President Donald Trump’s Great American State Fair is closing down after a two-week run marred by cancellations and weather-related disruptions.
Attendance was dismal throughout the event, with sparse crowds almost every day.
The fair kicked off on June 25 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., as part of the capital’s celebrations for America’s 250th anniversary. It featured attractions like a 110-foot Ferris wheel, flyovers, movie screenings, and a scaled-down replica of Trump’s 250-foot Triumphal Arch.
In the lead-up to the opening, several musical acts withdrew from performing, citing political concerns. Additionally, multiple Democratic-led states chose not to send delegations to the event.
Upon its debut, the fair was characterized by empty spaces and a lack of visitors. Trump claimed that 45,000 people attended his opening-day speech, but reports indicated that the actual number was “nowhere near” that figure.
News coverage consistently highlighted the empty fields and booths. Visitors appeared unimpressed with the offerings. CNN’s Kaitlan Collins noted that attendance fell short of expectations, reporting that Trump was “livid” about the crowd size during his speech.
“For a president who often fixates on crowd size, so far the fair on Washington’s National Mall hasn’t exactly lived up to the hype,” Collins stated in a report.
Social media users also pointed out low attendance figures on opening day, with journalist Aaron Rupar commenting on footage from Fox News showing virtually no one at the fair shortly after it opened.
Weather conditions in Washington forced organizers to shut down the event at times. The fair closed temporarily due to extreme heat last Friday and was evacuated on July 4 because of severe storms. Guests were also forced to leave on Thursday night due to inclement weather.
Last week, attendees expressed their disappointment with the fair's programming. One Washington resident remarked, “I’ve been to state fairs all throughout the United States. This is terrible.”
A Maryland resident echoed this sentiment, stating, “I'm totally underwhelmed.”
Conversely, some attendees enjoyed the festivities, with one couple describing the fair as “amazing” and expressing their love for the country.
Despite the setbacks, Trump insisted that “everybody” was “loving” the fair in a post on Truth Social last week. He also criticized former Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama.
“Do you think people appreciate what a fantastic job we did in building and operating the Great American State Fair at the National Mall, packed with happy people, and everybody loving it? Ask yourself this simple question, ‘DO YOU THINK THAT OBUMA OR SLEEPY JOE BIDEN COULD HAVE DONE IT?’ THE ANSWER IS NO,” he wrote.
