BLAKE BOGGS crouched beside his young son's stroller, pointing toward the sky as Thunderbirds fighter jets roared over the National Mall. “You don’t get to see the Thunderbirds anywhere,” he told The Hill. Boggs, visiting from Grapevine, Texas, described the Great American State Fair as “all for America.”
Despite blistering heat, sparse crowds, and partisan sniping, the dozen or so attendees who spoke with The Hill on Thursday gave the fair glowing reviews. “It’s cool to be able to come out here and not just enjoy our nation’s history but each state,” Boggs said. “Absolutely, I don’t think there’s anything really partisan about that. If anything, it should be unifying.”
The 16-day fair has transformed the iconic green between the U.S. Capitol and the Washington Monument into a sprawling celebration. Booths representing all 50 states and federal agencies line the mall, alongside a giant Ferris wheel positioned in front of a large-scale model of President Trump’s proposed “Triumphal Arch.” Many attendees wore American flag accessories and shirts bearing Trump’s name or “47,” a nod to his role as the 47th president.
Attendance was notably lower Wednesday midafternoon than Thursday, as several attendees said they arrived later in the week for holiday weekend festivities. Crowds picked up as the day went on, even as temperatures exceeded 100 degrees. The heat forced many to seek refuge in air-conditioned booths, with fairgoers swatting branded paper fans and ducking inside for relief. Freedom 250, the organizing body, handed out free water and stationed medical tents to treat heat-related issues. One woman told Fox 5 that after visiting booths lacking air conditioning, she began “seeing stars” and took a dip in a pool meant for baptisms at a religious tent.
President Trump has touted the fair as a major success, but Fox News’s live broadcasts showing largely empty grounds have fueled mockery from critics online. Several Democratic-led states opted out, citing budget constraints or concerns about the event’s ties to the White House. After Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (D) declined to send direct representatives, Senators John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) organized a coalition of organizations to represent the state. Debbie Arrington and Maria Stevens, two Republicans visiting with a group from Florida, Texas, and Louisiana, said they were “so proud” of Fetterman’s bipartisan collaboration. “Especially the significance of Philadelphia in our country’s history. Really? Pennsylvania decided they didn’t want to be a part of it,” said Raelynn Frederick, traveling with the same group.
CNN reported Wednesday that White House insiders fear low attendance at the president’s Fourth of July speech, which has delayed the start time of a planned fireworks show and tightened security around the National Mall. The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment. Freedom 250 spokesperson Julia Friedland said more than 200,000 people have visited the fair and its accompanying FIFA Fan Fest zone. “We invite those praying for empty celebrations to stop being wrong and lazy, and instead join the Americans who continue to arrive each day,” Friedland said in a statement.
Kim and Jim Reed, who brought their two kids from Maryland, were “blown away” by the fair’s scale and diversity. “I really like how everybody’s here. All different kinds of people, all different orientations, but everyone’s here because we love America,” Kim Reed said. “I was expecting it to be not so crowded and maybe more one-sided, but everyone’s here.” When asked about partisan concerns, Jim Reed added, “It’s OK to love this.”
The fair’s ability to draw families like the Reeds amid the heat and political controversy underscores a broader sentiment: for many, the event remains a celebration of national identity. As the holiday weekend unfolds, the question is whether the crowds will match the rhetoric. For now, the good vibes among those who braved the heat remain undimmed.
