At least seven states have withdrawn from participating in the Great American State Fair, a 16-day celebration tied to the festivities on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., surrounding the nation’s 250th anniversary.
The governors of the seven states — Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oregon and Washington — are all Democrats.
Massachusetts and North Carolina said they declined to participate in the fair, set to begin June 25, because of budget constraints, The New York Times reported. Some states are instead holding celebrations of their own, many years in the making.
“Our limited resources are focused on America 250 events across North Carolina, including one at the State Capitol in Raleigh on July 4,” Michele Walker, a spokeswoman for the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, told The Times.
Oregon also cited the cost of participation. But a spokesman for the state, Luke Harkins, said there were also “growing concerns that the event … is shaping up to be a more partisan affair than originally presented.”
Pennsylvania remains uncommitted, NOTUS reported Thursday. Maryland originally told NOTUS it had not decided whether it would participate but has since confirmed it will attend.
The fair is being organized by Freedom 250, a Trump administration public-private initiative that is separate from the nonpartisan America 250 organization Congress established in 2016.
NOTUS reported that Freedom 250 is planning several large entertainment events. They include the fair, a UFC showcase at the White House on Sunday, an IndyCar race in August and what the White House called “an unprecedented gathering of tall ships” in New York Harbor.
A concert scheduled as part of the fair was canceled after several entertainers pulled out shortly after the lineup was announced May 27. Some reportedly said they never agreed to perform or were not told the event would be politicized.
Trump instead announced a kickoff event June 24 that he will headline. The event also will include Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, as well as performances by Lee Greenwood and Christopher Macchio, two of the president’s favorite singers, and multiple military bands.
Freedom 250 shared with CNN renderings of pavilions that 21 states have proposed for the fair. Designs include a mini-golf course for South Carolina, a replica of the Alamo for Texas and a fossil-digging station for Montana, among others.
Large white tents decorated with neoclassical columns will house dozens of state pavilions, according to CNN. Other plans include a scaled-down replica of Trump’s proposed 250-foot triumphal arch and a 110-foot Ferris wheel.
Freedom 250 has also said there will be movie screenings, musical performances and military flyovers.
The renderings reflect the states’ histories and heritage.
At Wyoming’s pavilion, visitors will be able to experience rodeo competition, the state’s official sport, through augmented reality headsets. Courtny Hinds, general manager of the Wyoming State Fair and Wyoming’s state pavilion lead, described the fair to CNN as a once-in-a-lifetime event she is excited to attend.
“Every single state kind of has their own pieces of their identity, so whoever our neighbors will be, we’re excited to make friends with them and the rest of states and territories too,” she said.
Rachel Reisner, a spokesperson for Freedom 250, said that “all 50 states and U.S. territories will be represented.”
“We are actively finalizing the details for several states right now, and we look forward to sharing the full picture very soon — the response has been incredible and we couldn’t be more energized by what’s coming together,” Reisner said in a statement to NOTUS. “Whether represented by a governor’s office, a tourism board, or a beloved state company or organization, every community will be celebrated, and every American will see themselves in this once-in-a-generation event.”
