The Great American State Fair opened June 24 on the National Mall as a celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary, featuring state booths, farm animals, and a Montana apatosaurus rib cage. Many visitors liked the idea, but gaps in participation and signs of
A dinosaur’s rib cage looms on the National Mall. towering above a fair atmosphere that is supposed to feel like a family reunion. Nearby, a 7,000-pound sandcastle shaped from Jersey Shore sand sits in a booth built over four days. And just a little farther on. there are two rocking chairs in an unstaffed space—inviting visitors to rest. even as the emptiness does the opposite.
The Great American State Fair kicked off this week and will run from June 24 through July 10. It is being run by Freedom 250, an organization created by President Donald Trump to manage the administration’s official events. That setup sparked tension with America250, a congressionally created group that was designed to plan the nation’s 250th anniversary. From the start. the fair promised celebration—then carried the weight of a dispute over who gets to define the moment.
On an early Friday visit, crowds came in small numbers. Many spent little time at security. The entryway funneled people directly toward a 110-foot tall Ferris wheel, the lone ride at the fair, and a smaller arch similar to ones Trump has used to adorn other events.
For some visitors, the pitch still landed. Sharyn Bovat, who said she lived in Florida but has remained in the Washington area since having a heart attack this year, described the fair as a welcome break from the relentless noise outside the Mall gates.
“There’s nice people, nice events, nice family events,” Bovat said. “Half the country is divided with the other half. I wish they would create a USA 250 for all the people. I’m tired of the politics.”
She pointed to the arch as the detail that made everything feel political. “It makes me think of Germany,” she said.
Inside, the fair leaned into the kinds of scenes that usually bring people together. Goats. sheep and a calf whose mooing could be heard across the Mall were brought by the Washington High School Future Farmers of America from Jefferson County. West Virginia. Baby chicks drew attention for their soft, downy look. The promise of a cowboy performance with bucking broncos was there too. aimed at celebrating the rise of the American cowboy.
Visitors talked about state pride—about learning what each place contributes, from famous natives to industries and history, and about the “geographical diversity” the fair was designed to show. And for many, there was a desire for the day to be nonpartisan.
One constant detail across the booths was how the physical design tried to shape that feeling. The booths, all inside structures that resembled the neoclassical architecture of the nearby National Gallery of Art, offered quick snapshots of Americana.
Montana’s exhibit leaned into spectacle. It featured a gigantic rib cage—scaled up from an apatosaurus, a cousin to the better-known brontosaurus. Virginia’s booth offered a journey through the state’s role in American history. For the District of Columbia. there was a huge banner for visitors to sign along with a tree filled with cherry blossoms. South Carolina invited visitors to enjoy a putting green.
Texas included a space capsule, a facade of the Alamo and a statue—Big Tex. Arizona was one of the few exhibits with a line, driven by an interactive that allowed visitors to put themselves in terrain from the state.
New Jersey’s booth was built around sand—specifically, an ornate sandcastle made from 7,000 pounds of sand brought from the Jersey Shore. An artist worked on it over the course of four days.
Andy Walters and his wife, Kirsten, brought their three children from Wapakoneta, Ohio, the boyhood hometown of Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong. Andy said, “I think it’s nice. I wish all the states were participating. It’s a little underwhelming but it’s a great idea.”
Kirsten Walters said she was excited to take part, but hoped for fewer political overtones. “We’re excited to be here and participate,” she said. “I wish something similar would be held more often, without the overtones.”
The fair, though, was missing pieces of the very idea it was selling. Not all states participated or staffed their booths. Most states participated, treating the fair like a tourism opportunity, but full representation didn’t happen.
Maine, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania opted not to send delegations, citing costs, scheduling or politicization concerns. Pennsylvania’s senators—John Fetterman. a Democrat. and Dave McCormick. a Republican—said Saturday they had gotten together with several business trade organizations to “make sure the Keystone State would have a showcase worthy of its singular place in our nation’s history.”.
Some booths, including those for Hawaii and Alaska, were unstaffed. Hawaii’s booth featured two rocking chairs that tired visitors used. Alonzo Lewis Jr. and Kelly Domizio, from Rome, New York, sat down to take a load off.
“This was really pretty cool,” Domizio said. “Been going to all the different states.”
Lewis had a different reaction. “Was it necessary, I don’t think so,” he said. “It feels forced. There’s so much separation.”
Domizio said she remembered the bicentennial in 1976, and she described that memory as a contrast to what she was feeling here. “There was a sense of pride” and togetherness, she said. “We are enjoying the day but it feels forced.”
The sequence of booths and the uneven staffing—some states fully on display. others absent or unstaffed—played out on the ground rather than in a headline. Even as visitors enjoyed the animals. exhibits and interactive curiosities. the fair’s structure kept revealing the friction behind the celebration: who is invited. who shows up. and what politics brings along with the decorations.
By the time the fair’s first week opened on the National Mall, the message was clear in both directions. The exhibits offered a stage for state traditions and pride. But the absence of full participation. paired with an organizing dispute between Freedom 250 and America250. turned “America’s 250th anniversary” into something not everyone could treat as a shared. simple moment.
Great American State Fair Freedom 250 America250 Donald Trump National Mall 250th anniversary state booths Montana dinosaur rib cage Pennsylvania delegation Fetterman McCormick Hawaii unstaffed booth Alaska unstaffed booth
So who’s actually in charge over there?
I just saw “Freedom 250” and immediately knew it was gonna be drama. Like couldn’t we have one thing that’s not a power struggle… also the sandcastle is cool I guess??
Wait, are they mad because of the dinosaur rib cage?? I thought that was the whole point of the fair, like attraction vs boring politics. But the headline says unity strains so it sounds like the booths aren’t even ready or something? Kinda confused tbh.
Freedom 250 vs America250 sounds like the usual “two groups, one party” situation. I don’t really get how it affects visitors though—like the rocking chairs are just empty because nobody wants to sit there? Also they built that giant sandcastle from Jersey Shore sand for 4 days which is wild, but it’s still on the National Mall so… what’s the dispute even about? Probably funding or votes or whatever.