AKC Conformation · West Springfield, Massachusetts
Leaf Peeper Cluster
October 16–18, 2026 — The Big E in West Springfield, headlined by the Puli Club of America National Specialty
Weekend at a glance
The Leaf Peeper Cluster runs October 16–18, 2026, at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, Massachusetts — Albany Kennel Club all-breeds Friday and Saturday, Troy Kennel Club all-breed Sunday. The weekend is anchored by the Puli Club of America National Specialty on Saturday, October 17.
- Dates
- October 16–18, 2026
- Venue
- Eastern States Exposition (“The Big E”)
- Host clubs
- Albany Kennel Club · Troy Kennel Club
- Format
- All-Breed + National Specialty
- Entries
- Closing September 30, 2026
Click here to enter → - Premium list
- 2026 premium list — Leaf Peepers Cluster: Albany KC Oct 16-17 + Troy KC Oct 18 2026 (PDF) Verified 2026
More about this show
Dates & venue verified 2026 premium published · Dates & club verified via premium
- Dates
- Friday through Sunday
- Venue
- 1305 Memorial Avenue, West Springfield, MA 01089
- Entries
- 12:00 noon ET — fees published
Premium published
Superintendent: MB-F
Enter the show
Entry fees are per dog, per show.
- Superintendent
- MB-F
- Closing
- September 30, 2026, at 12:00 noon ET
- Fees
- $36.00 first entry, $36.00 each additional entry of the same dog; Junior Showmanship $10.00 only (no fee as an additional class); 4 & Under 6 Months Puppy $20.00
- Limits
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and Belgian Tervuren limited to 100 entries each breed
- Premium
- 2026 premium list (PDF)
The days
| Day | Show |
|---|---|
| Fri, Oct 16 | Albany Kennel Club — All-Breed |
| Sat, Oct 17 | Albany Kennel Club — All-Breed · Puli Club of America National Specialty |
| Sun, Oct 18 | Troy Kennel Club — All-Breed |
Today’s Ring Card
Your show-day schedule, saved by date.
Judging program not yet published
No ring times or ring assignments have been verified yet. Ring cards will be built from the official program as soon as it’s out.
Breed judge finder
24 verified Best in Show and Variety Group assignments from the 2026 premium list. Verified 2026
Breed-by-breed panels will be added from the judging program when it is published.
Only verified assignments are listed here. We never guess judges.
Juniors
Junior Showmanship is offered all three days of the Leaf Peepers Cluster. Verified 2026
Fri Oct 16 — Albany KC
Junior Showmanship — offered; judge Mrs. Karen Marie Duprat (provisional).
Sat Oct 17 — Albany KC
Junior Showmanship — offered; judge Mrs. Honey Anne Glendinning.
Sun Oct 18 — Troy KC
Junior Showmanship — offered; judge Mr. David J. Kirkland.
The AKC National Owner-Handled Series runs all three days, with 4 & Under 6 Months Puppy competitions each day and a New Exhibitor Briefing during the Saturday show. No Pee Wee class is listed for this weekend.
Specialties & supported entries
National, regional and club specialties plus supported entries make this a specialty-heavy weekend. Verified 2026
Fri Oct 16 — Puli National Specialty
Puli Club of America — National Specialty Friday, with sweepstakes and veteran sweepstakes; Regional Specialty Saturday.
Sat Oct 17 — Boston Terrier & Belgian Sheepdog specialties
Boston Terrier Club of Connecticut and Downeaster Belgian Sheepdog Club hold specialty shows Saturday.
Fri Oct 16 — supported entries
Minuteman Boston Terrier Club and Quinnipiac Poodle Club support Friday's Albany KC show.
Sat Oct 17 — supported entries
Quinnipiac Poodle Club and Berkshire Belgian Tervuren Club support Saturday's Albany KC show.
Additional concurrent specialties with separate premium lists are published alongside this weekend — see the premium for details.
Plan your visit
Find the venue
The venue
Eastern States Exposition
1305 Memorial Avenue, West Springfield, MA 01089
West Springfield, MA
Dog-friendly lodging
- Hilton Garden Inn Springfield — 800 Hall of Fame Ave., Springfield, MA 01105. Phone: 413-886-8000. Call ahead to confirm pet policy.
- Comfort Inn & Suites — No address or city given on the venue site. Call ahead to confirm pet policy.
- Holiday Inn Express — No address or city given on the venue site. Call ahead to confirm pet policy.
- Residence Inn & Suites — No address or city given on the venue site. Call ahead to confirm pet policy.
Always confirm the pet policy when booking.
Flying in
- BDL — Bradley International Airport (BDL) in Hartford, about 15 miles / ~20 minutes away.
Restaurants
- Liquori's Pizza (dog-friendly; outdoor seating; Lunch, Dinner) — 659 Westfield St, West Springfield. Pizza and pasta spot; leashed dogs welcome at two outdoor tables; open about 10 AM-9 PM.
- Taste of Lebanon (dog-friendly; outdoor seating; Lunch, Dinner) — 553 Main St, West Springfield. Middle Eastern restaurant with five pet-friendly outdoor tables; open about 9 AM-9 PM.
Attractions
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame — 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue, Springfield, MA 01105. Museum and hall of fame in the birthplace of basketball.
Venue guide — shared by every show at this location. Last verified 2026-09-25. Per-show details for this weekend (RV, admission, grooming) are below.
The venue
The cluster is held at the Eastern States Exposition, 1305 Memorial Avenue, West Springfield, MA 01089 — all three days in the Better Living Center. Show hours are 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM each day. The show site opens to exhibitors Thursday after 12:00 noon; doors are locked at 10:00 PM and open at 6:00 AM, with a guard on duty Friday and Saturday nights. No food may be brought into the building, and all crates must be stacked.
Parking & RV
Day parking is $5.00 per day for cars and $40.00 per day for campers, collected at the gate. Motor-home overnight parking is $40.00 per unit per day, no earlier than two days before the shows; electrical hookups are limited, so run high-amperage appliances on a generator. Access is through Gate 1 or Gate 9 — campers use Gate 1, cash or credit only.
New exhibitors
A New Exhibitor Briefing is held during the Saturday show; the location and time are posted in the judging program.
Puli exhibitors
The Puli-specific hotel published for this weekend is the Hampton Inn Springfield/South Enfield, 20 Phoenix Avenue, Enfield, CT — up to 3 dogs per room, $75 one-time pet fee. The room block expired September 14, and the Puli Club warns of possible random room checks after prior host-hotel damage.
Documents
Official documents for this weekend. Verified 2026
- 2026 premium list (PDF) — Leaf Peepers Cluster — Albany KC (Fri–Sat) and Troy KC (Sun), Oct 16–18 Verified 2026
Sources
- SourceAKC Event Search — dates and clubs (verified September 24, 2026)
- SourcePuli Club of America National Specialty information (verified September 24, 2026)
- SourceMB-F — superintendent (verified September 24, 2026)
- Official2026 premium list — The Leaf Peepers Cluster (PDF)