With Big E Fast Approaching, Officials Discuss Mask Mandate

Yes, it's true! Next month, when the Big E returns for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, attendees could be required to mask up.

MassLive reports health and city officials will make a decision in approximately two weeks whether to mandate masks at this year's 17-day Eastern States Exposition which begins on September 17.

Get our free mobile app

Obviously, the Big E was canceled last year due to safety concerns in regard to COVID-19. Organizers of the Big E, along with West Springfield officials decided to move forward with this year's event after Massachusetts lifted its State of Emergency.

In a meeting this past Wednesday, the Board of Health discussed a possible mask mandate for the Big E. In approximately two weeks, a public hearing is expected where the board will officially vote on the issue.

On average, the Big E attracts more than one million visitors every year meaning lots of revenue for businesses and vendors. With that said, a mask mandate would mean a huge loss for vendors. And some are up in arms about it.

West Springfield Mayor Will Reichelt said that if the board does approve a mask mandate, it will likely be just for indoors. He also said that with the Delta variant and Covid cases on the rise, attendance for the fair will likely take a big hit.

An official date for the proposed mask mandate meeting has not been set yet but it will be for the entire town. In the meantime, the Big E is set to run at full capacity from September 17 thru October 3.

For more on the story, visit MassLive's website here.

LOOK: Oldest Disneyland Rides From 1955 to Today

Stacker, set out to compile a definitive list of every Disneyland attraction you can enjoy today and ranked them by their age. Using real-time data from Touring Plans, Disney archives, and historical news releases and reviews, our list starts with exciting recent park additions and stretches back to the oldest opening-day classics. This list focuses on the original Disneyland Park, so you will not see any rides from its neighboring California Adventure located just across the promenade. Read on to discover the oldest Disneyland rides you can still ride today.

LOOK: Oldest Disneyland Rides From 1955 to Today

LOOK: Stunning vintage photos capture the beauty of America's national parks

Today these parks are located throughout the country in 25 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The land encompassing them was either purchased or donated, though much of it had been inhabited by native people for thousands of years before the founding of the United States. These areas are protected and revered as educational resources about the natural world, and as spaces for exploration.

Keep scrolling for 50 vintage photos that show the beauty of America's national parks.