National Fair Woes

Power Failures and Melting Ice Cream on Day One

Generator failures hit the fairgrounds at 11:00 AM on opening day, according to USA Today. By 1:00 PM, the

Food prices added to the frustration. A single turkey leg cost $23.00. Stuffed pretzel rolls ran between $12.48 and $24.96, according to USA Today. With refrigeration down and food stalls closed, some visitors left empty-handed.

1 source

Ten States Refused to Show Up — and Their Booths Sat Empty

At least 10 states and territories chose not to send delegations to the fair. They include Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, according to USA Today. States cited the steep cost of participation. Connecticut estimated it would spend $100,000. Oregon put the figure as high as $500,000.

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey called the fair a

1 source

One Volunteer Drove Nine Hours to Save Her State's Empty Booth

Donna Chobat, a retired teacher from Massachusetts, drove nine hours to the National Mall. She found her state's booth empty. So she got permission to run it herself. She brought maple syrup pamphlets from home and set them out for visitors.

A Partisan Split Overshadows America's 250th Birthday Party

The fair was created by Freedom 250, a group Trump set up through executive order. Critics say this bypassed the America250 Commission — a bipartisan group Congress created in 2016 to plan the nation's 250th birthday, according to USA Today. Organizer Rachel Reisner pushed back.

Trump claimed 45,000 people attended the kick-off rally on June 24, according to Palm Beach Post. Reporters on the ground described large empty sections. The fair runs until July 10. Organizers now face pressure to fix the power grid and fill the empty state booths before the July 4th finale.

2 sources