President Donald Trump’s much‑touted “Great American State Fair” on the National Mall was billed as a unifying, once‑in‑a‑generation celebration of the nation’s 250th birthday.
Instead, before the midway lights even flickered on, the event has become a case study in how deeply fractured our civic institutions have become. A roster of blue‑state governors, most notably from Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Pennsylvania, have either quietly declined to participate or loudly signaled that they will not send official state delegations.
At least 10 states—Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Pennsylvania—have confirmed they will not officially participate….Several states, including Massachusetts, North Carolina, Illinois and Connecticut, cited budget pressures or competing priorities, while Maine officials pointed to scheduling constraints during a busy summer season.Rhode Island declined involvement citing that “staff are also supporting many other 250-related events across the state at the same time as the State Fair.” Similarly, Vermont has declined to participate, instead focusing on local celebrations of America’s 250th anniversary, making it the only Republican-governed state to decline involvement so far.In Oregon, officials went further. In a statement to KATU News, Gov. Tina Kotek’s office said Oregon withdrew because of “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.”
In response, Pennsylvania’s two U.S. senators [Dave McCormick (R) and John Fetterman (D)] assembled a coalition of business and agricultural groups to build and operate a Pennsylvania pavilion at the Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C. This move came after Governor Josh Shapiro decided the state would not spend about 700,000 dollars to participate, instead redirecting funds to in‑state events.
…Pennsylvania’s senators argued that the birthplace of America could not be left out of the national spotlight.“Pennsylvania is where America’s story began, and there was no way we were going to let the Commonwealth go unrepresented during our Nation’s 250th birthday celebration,” Senator McCormick said in a statement. “As the birthplace of American independence, home to the hallowed grounds of Gettysburg, and the engine for the arsenal of democracy, Pennsylvania has a special responsibility to preserve, celebrate, and share that enduring legacy.”Senator Fetterman echoed the sentiment, emphasizing that celebrating the milestone transcends party lines.
Private funding was offered for a Connecticut booth, but the governor declined the generous offer.
The administration of Gov. Ned Lamont is sticking to its decision to not participate in President Donald Trump’s 16-day “Great American State Fair,” despite the late offer of $100,000 in private funding to underwrite a Connecticut pavilion.“It’s a genuinely kind offer, but it’s too late,” said Cathryn Vaulman, the governor’s spokeswoman.
Meanwhile, one Washington state Congressman has found a work-around.
Most of the states used their booths as a tourism opportunity. It should be noted that even California sent a delegation, and the state is essentially the epicenter of the Resistance.
Participants have noted that the atmosphere of the event was not politicized.
But over a dozen attendees at the fair on Saturday — on both sides of the political aisle — told NBC News that they did not feel the atmosphere at the fair had any kind of political tint even as Trump has tried to redesign Washington, D.C., in his image and as musical acts dropped out of the event.“It’s kind of neat because here it’s just been all about America, and I haven’t seen the political things,” Pamela L., 59, who was visiting the capital from Virginia Beach for her husband’s annual birthday trip and declined to share her last name, told NBC News. “People are just being people [and] enjoying, you know, they’re being kind, opening the doors, holding them for each other, and it’s just kind of neat to see.”She added that her family jumped at the chance to attend the fair “because we don’t get to go to all the states. It’s kind of neat to see them represented.”
At the end of the day, the fair delivered exactly what America needed, which is a reminder that when citizens come together, the partisan noise fades fast.
From California to South Carolina, every state that showed up gave fairgoers a little taste of home, and hopefully everyone left knowing something new about a corner of this great republic they’d never explored before.
And, as mainstream media features reports about light attendance at this event, it might be good to keep in mind that we have a few days before the 4th!
Happy 250th, America!
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