Some states are opting out of Trump's Great American State Fair
Some states are opting out of Trump's Great American State Fair
Melina Khan, USA TODAY Thu, June 11, 2026 at 4:14 PM UTC
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Officials in some states have reportedly opted to sit out of the Great American State Fair, the 16-day event sanctioned by President Donald Trump's Freedom 250 group as one of a slew of events marking the nation's 250th anniversary.
Freedom 250 has positioned the Great American State Fair as a massive festival with a slew of attractions, performances and exhibits from all 50 U.S. states and six territories. But officials in several states have said theirs will not be directly participating, CNN and NOTUS reported.
Rachel Reisner, a spokesperson for Freedom 250, told USA TODAY that all 50 states and U.S. territories will be represented in the festivities.
"Freedom 250 is a nonpartisan organization, full stop — and our track record of collaboration across red, blue, and purple states speaks for itself," Reisner said.
It's the latest snag for the Great American State Fair, which is set to run from June 25 to July 10 on the National Mall. In recent weeks, the event's planned concert series unraveled after a slew of musicians backed out of performing, with several citing the event's perceived political affiliation.
As a result, Trump announced the concerts had been replaced with a rally on June 24 with a different headliner: himself. Musicians Lee Greenwood and Christopher Macchio will also perform.
Here's what we know about the Great American State Fair – and how different states are handling it.
Which states are not participating in the Great American State Fair?
Freedom 250 previously said each of the 50 states and six territories would design pavilions with interactive experiences highlighting their unique characteristics and contributions.
USA TODAY has reached out to dozens of states about the Great American State Fair. Officials in the following states confirmed they will not be participating in the event:
Connecticut
Massachusetts
North Carolina
NOTUS reported that Illinois, Maine and Oregon will also not be sending a delegation, while Maryland, Pennsylvania and Washington are currently uncommitted to the event.
CNN similarly reported that Oregon and Washington have declined an invitation to the event, while Pennsylvania has not yet decided.
Workers continue to build the stage for Freedom 250's Great American State Fair on the National Mall on May 28, 2026, in Washington, DC.Why are some states saying no?
So far, some officials have pointed to cost as a factor for detaching from the event, but others have remained quiet.
Michele Walker, assistant communications director for the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, said in a statement that the state is not attending "due to the expenditures required to participate."
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"Our limited resources are focused on America 250 events across North Carolina, including one at the State Capitol in Raleigh on July 4," Walker said.
Similarly, in Connecticut, leaders chose to focus on statewide events, Cathryn Vaulman, director of communications for Gov. Ned Lamont, said in a statement.
"Connecticut's decision to decline participation in the Great American State Fair came down to resources," Vaulman said. "The federal government has asked states to foot the bill to participate, including staffing a multiweek exhibition."
Luke Harkin, a spokesperson for Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, cited both cost and concerns that the event is "a more partisan affair than originally presented" in a statement to CNN. USA TODAY has reached out to Harkin.
While officials from Massachusetts have not commented on the reason for not participating, Gov. Maura Healey said in a June 2 interview on GBH News that Trump's administration "wants to charge us" for the event.
What is the Great American State Fair?
The Great American State Fair is a 16-day festival being put on by Trump's Freedom 250 group as one of many events marking the nation's 250th birthday.
Organizers say it will be a World's Fair-style event with attractions including rodeo events, livestock competitions, a massive Ferris wheel and more.
Aside from the Great American State Fair, Freedom 250 is also organizing a UFC fight on the White House lawn on June 14, coinciding with Trump's birthday, and an athletic competition for high school students. It also held a prayer event on the National Mall in April called Rededicate 250.
Freedom 250 is separate from America250, a bipartisan commission established by Congress to organize celebrations for the nation's 250th anniversary.
Trump formed Freedom 250 under Task Force 250, a group consisting of members of his Cabinet to plan events outside of those run by the official America250 commission.
This story has been to add new information.
Contributing: Karissa Waddick
Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. Keep up with her on X @melinakh and Instagram @bymelinakhan.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Some states detach from Freedom 250's Great American State Fair
Source: “AOL Breaking”
