The Great American State Fair is limping toward the finish line—and it’s still largely empty.
Sixteen days after President Donald Trump opened the fair with a MAGA rally on the National Mall, organizers are hoping for one last burst of patriotic enthusiasm before the event ends on Friday night. They’ll need it.
The Daily Beast visited the fair again on Thursday, entering just before lunchtime and staying a few hours.
But there were still no lines at the entrance, large patches of open space throughout the grounds, and one band gamely performing to empty chairs.
By late afternoon, attendees were forced to evacuate due to severe weather.
The biggest crowd until then wasn’t for a musical act or live performance at all.
It was at the Florida pavilion, which according to one woman from West Virginia, “has the best free merchandise” of all the state booths. Not to mention a stuffed manatee.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright also appeared on stage, fielding questions from children in a Q&A session attended largely by federal workers and energy enthusiasts.
“What superpowers help you do your job?” a 4-year-old girl asked with the assistance of one of Wright’s staffers, who was MC-ing.
“I’ve always been a Superman guy!” the Trump cabinet official replied, before posing as though he was flying through the air. “I want to be able to fly!”
Finding the mythical fair food proved just as difficult. Despite wandering the expansive grounds in search of the elusive corn dog—arguably the defining symbol of any American state fair—none could be found.
Instead, lunch consisted of a decidedly stale “Lucky” burger: two bland beef patties sandwiched between equally bland brioche bread for $22. At least the fries were fresh.
One weary food vendor admitted he was counting down the hours until closing time Friday.
“It just feels so monotonous now,” he said. “July the Fourth was great because it was really busy, but everything else has been pretty slow.”
Across the mall in the “Department of War” pavilion, two young Marines stood at a table offering tips on how to apply camouflage paint. In the absence of any takers, they offered America 250 pins instead.
“Take as many as you like,” he urged the Daily Beast. “We need to get rid of them.”
The Ferris wheel remained the fair’s biggest attraction, with riders waiting patiently in the scorching D.C. heat to climb onboard.
Some even suggested the Freedom 250-branded wheel should become a permanent fixture on the National Mall. The White House has yet to comment on whether Trump would consider such a thing.
Across the fairgrounds, collecting passport stamps from every state appeared to be popular with visitors. Organizers encouraged visitors to receive a stamp when entering and exiting each pavilion, turning the passport into something of a scavenger hunt.
Among the visitors was Ed from North Carolina, whose state booth had earlier made headlines after a Confederate flag mysteriously appeared as part of the exhibit. Fortunately, it was no longer there today.
Ed declined to give his full name but was happy to be photographed donning a stars-and-stripes jacket; a red, white and blue lei; and an American 250 baseball cap with a flag attached to it.
“We drove here this morning,” he said, “and so far it’s great!”
While the fair was billed as “bipartisan,” Trump’s presence remained inescapable.
His image is featured throughout the Freedom Trucks - mobile museums offering history lessons through a distinctly Trumpian lens - and promotional signs encouraged visitors to open Trump investment accounts.
Outside the gates, vendors hawked “Trump 2028” hats and Make America Great Again merchandise.
And on the first day of the fair earlier this month, a MAGA supporter was also accused of lewd conduct on the grounds, adding to a string of awkward headlines that have overshadowed an event intended to showcase America’s 250th anniversary.
Whether Friday delivers the crowds organizers envisioned remains to be seen.
But as this chapter closes, Trump’s attention is already shifting to his next Freedom 250 spectacle: the Patriot Games, which will pit top high school athletes from across the country against one another in a made-for-TV spectacle.
Democrats such as California Gov. Gavin Newsom have already likened it to the Hunger Games, the 2012 movie in which a wealthy regime forces 12 poor districts to send their teenagers to fight to the death on live television.
May the odds be ever in your favor.
