Power outages, $23 turkey legs, and thin crowds have plagued the fair since its June 25 opening.
The Great American State Fair opened on June 25 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., as the centerpiece of the Trump administration’s Freedom 250 initiative marking the nation’s 250th anniversary. By the end of its first full day of operation, the event had already produced a power outage, a stalled Ferris wheel, food prices drawing widespread criticism, and attendance figures that conflicted sharply with what the White House was claiming.
President Trump, 80, kicked off the 16-day celebration with a rally on Wednesday night, claiming 45,000 people attended. Independent estimates from major outlets and on-the-ground reporting suggested a much smaller crowd, with some placing attendance at just over 1,000 and noting the audience thinned before the speech ended. Video shared online showed fairgoers heading toward the exits before Trump had finished speaking.
The fair’s Fair lost power before the ice cream could survive
On Thursday, the fair’s first full day, journalists at the site reported that parts of a major food hall lost electricity, leaving vendors unable to serve some items and producing reports of melting ice cream. The issue appeared intermittent in some areas, with lights cutting out and restarting inside tents.
The food hall was not the only attraction affected. The much-hyped Ferris wheel temporarily stopped running Thursday due to generator issues. The 110-foot wheel, billed as a marquee attraction, was described by one reporter on the ground as looking smaller in person than it did in promotional materials.
Some vendors faced delays of about 30 minutes before power returned and they could resume hot food preparation. Event organizers did not immediately respond to requests for comment about what caused the outage.
Food prices drew nearly as much attention as the fair itself
The only food stall open on Thursday sold turkey legs for $23, nearly twice the price of the same offering at a Disney theme park. The stall also offered smashburgers and giant Western sausage sandwiches for $20, and lemonade for $9. Online, people were particularly outraged by the price of a stuffed pretzel roll, which ranged from $12.48 to $24.96. An Express Hibachi stand offered pizzas and salads for $13 to $14, boneless wings for $15, and rice bowls for $16.
The prices landed poorly in the context of Trump’s repeated claims that inflation has largely been resolved under his administration.
States opted out and performers followed
Seven states chose not to send official delegations to the event: Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oregon, and Washington. State officials mentioned the high cost of staffing multi-week exhibits and their concerns about the fair’s tone. Several performers also pulled out of the entertainment lineup before opening day, citing worries about the event’s political nature.
Pennsylvania joined those states on Thursday, pulling out of the Freedom 250 gala. The plan had been to feature representation from all 50 states, but some had opted out due to high costs to taxpayers or an inability to secure businesses to sponsor a booth. Others declined after the supposedly nonpartisan event took on a political character when Trump kicked it off with a MAGA rally.
The Maine pavilion featured a drab room with facts about the state and its trademark lobster on the walls. Oregon’s presence amounted to a wall that read the beaver state and one wooden chair.
What the grounds actually looked like
A jazz band played to an audience of about 10 people. The most energetic vibe on the fairgrounds was not at the Ferris wheel or the live rodeo but inside an evangelical Christian tent, where a worship band performed.
The fair also sits less than a mile fromq’s more than $14 million Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation, which turned green with algae after being painted what organizers called American flag blue. Trump blamed the discoloration on vandals without providing evidence. The pool is set to be drained again after July 4.
The fair is scheduled to run through July 10. Whether attendance improves as the summer progresses remains to be seen, but the first two days offered a preview of the challenges ahead.