The Great American State Fair is not getting great reviews so far.
The President Trump-fueled event kicked off in D.C. on June 25 and runs through July 10 to celebrate both Independence Day and the nation’s 250th anniversary. It’s taking place daily (sorta) on the National Mall with exhibitions from every U.S. state and territory, military performances, live concerts and more, the White House says.
The event comes as part of Freedom 250, which is tied to Task Force 250, a public-private partnership created by the White House to celebrate America’s 250th year.
It’s completely free to attend. But not many people are attending.
Many news outlets over the past days have reported low crowd numbers, complaints of overpriced food, one sad Ferris wheel and an overall underwhelming energy. News outlet MS-NOW reported that Freedom 250 attempted to hide the low turnout by deleting a photo of one musical performance in which users online noticed an extremely sparse crowd reflected in the guitarist’s sunglasses. The organization later reposted the same image with the guitarist cropped out.
Some attribute the low crowd numbers to the high heat D.C. is experiencing, while others blame the political overtones.
Even before the event began, several musical guests who were slated to perform canceled, including Bret Michaels, Martina McBride, Morris Day and the Time, Young MC and The Commodores.
The North Carolina exhibition, a state that declined to send a representative, saw controversy early on when guests noticed the exhibit displayed Confederate flags. As a result, one North Carolina-based sponsor, Mt. Olive Pickle Co., withdrew its participation.
Several over Democratic-led states have publicly declined to participate or send representatives.
But Florida is not one of them. And according to news reports in the event’s first few days, the Florida pavilion has continued to draw lines.
The state’s 600-square-foot exhibit takes guests through a journey that touches on rocket launches, manatee habitats, the agriculture industry, theme parks and tourism, dining and more.
It’s marked by plenty of informational signage, fake foliage and oranges, manatee displays, video screens and a chance to grab small souvenirs at the very end.
Here’s what’s inside the Sunshine State pavilion, according to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office.
The Florida pavilion starts guests off in St. Augustine, “America’s oldest continuously inhabited European-established city,” with the arrival of Juan Ponce de León in 1513. Guests are then guided through five main experiences.
“Florida’s History & Heritage” explores the state’s technological history and “Florida connections of visionaries like Thomas Edison and Benjamin Franklin.”
“The Manatee: Florida’s Iconic Marine Mammal” centers around the Florida manatee and conservation efforts. It also takes a look at the “unique partnership between Florida’s environment and industry.”
“Florida’s Natural Resources” houses interactive displays of Florida’s waterways and the Everglades.
“Fresh From Florida: Florida’s Agricultural Heritage” focuses on farmers, ranchers, producers and the state’s ag industry.
“Live More Floridays” is all about the historic landmarks, beaches, theme parks, dining and wildlife that make up Florida.
Trump is expected to make an appearance and deliver a speech at the Great American State Fair on July 4.
