Great American State Fair draws cheers and divisions

Freedom 250’s – Organizers of the Great American State Fair on the National Mall say the celebration is for everyone as it runs through July 10. But attendees and critics are split over whether the 16-day event—organized by the White House-backed Freedom 250—feels political,

On the National Mall, where the Ferris wheel turns and state-themed pavilions stretch from the Washington Monument toward the U.S. Capitol, the Great American State Fair is meant to look like an all-American party.

Through July 10. it’s bringing the fairground feel—rodeo horses. concessions. concerts. and commemorative merchandise—plus a political flashpoint many visitors say they can’t miss. The fair’s kickoff included a presidential rally that struck observers as overtly political. setting the tone for a celebration that organizers bill as an event for all Americans.

“It might be more of a reflection of how divided we are,” said Josh White, a high school history teacher visiting from Vermont.

Freedom 250, the group running the 16-day event, rejects that framing. Rachel Reisner, a Freedom 250 spokesperson, said the celebration has “something for everyone, whether you’re 8 or 85.” She told NPR from the fairgrounds that anyone calling the event partisan should reconsider.

“We are here to celebrate the freedoms, liberties and everything that has made America the greatest nation in the world for so long,” Reisner said.

For many fairgoers, the message landed as patriotism with a carnival cadence. Joyce Pontrello, visiting from Buffalo, N.Y., said it felt open and welcoming.

“It’s just open to everybody, and everybody is extremely welcoming, and we just love it,” Pontrello said, describing a shared experience that included her husband and their small dog wearing a large red-white-and-blue bow.

Khai Nguyen and his wife came to Washington from Las Vegas for the entirety of the fair. They attended the Wednesday night campaign-style rally where Trump touted his accomplishments. took digs at his predecessor and declared “America is back.” Nguyen said the night was “definitely” partisan. but hoped people would focus on the patriotism he says runs under the rhetoric.

“Whether you agree with the president or not, I thought the message centrally is that we’re all Americans, and it was unifying,” Nguyen said, adding he does agree with Trump.

Yet even among visitors who enjoyed the rides and exhibits, the fair’s choices have lingered like questions. The fair spans 10 blocks of the National Mall. It is also packed with programming critics say leans sharply toward one worldview—religion. politics. and a carefully curated version of the past.

The event includes a booth where parents can sign their children up for “Trump accounts. ” a mobile museum that has been accused of sanitizing history. two “MAHA Mondays” on the calendar. and a heavy emphasis on Christian values. That stretches from a “faith and family” pavilion to an unnamed evangelical preacher over the loudspeaker at one point.

When NPR asked Freedom 250 about whether there are plans to represent other religions in the fair’s programming. including on the date dedicated to “Faith. Values and Inspiration. ” the response did not directly address the question. In an email. Reisner wrote: “Faith has played a significant role in America’s founding and enduring strength. which is why Freedom 250 has incorporated faith-based programming into many of our signature events.” She added: “At the same time. Freedom 250 welcomes Americans of all faith traditions and beliefs as we come together to celebrate our shared history and the values that unite us.”.

White, who is Jewish, said he approached the fair with an open mind but left feeling uneasy about the religious overtones and the way history is presented. He said he does not feel included.

“I’m going to be honest, I don’t feel included in this celebration,” he said, adding he would explore for one more hour in the hopes that something might change his opinion.

The public dispute extends beyond programming into the fair’s structure—especially which states show up. The centerpiece is the state booths, each marked with colorful pennants advertising a U.S. state or territory. government agencies. and “food” and “merch.” Some pavilions are packed with interactive attractions: visitors can salsa dance in Puerto Rico. milk a mechanical cow in Michigan. walk through an orange-scented citrus grove in Florida. practice lasso skills in Wyoming. pick up Mardi Gras beads in Louisiana. send a postcard from West Virginia. and peruse a Waffle House menu in Georgia.

But other booths look half-finished. Several visitors described bays with little more than poster board featuring illustrated state symbols and empty chairs.

At least 10 state governments—concentrated in the Northeast and Pacific Northwest—declined to send staff or spend funds on the fair. In at least some cases, the decision was explained as financial reality. All cited costs. saying they would have to spend at least $100. 000 and. in some cases. up to half a million dollars of their own money and preferred to prioritize celebrations at home.

Others offered sharper political critiques. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey called it a “ridiculous” use of taxpayer money.

Donna Chobat, a retired teacher from Massachusetts, strongly disagreed. She didn’t want her state to have an empty space where the booth should be. and she said she got permission from Freedom 250 and used materials from local maple syrup producers to staff the pavilion herself. at least to start the fair. Chobat said the effort cost her “three tanks of gas” plus hotel fare.

Not every state opting out vanished from view entirely. Some states that declined to participate, including Vermont, have bare booths. Others, such as North Carolina and Illinois, are being represented by companies or organizations from their states instead.

Kevin Carpenter, visiting from Mississippi, said he didn’t mind empty booths. His wife was helping staff their state’s pavilion, and he described the minimal signs—some “self-explanatory”—as still enough to keep him exploring.

“It just makes me want to travel more,” Carpenter said.

Opening day also underscored how uneven the scene can be. There were reports of opening-day snafus, including a delayed opening and generator problems that intermittently halted the Ferris wheel and melted some of the ice cream supply.

Virginia resident Jessica Nguyen. who posts online about D.C.-area events. said she knew from social media comments that the fair was controversial before it opened. but chose to stay positive. After getting off the Ferris wheel with a friend. she said. “These events are happening … whether we like it or not. ” and added. “I’m just trying to make the most of it.”.

At least one governor was present on opening day: Republican Mike DeWine of Ohio. DeWine said he hadn’t ventured far beyond the Ohio booth aside from scouting out rival Michigan.

“I actually got some Raisin Bran from them,” he said.

DeWine said he enjoyed shaking hands with visitors and watching people point out, on a larger-than-life map, the parts of Ohio they had a personal connection to.

“Nobody’s talking politics,” DeWine said. “They’re talking about their state and some of the cool things they have in their state … But look, every governor has to make their own choice.”

The fair’s critics say “choice” should also include who controls the story—and who gets to decide what counts as American history at the 250th.

White said he understands the desire for each state to put its best face forward, but said the retellings he saw were “pretty whitewashed.” He said he wanted “more acknowledgement of some of the uncomfortable truths of the past.”

Reisner responded to Freedom 250’s approach in a longer comment. She wrote: “No single exhibit can tell every part of America’s story. but together they highlight the extraordinary breadth of our shared history. including both the challenges we have overcome and the achievements that continue to define our nation.”.

Some Democratic lawmakers have accused Freedom 250 of whitewashing history in the anniversary celebrations. including glossing over topics like slavery and the genocide of Native Americans. Rep. Jared Huffman of Calif. cited Trump’s directive that national park sites remove signs that cast America in a “negative light.” He also pointed to six “Freedom Trucks” touring the country with mobile museums produced by the conservative media organization PragerU and Hillsdale College. a conservative. Christian institution.

One of those trucks is parked on the National Mall for the fair. It features an AI-generated George Washington, digital displays about the country’s founding, a video message from Trump, and a “wall of American Heroes” ranging from Harriet Tubman to Elvis Presley to Billy Graham.

Alan Zibel, a researcher for Public Citizen, said he saw the truck as offering a narrow storyline.

“It tells a very kind of 1950s, white, Christian version of U.S. history that I thought we had moved on from,” Zibel said.

Freedom 250 describes itself as “the national, non-partisan organization leading the celebration of our Nation’s 250th birthday.” The group is behind many of the high-profile D.C. celebrations of the country’s birthday, from the state fair to the White House UFC fight to the Patriot Games.

Freedom 250 was created through an executive order last year. a move critics say was meant to bypass a decade-old nonpartisan commission Congress created for that same purpose. That group, America 250, is planning a July 4th concert in Los Angeles and community-level events across the country. Organizers say those events will have a smaller reach and less access to federal funding than the White House-backed effort.

Last month, multiple musicians withdrew from the fair’s kickoff because of concerns about its political affiliation, prompting Freedom 250 to rebrand the kickoff as a rally.

Zibel said the choice of organizer may be one reason some people felt less welcome.

“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with celebrating our 250th anniversary,” he said. “The important thing is the manner in which it’s being done, and whose stories are being told … and who is doing the telling of the story.”

Great American State Fair Freedom 250 National Mall Trump 250th anniversary state booths religious programming MAHA Mondays Faith Values and Inspiration Whitewashed history Jared Huffman Public Citizen Freedom Trucks PragerU Hillsdale College Mike DeWine Vermont declined to participate Rhode Island declined to participate