Maine will not be participating in the “Great American State Fair” beginning next week in Washington D.C. — at least not in an official capacity. The 16-day exposition on the National Mall was organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of America’s independence. It was created by allies of President Donald Trump last year and is distinctly different from celebrations affiliated with America250, a nonpartisan commission created by Congress a decade ago to facilitate semiquincentennial celebrations. A number of headlining performers and state organizations have opted
to skip the upcoming celebration, citing organizers’ politicization of the festivities and the high cost of attending. For its part, the Maine Office of Tourism cited the state’s busy tourist season in its decision not to send a delegation to the fair. “The Maine Office of Tourism is unable to participate in the event due to the office’s busy summer season,” Maureen Terry, the office’s communications director, wrote in an email. Gov. Janet Mills’ office, which oversees the Maine Office of Tourism, did not respond
to questions about the choice to skip the fair. Officials in Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, North Carolina and Oregon have also said their states will not take part in the fair, according to reporting from NOTUS. Organizers from Freedom 250, the White House-backed group putting the event together, have said pavilions and performers from all 56 U.S. territories and states, even those choosing not to formally participate, will still be on display. “Whether represented by a governor’s office, a tourism board, or a beloved state company
or organization, every community will be celebrated, and every American will see themselves in this once-in-a-generation event,” Freedom 250 organizers said in a statement. Spokespeople for organization did not respond to questions about what Maine performers, organizations or companies will be there to represent the state. A number of recent controversial events and projects celebrating America’s 250th birthday were organized by Freedom 250, including the UFC cage match on the White House lawn, a scheduled IndyCar race through the city and the “Triumphal arch” proposed
by the president. Freedom 250 describes itself as nonpartisan, but was created last year in partnership with a number of conservative groups, Christian organizations and defense contractors. The America First Policy Institute, Total Christian Television Network, Moms for America, Lockheed Martin and Palantir are among the sponsors and partners listed on Freedom 250’s website. Spokespeople for Maine’s congressional delegation either declined to comment or did not respond to questions about Freedom 250’s semiquincentennial celebrations and partners or Maine’s decision to forgo the fair. The political
nature of Freedom 250, its sponsors and corporate partners prompted most of the Great American State Fair’s headlining acts to cancel their performances days after they were announced. Many said they believed Freedom 250 and the administration were politicizing the country’s birthday. Others said they had been misled about the event. “What was presented to us as a celebration of our country has evolved into something much more divisive than what I agreed to be a part of,” Bret Michaels, frontman of the band Poison,
wrote on social media. Trump responded to artists’ criticism by announcing he intended to turn the fair into a “Make America Great Again rally.” He admonished performers cancelling their acts as “overpriced singers, who nobody wants to hear, whose music is boring, and yet who do nothing but complain” in a rambling Truth Social post last month. “I am thinking about bringing the Number One Attraction anywhere in the World, the man who gets much larger audiences than Elvis in his prime… DONALD J. TRUMP,
to take the place of these highly paid, Third Rate ‘Artists,’ Trump wrote in another post. The Great American State Fair will be headlined by performing artists Vanilla Ice and Flo Rida, famous for their radio hits through the ’90s and early 2000s. Trump will attend the fair’s kick-off celebration on June 24 before delivering a speech at a campaign-style rally at the fair on July 4. The festivities are slated to run through July 10.
Maine Office of Tourism, Janet Mills, Freedom 250, Great American State Fair, National Mall, America250, Donald Trump, Vanilla Ice, Flo Rida