up for as many shifts as they want. If you are working as a group and there aren't enough spots in the time you are looking to volunteer, let Kelly know kelly@nhgsa.com. We can accommodate 2 staff and 2 volunteers in the booth. If you don't feel well, please stay home. We always have our two staff on duty and can manage.

Guest Traffic

Fridays - Sundays are the busiest days. Leave plenty of time to get to the booth! Avoid Memorial Ave at all costs (your GPS will send you this way) - be sure and use Elm Street instead (follow our map & instructions). Wednesday and Thursdays tend to be good days for guest engagement for our industry volunteers. It's steady traffic without the crowded push through the building - guests can stop and chat more. Rainy days are busy in the buildings. Mondays and Tuesdays are perfect days to talk with guests, experience the expo and play.

Admission Tickets

You will receive your first ticket prior to the expo. Once you get to the booth, let your Supervisor know that you have another shift on another day. They will give you your next ticket. If you are working multiple days, we will most likely give you a credential ticket which means you will go to the Collesium to get a formal staff badge (bring your ID). The intial credential ticket will get you in the gate.

If there isn't enough time to mail your ticket before your shift, we will leave it for you at the front desk of the Candlewood Suites, 572 Riverdale St (we enter through the back on Elm Street), West Springfield MA.

Event Parking

Our volunteers park in a remote free employee parking lot, 42 Western Ave (Sullivan Paper). There is a shuttle (passenger van with a step up) that runs every 15-20 minutes. Park where the attendant tells you to, and go to the tent and wait. Your entrance ticket or Big E badge are your access to the shuttle. They generally don't ask to see it, so keep it in your pocket. We will also provide you with a letter stating that you are a volunteer in the NH Building just in case they question your paper ticket (vs badge). The shuttle is free and you are not expected to tip. 

Other options include parking in the neighborhoods near Gate 1. Residents charge between $10 and $25 cash for parking on their lawns. You can also pay $10 (cash) at Gate 9, but it's a long way across the grounds to us.

About the Big E

The Big E is the largest festival in the Northeast, and the fourth largest fair in North America (by attendance numbers.) It is held at the Eastern States Exposition Fairgrounds on Memorial Avenue in West Springfield, MA.

Think of it as New England’s State Fair: All six New England states are represented in their state buildings with food, shopping, tourism information, and displays. Residents of all six states can enter the agricultural and craft contests, and of course there’s shopping, food, midway games and rides, and live entertainment.

The Big E began in 1917 as a way to bring New England’s farmers together to demonstrate new farming methods and establish awards for the best and brightest in the New England region. 

The 2026 Big E runs from Friday, September 18 through Sunday, October 4. More than 1.5 million people typically visit the Big E over the course of the 17 days.

More details about the fair, including entertainment schedules, ticket prices, hours, etc. are available on their website, www.thebige.com.

About the New Hampshire Building

The New Hampshire building was built in 1930, a smaller scale replica of the then State House at a cost of $75,000. It was built using New Hampshire granite for its columns and trims, and features a curved porch and tall columns similar in style to the White House. The state seal built into the main entrance walk is also made of New Hampshire granite. The NH Building is New Hampshire – so there is no sales tax!

The New Hampshire Building is operated by the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food. Their website is www.agriculture.nh.gov. The Dept. of Agriculture estimates that 80% of the fair’s overall attendance will visit the New Hampshire Building, or in round numbers, about 1.3 million people.

The NH Tourism Booth

The NH Tourism Booth is the first thing that guests see when they walk into the NH Building, so in addition to answering questions and helping guests find travel information, our job is to welcome everyone to New Hampshire.

At the NH Tourism Booth we will have about 175 individual pieces of literature to serve the needs of our Big E guests. One of our hottest items is the Official New Hampshire Highway Map. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with both sides of the map when you arrive, and pay particular attention to the distance charts, city/town inserts, and the backside of the map with its tour ideas and key telephone numbers that will help guests.

We have brochure racks that hold specific interest brochures including statewide materials, attractions, historic and cultural sites, events, adventure, regional map and guides, area information, outdoor sports, shopping, dining, and campgrounds. We have some NH bags available for guests to hold their magazines and brochures.

There will also be a computer and printer at the booth to help respond to guest inquiries regarding specialized topics, hard to answer questions, and questions that might not have a physical brochure. Our go-to website is the state tourism site, www.visitNH.gov. If you’re not comfortable using the computer, the manager or supervisor on duty will be happy to help you assist your guest.

There is a full community kitchen upstairs in the NH Building available for your use with a fridge, freezer, stove, microwave and Keurig coffee machine. Label any personal food that you put in the fridge. Any unlabeled food is for anyone working in the building - please put some $ in the jar with your estimated value of what you ate and clean up after yourself. You are welcome to use the balcony and living room upstairs to relax on your breaks. Restrooms for NH Building vendors/volunteers are upstairs in the NH Building.

We will have a water cooler, an assortment of K-cups and shelf-stable snacks in the booth for our volunteers and staff.

There will be a space for you to store your personal bags/packs, coats etc in the booth. Store them in a zippered bag so your belongings don’t dump out when others sift through buckets for their own belongings.

You will be provided a NH apron and badge to wear. Businesses are welcome to wear their own uniforms/badges. GSAs, do not wear your GSA shirt or badge. We are representing the NH Division of Travel and Tourism for this one and you will wear street clothes and a provided Big E badge.