A Confederate flag shown on a video display inside the North Carolina booth at the Great American State Fair was taken down on June 26, after attention from a reporter and social media. North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein’s office said the image did not represent t
A Confederate flag appeared on video inside the North Carolina booth at the Great American State Fair on the National Mall—and by June 26, it was gone.
The video display was removed after it drew attention for showing split screens of the North Carolina state flag alongside the Confederate flag. North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein’s office confirmed the display did not represent the state and said the situation was addressed once organizers were made aware.
The North Carolina booth itself was not an official state-sponsored exhibit. It was part of the Great American State Fair. an event celebrating the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary on July 4 and billed by the Trump-aligned nonprofit Freedom 250 as “a modern-day World’s Fair” celebrating “the people. traditions. innovations. and spirit that make America the greatest nation on Earth.”.
Stein’s office said that, on June 26, monitors showed the current North Carolina state flag, but video screens also displayed split images that included the Confederate flag. The display gained wider attention after a Spectrum News reporter highlighted it on social media.
In an emailed statement dated June 27, a spokesperson for Stein said the video did not reflect the North Carolina the governor “love[s].” The spokesperson said a member of the governor’s team spoke with event organizers and that part of the display was removed.
“This display does not reflect the North Carolina that we love. America 250 is about unity and bringing our nation together,” the spokesperson said. “We are pleased the flag that did the opposite has now been taken down.”
Stein’s office added that the state will hold a celebration of the nation’s semiquincentennial in Raleigh on July 4, saying it will “honor the spirit of equality and freedom in the Declaration of Independence” and that “Everyone is welcome.”
North Carolina’s official state flag has never included Confederate symbols in its two designs.
The state’s pavilion wasn’t state-run—though North Carolina companies helped fill the gap. The governor’s spokesperson said the state decided not to sponsor a booth at the fair, citing costs. Even so, several North Carolina-based companies stepped in as sponsors, including SPEVCO, Richard Childress Racing, Operation Helo, and Mt. Olive Pickle Company, according to the governor’s office and published reports.
That arrangement has already been politically charged. Some lawmakers, including State House Majority Leader Rep. Brenden Jones, a Republican, alleged that Gov. Stein, a Democrat, “manufactured this crisis” over funding for the event along party lines.
Freedom 250, the organizer, denied that the flag display was part of the approved concept. In an emailed statement. a representative for Freedom 250 said the display wasn’t part of the reviewed concept. and that representatives from the state removed it once they saw it because it was unintentionally included.
Lorie Khatod, a volunteer organizing the North Carolina pavilion, described the removal as immediate once they learned of the issue. Khatod told reporters that local North Carolinians “stepped up” when they learned there would be no official state representation at the fair.
“On Friday, we became aware of an unapproved image in a video displayed inside the North Carolina Pavilion,” Khatod said. “As soon as we were made aware, we immediately removed the video and began reviewing how it occurred. Our focus remains on celebrating America’s 250th birthday and North Carolina’s role in our nation’s history.”.
The controversy also cost one sponsor.
Mt. Olive Pickle Company said on social media that it will no longer participate in the exhibit after being made aware of the flag issue. On its X account. the company wrote that it was unaware a Confederate flag image was included in the video as part of the exhibit and said it had withdrawn its participation.
“We are proud of our North Carolina roots. and we agreed to be a part of an exhibit. as presented to us. that would represent the best of our great state. ” the company wrote. “We were unaware that an image of the Confederate flag was included in a video as part of this exhibit. and we have withdrawn our participation. Our company stands on values of human dignity, opportunity, and freedom.”.
The sequence of events—from attention on social media to the June 26 removal—left organizers scrambling to contain fallout around what the booth was meant to represent. Stein’s office framed the display as something that never matched the state. while the fair organizer and pavilion organizers pointed to an unapproved element that slipped into the presentation.
Great American State Fair North Carolina booth Josh Stein Confederate flag Freedom 250 Mt. Olive Pickle Company Spectrum News National Mall Freedom 250 organizer