WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The Big E is back for another year and vendors are excited to showcase their talents to a wider audience.

Hot Wisconsin Cheese has been coming to the festival for the last of the half decade. Cook Jason Culp said the Florida-based business has been around the since the 1970s and they've been serving cheese in different ways ever since.

"Battered, dipped, and deep fried cheese," Culp said. "We get it in 40-pound blocks, cut it, put it in a batter, deep fry it and sell it to the folks."

The hot cheese is prepared in several ways from cheddar nuggets to mozzarella fingers. Culp said it's always a pleasure to make the long trip this time of year.

"One of my favorite fairs man," Culp said. "Plenty of good food to eat and plenty of nice people."

Billies Baked Potatoes is another vendor making its return to The Big E. The business has been based locally in Berkshire County since the 1970s, with plenty of baked options to choose from.

"We make baked potatoes obviously," assistant supervisor Diane Wilson said.  "And we have four different kinds, we have veggies, we have chili cheese, we have the Billie special which is very popular, and we have broccoli and cheese."

Wilson said she's been attending the Big E with Billie's for close to 15 years. She said the relationships built over time have been a joy to experience.

"The special thing about it is we see repeat customers," Wilson said. "And they begin to know us and they're our family as well, and we get a lot of repeat customers."

The Big E will run through Sunday, Oct. 1.