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Great American State Fair Opens on National Mall Amid Performer Cancellations and Mixed Attendance Reports
The two-week event began June 25 in Washington, D.C. Several musicians pulled out over perceived political ties, and observers noted light attendance on June 29.
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The Great American State Fair opened June 25 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Several performers, including Martina McBride, Bret Michaels, Young MC, The Commodores, and Morris Day and The Time, withdrew from the lineup over perceived political ties. USA TODAY reporters who visited the site on June 29 observed light crowds, short lines, and open space.
The longest wait was at the 110-foot Ferris wheel. Small groups gathered for a wood-sawing contest near the rodeo and watched an acrobat performance that afternoon. President Trump stated on Truth Social that the fair was packed with happy people and that former presidents could not have built and operated it.
He spoke at the kickoff event and said America was back and respected by everybody. He claimed 45,000 attendees at the speech. NBC News reported that actual attendance numbers were nowhere near the figures cited.
The Washington Post reported that the crowd at the Wednesday kickoff thinly covered an area about the length of the National Museum of American History. A power failure occurred the morning after the kickoff in the facility built for the food hall, causing ice cream to melt.
Musician Jason Hershey performed at the David’s Tent Christian worship space on Saturday in front of rows of empty seats with only two people visibly in attendance.
Multiple Democratic-led states withdrew from staffing booths, citing the event’s messaging. Some musicians who canceled said they had been misled into believing the event was part of America250. Portions of the site are fenced off ahead of July 4 fireworks.
Attendees are required to register, though walk-ups are permitted, and the fair enforces a clear bag policy with size limits while barring outside food and drinks, umbrellas, coolers, metal containers, and selfie sticks. U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum stated on Fox News on June 27 that the Trump administration was planning the greatest and biggest celebration of fireworks ever.
