The Great American State Fair opened on the National Mall as nine states declined to send delegations

The Great American State Fair opened on the National Mall on June 25 and runs through July 10, a 16-day exposition tied to the country's 250th anniversary. It is organized by Freedom250, the White House-backed campaign coordinating the federal celebration. The fair covers about 10 city blocks between the Capitol and the Washington Monument, it is free to the public, and it runs rain or shine.

Freedom250 says the fair holds more than 150 exhibits, with pavilions for every U.S. state and territory plus displays from companies, civic groups, and federal agencies. NASA, John Deere, Meta, and the Washington Commanders are among the participants listed by the organizers. The grounds include a Ferris wheel, a daily rodeo, and military flyovers. Each of the 16 days carries its own theme, among them two "MAHA Mondays" and a military and veterans' day. July 4 is billed as the Independence Day Celebration, and the final day is titled "The Next 250: Innovation."

Nine states are keeping their governments away

Officials in nine states told NPR that their governments would not send official delegations: Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington. All but one are led by Democratic governors. Most pointed to cost. A few pointed to the event's tone.

Connecticut estimated the bill at "at least $100,000," said Cathryn Vaulman, a spokesperson for Gov. Ned Lamont, who called the choice to stay home a "resource-based decision" that let the state fund its own anniversary events instead. Maine put its estimate higher. Sarah Hansen, director of the Maine Semiquincentennial Commission, told NPR the state's projected cost was "half a million dollars or more" and said that was not feasible "given the federal government's refusal to provide any funding."

Some officials tied the decision to the event's politics. Luke Harkins, a spokesperson for Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, told Oregon Public Broadcasting the state was opting out "due to both the cost of participating in the Fair and growing concerns that the event in Washington, D.C. is shaping up to be a more partisan affair than originally presented." Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, who also opted out, told GBH News that Trump "invited all the states to participate and wants to charge us to go down and put something on his exhibit." She added: "It's just ridiculous. This is taxpayer money."

Freedom250 disputes the picture of broad absence. Spokesperson Rachel Reisner said in an email that "a vast majority" of states are taking part, and that those without a government delegation are being represented by local companies or organizations, such as a Peoria museum standing in for Illinois. Each state and territory gets about 600 square feet of exhibit space with no required spending, Reisner said, and the event is funded by "both private and public dollars."

A disputed crowd at the kickoff

The fair's Wednesday kickoff was first announced as a concert. Several performers attached to it, including Martina McBride, Bret Michaels, and the Commodores, withdrew in the weeks before the event, and organizers replaced the lineup with Lee Greenwood and Christopher Macchio, both of whom have performed at Trump events before.

Trump put the kickoff crowd at "at least 45,000" and described the grounds as "packed to the brim." Several outlets reported a different scene. The Washington Post called the opening day a "bumpy beginning," the Washingtonian described sparse crowds, and the Daily Beast published photos it said showed light attendance. Reporters also noted a Thursday power outage on the grounds. The accounts have not been reconciled, and the organizers have not released an independent attendance figure.

A competing event downtown

On Saturday, a coalition called Next250 held its own gathering at McPherson Square, a few blocks from the White House. According to CNN, the event opened with an indigenous ceremony and included a march that began at the plaza once named Black Lives Matter Plaza, along with voter-registration booths, choirs, and speeches. CNN reported that the group, which it described as left-leaning, had planned a celebration of democracy and reframed it in response to Trump's return to office.

Two organizations, one anniversary

Planning for the 250th has split between two bodies. America250 grew out of a commission Congress created in 2015 to run the anniversary on a nonpartisan basis; it has focused on local events, sealed a national time capsule, and scheduled a July 4 concert in Los Angeles. Freedom250 grew out of a 2025 executive order from Trump establishing a task force for the milestone. The official White House page for the 250th links to Freedom250, not America250.

The consumer-advocacy group Public Citizen has criticized the arrangement, saying more than $100 million in federal contracts has flowed to Freedom250 events. Trump's executive order directs the task force to disband at the end of the year unless he extends it.