The Great American State Fair: The Disappointing Start to a Key National Celebration of the 250th Anniversary of American Independence
The Great American State Fair, a 16-day “national exposition” and “World’s Fair-scale event”, held from 25 June to 10 July 2026, was kick-started on the evening of 24 June by an opening ceremony at which President Donald Trump, shielded by bulletproof glass, delivered a rambling 27-minute-long speech for the delectation of his assembled followers. According to Trump, the event, which has since been likened to a MAGA rally, was “packed to the brim” with 45,000 people. Some other estimates of the crowd were less generous. The President was partly filling in for a music concert, which had to be cancelled after most of the chosen artists pulled out citing their concerns over attending what they considered to be a politicised and partisan event. Trump concluded with his familiar refrain of “We will Make American Great Again” and was seen off by the US Marine Corps band playing his favourite gay anthem- the Village People’s ‘YMCA.’
The Great American State Fair is one of a series of events conjured up by Freedom 250, a public-private partnership, created by the White House, which claims to be nonpartisan but quite clearly isn’t so. Freedom 250 superseded America250.org, a Congressional bipartisan initiative originally designated to organise the official celebrations of the nation’s Semiquincentennial. The US Semiquincentennial Commission, established by Congress in 2016, and its offshoot America250 had a more inclusive agenda, seeking to “engage all 350 million Americans by our nation’s 250th anniversary.”
The fair occupies a site along the National Mall in Washington DC, between 4th and 14th Streets, is free to the public, and offers a different theme on each successive day. Visitors will be reassured that “firearms are strictly prohibited”, as are drones. The site is dominated by a 110-foot “iconic” Ferris wheel and an amateurish plywood replica of the proposed 250-foot Triumph Arch. The exhibits, which number more than 150, include 56 booths for the states and territories of the US, and others representing various federal government agencies, businesses, civic organisations, and churches. A food hall promises a “unique culinary experience”, albeit somewhat overpriced. A well-attended Rodeo 250 celebrated the cowboys of the American West on 26 June. Other “family-friendly attractions, movie screenings, musical performances, military ensembles, spectacular flyovers, daily cultural performances” will follow, complementing the static attractions of the fair over the coming days.
Nine states (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington) did not send official exhibits, citing budgetary constraints and high costs, and third parties stepped in to fill the void. Some booths provided interactive exhibits, while others were far more basic. The replacement for North Carolina briefly included a Confederate flag, which was soon removed. Given America’s inspiring track record of delivering on impressive public spectacle, many of the exhibits were somewhat underwhelming and even likened to high-school projects. In the absence of the First Lady, a cow named Melania attended, courtesy of the Future Farmers of North America. Unlike traditional American state fairs, there were no amusement rides, carnival games, or regional food stands on offer. If anything, the national fair looked a bit soulless compared to its traditional state counterparts.
Video and television footage from multiple sources confirmed a paucity of visitors on the opening day, but verbal descriptions on media outlets varied. Pro-Trump outlets raved over large numbers of attendees, while anti-Trump outlets claimed the opposite; there are hardly any media channels in America capable of providing a balanced picture. On the opening day, power outages caused ice cream to melt, food to spoil, West Virginia’s booth to temporarily shut down, and the Ferris wheel to stop turning for a while. The afternoon’s proceedings were livened up by one Gian Rachtelli, a MAGA influencer dressed as Uncle Sam and better known online as “Manny”, who performed “lewd, indecent, and obscene acts” during a performance by the Cirque Mechanics acrobat troupe. Following the woes of the first day, the proceedings on the second day were cut short by thunderstorms, which caused the site to be evacuated.
The 250th anniversary celebrations of the world’s richest and most powerful nation, as seen so far, do not do adequate justice to America’s considerable accomplishments and contributions to humanity. Instead, they have been hijacked by an ageing President intent on leaving his legacy and making an indelible mark on history. As a result, the “United” states seem to be approaching the disunity of the American Civil War. It must be said that the Great American State Fair, in its opening days, has inadvertently provided a truer reflection of the current state of the nation than a more deliberately crafted and opulent show might have achieved. For the sake of the well-meaning organisers and participants, however, one hopes that attendances will pick up over the next few days and that the event will be infused with a little more life before it comes to an end.
Ashis Banerjee