How is this for heresy: The Big E is offering a selection of gluten-free and healthy snacks during its run Sept. 15-Oct. 1 in Springfield, Mass.

Healthy food? At The Big E? Come on!

Here’s the kind of dishes I think of when I hear “The Big E”: fried butter balls, which were voted last year’s Fairgoer Favorite.

Thank goodness, those kinds of bad-for-you-but-outrageously-delicious creations will still be part of the fair in 2017. Among the selections are a BBQ Brisket Sundae; The Burger Bomb, which is deep-fried; and deep-fried cannoli (because the only thing better than a deep-fried burger is deep-fried cannoli).

I realize that some people also go to The Big E for other reasons — to see concerts or take a spin on carnival rides or visit the Avenue of the States or see the livestock and horse shows. And, yes, there’s all that, too. But even if those are what's drawing you there, you still can't pass up The Burger Bomb, can you?

The Big E, Sept. 15-Oct. 1, 1305 Memorial Ave., Springfield, Mass.; most exhibits and buildings open 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; $15 adults, $10 ages 6-12, free for kids 5 and under; (413) 737-2443.