Eastern States Exposition Brings a Touch of Tartan to Holyoke

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Above: Tammy Yacavone and Donna Kenneson serve as the West Springfield Tartan team at Eastern States Exposition's pop-up at Holyoke's St. Patrick's Road Race.

Above: Mayor Will Reichelt of West Springfield wears a West Springfield Tartan tie as he marches down Beech Street in Holyoke’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Above: Court member, Piper Elizabeth Bajor; West Springfield’s Colleen, Ainsley Elizabeth Kearney; court member, Keira Fitzgerald Haley; and court member, Mary Catherine Desrosiers; pose in the Eastern States Exposition pop-up tent at the road race.

Above: Bridget Laviolette of Springfield's 2024 Colleen court poses with a Halfway to St. Patrick's Day koozie and "Halfway to Something" Irish lager from ESE's recent collaboration with Two Weeks Notice Brewing Co.

Above: West Springfield's 2024 Parade Marshal, Mary Anne Flaherty, wears her West Springfield Tartan scarf during Holyoke's St. Patrick's Parade.

eastern states exposition BRINGS A TOUCH OF WEST SPRINGFIELD TARTAN TO HOLYOKE'S ST. PATRICK'S DAY WEEKEND

Eastern States Exposition (ESE) debuted a booth at Holyoke’s St. Patrick’s Road Race for the first time on Saturday, March 22. The pop-up provided attendees with the chance to stock up on West Springfield Tartan apparel and accessories, a symbol of West Side’s Irish pride, as well as coasters, koozies and other merchandise that teased Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day at The Big E, Sept. 12-14.

The West Springfield Tartan pulls its colors from the tapestry of our town. It is composed of West Side’s signature blue and white, the rich red and sky blue of Eastern States Exposition and the most significant colors from the flags of the six New England states in a nod to the Avenue of States on the grounds of the Exposition.

The threads of the tartan are as tightly intertwined as the stories of Western Mass. and Western County Kerry, the region from which most Irish diaspora in West Springfield claim ancestry. This is why, for more than two decades, a group of vendors, performers and artisans from the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry, Ireland, have partnered with ESE to provide a world-class showcase in the Young Building throughout the 17-day run of The Big E.

Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day weekend at The Big E, Sept. 12-14, is a lively celebration of these Celtic, cross-continental connections. During opening weekend of the Fair, The Big E “ups the Irish” with performances by notorious acts such as The StepCrew, Sept. 13-14 on the Court of Honor Stage; Kilted Colin, Sept. 12-14 on Storrowton Gazebo; and House of Hamill, Sept. 14 on The E Stage. Special guests also include presentations by local academies of Irish dance. For the full lineup, head to TheBigE.com.

In addition to the ESE pop-up at the road race, the West Springfield Tartan could also be spotted during Holyoke’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The St. Patrick’s Committee of West Springfield, their award winners, colleens, Mayor Will Reichelt and numerous city officials donned their West Side Tartan accessories as they made their way down Beech Street in Holyoke, Mass.

Eager to start or expand your own collection of West Springfield Tartan products? Shop the full inventory online at EasternStatesExposition.com/Tartan or stop by Eastern States Farmers Market and Wine Café, located on the ESE grounds!