Trump's Great American State Fair opens with melted ice cream, empty booths [View all]

Trump's Great American State Fair opens with melted ice cream, empty booths
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/trumps-great-american-state-fair-222820712.html


Michelle Del Rey , USA TODAY

Updated Fri, June 26, 2026 at 5:28 PM CDT


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...................

Though Massachusetts declined to send staff, Donna, 72, a retired teacher from Western Massachusetts who asked to only use her first name, decided to take matters into her own hands. She drove nine hours from her home, bringing cases of maple syrup and kids' coloring books from the Massachusetts Maple Producers Association to volunteer at her state's booth. She told USA TODAY she's the only volunteer from her state and is working from roughly 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. local time each day................................

Trump’s “Great American State Fair” looks like a county fair that lost its funding halfway through construction.

I love this for him.

— Christopher Webb (@cwebbonline.com) 2026-06-27T01:25:31.362Z