Trump's Great American State Fair opens with melted ice cream, empty booths

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: USA Today

Updated June 26, 2026, 6:54 p.m. ET


WASHINGTON – The Great American State Fair is underway at the National Mall to mark the United States' 250th birthday. But not everything is off to such a great start. The event has quickly faced problems including power outages, melting ice cream – and a lack of representation from states that declined to send delegations.

While organizers assured visitors all parts of the nation would be represented, at least 10 states and territories refused to participate, with many citing the price tag to send staff to the 16-day event as their reason for opting out.

Booths for Connecticut, Oregon, Washington, Maine, Alaska, the U.S. Virgin Islands featured just backdrops and chairs or carpets.

But other states went all-out for the semiquincentennial. The Texas booth allowed visitors to take photos with the Alamo, play with an interactive display for long-running music series "Austin City Limits" and sit inside a spaceship. Meanwhile, the Nevada booth was Las Vegas-themed. California's booth offered attendees the opportunity to enter a raffle for a free vacation.

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/06/26/trump-great-american-state-fair-dc-issues/90711788007/

[Lonestarblue]

1. I haven't been to a state fair in decades and have no intention of ever attending one again.

I thought this was a foolish idea when it was announced because why would people want to travel to DC to see something representing their state when they could just go to their own state fair! Everything Trump plans is tacky beyond belief.

[BumRushDaShow]

3. I thought the concept was interesting as a "state showcase", particularly when you have tourists

who would travel to the U.S. capital.

But since the 250th Committee has been taken over as a partisan group, then the concept and intent has been altered and destroyed.

[FakeNoose]

6. Exactly this!

Nobody I know has an interest in traveling to Washington DC - not this week, not this year.
It doesn't mean we are disloyal Americans, we just have no desire to support this regime.

[Walleye]

2. Not very well thought out like everything else in this administration

[mwb970]

4. A truly meaningless exercise.

[Callalily]

5. More tax payer money wasted.

[3Hotdogs]

7. New Jersey did not participate but Cape May county bought a vacation themed booth. Not unreasonable, since the

Cape May economy is based on tourism.

[2naSalit]

8. I like California's...

Response, offer a free vacation in California.

[Historic NY]

9. The side show acts by the old carnival barker himself.