The results at the Big E, 2026 edition

Right at the beginning of this blog, I have to tell you this.

My girlfriend Suzanne is a trooper.

She went through every Big E tradition and superstition with me without batting an eyelash.

Superstition #1 – get to the Big E as early as possible. That means leaving Albany at sunrise, so that we could park near the entrance. 90 minutes and a $10 parking fee later, we were in Springfield.

Superstition #2 – breakfast sandwich at the Agawam Lions Club station. I’ve done this for years, and it’s always brought me good juju. One sausage egg and cheese sandwich – with a hash brown – for me, and one for Suzanne (albeit without the sausage or cheese). We talked with one of the volunteers about how important this fundraiser is for the Lions Club’s local chapter, and how tasty the food was on an early Saturday morning.

Superstition #3 – and this is a new one – I need a new flannel shirt.

There’s a booth at the Big E for the Vermont Flannel Company, a purveyor of flannel shirts and other well-woven materials (including genuine Bernie Sanders woolen mittens). I allowed Suzanne to pick out my shirt – she chose a nice checkered red-black pattern for me, and we went through three or four different sizes to make sure that the one I purchased would fit me for a long time.

Superstition #3A – I purchased the 2026 Vermont Flannel Company’s Big E limited edition flannel shirt, a red-blue-violet pattern called “Commonwealth.”

Superstition #3B – if I’m getting shirts, Suzanne’s getting one as well. She found a sweet pattern that fit her perfectly.

Superstition #4 – we visited several of the Big E’s “State” houses – there are six custom-built buildings, one representing each state. We enjoyed the art show at the Rhode Island state house, we purchased maple cotton candy at the Massachusetts state house, and she enjoyed some maple drops and a maple cream treat at the Maine state house.

Okay. All traditions, old and new, are achieved. Now let’s go to the New England Center, and see how things turned out with my two accepted photos, A CO Railfan’s Dream and Herbie Jr :v) Was Here, along with my Vermont covered bridge latch hook project.

It took a while to find it … but there it is, A CO Railfan’s Dream with a big blue ribbon on it. That makes this piece a double-blue winner, and four silks overall. Which I enjoy very much.

Now where’s Herbie? That photo is harder to find than a classic 12-inch in a vinyl crate. Is it here, is it there …

Oh, it’s over here … and …

It’s got blue, bah do dee bah do dye … Two blues for my two photos! And this now gives Herbie Jr :v) Was Here a second blue of its own … with the possibility that I could enter this in Altamont in 2027 to earn the “triple blue” chance (both Herbie and Railfan snagged blue at Saratoga earlier this year).

But I still had my Vermont covered bridge rug over here someplace. And this floor covering already had a blue from Altamont earlier this year. And I’ve never earned two silks on any of my latch hook rug projects. Never.

Until now, folks.

That, my friends, is what most people call a clean sweep. Three entries, three blues. Two blues for the covered bridge in competition, and two blues for each photo.

That is definitely worth a celebration.

Which now means new tradition #5 –

A quick pit-stop at the nearby MGM Springfield casino. Now I didn’t walk out of the casino with thousands of dollars, but I did pick up a few dollars’ profit. Suzanne had fun at MGM as well, and it was just great to spend the day with her and have a great time doing so.

And now Competition Season 2026 is in the books.

I added a new competition to the rotation (the Saratoga County Fair), and pulled several winners out of that one. A CO Railfan’s Dream has four ribbons – two blues – and an acceptance into the Photo Regionals. Herbie Jr :v) Was Here has two blues, and an acceptance into the Square Art New York gallery show. My lenticular print The Shooting Star took a ribbon at the New York State Fair, and my latch hook rugs have earned three blues apiece – two fro the covered bridge, and one in Syracuse for my 1970’s-retro-neon latch hook wall hanging.

All in all, with the exception of striking out at Iowa, I’d say Competition Season 2026 has achieved success.

Plus, I was able to share this success with my new girlfriend. And I’m totally stoked about that as well.

Bring on Competition Season 2027.

I’m ready for it.