A dinosaur rib cage. A 7,000-pound sandcastle made with Jersey Shore sand. Two rocking chairs in an unstaffed booth as well as a number of empty spaces. This is the Great American State Fair. The fair kicked off this week and is a run by Freedom 250, an organization created by President Donald Trump to run his administration's official events. Its creation caused tension with America250, a congressionally created group that was designed to plan the nation's 250th anniversary. The event on the National Mall will run into July.
Crowds came in small numbers early Friday, spending little time at security. The entryway led straight to a 110-foot tall Ferris wheel, the lone ride at the fair, and a smaller arch, similar to the ones that the Republican president has used to adorn other events. The consensus among people who were interviewed was that the fair was a great idea — and perhaps an opportunity missed.
Great American State Fair
Familiar to anyone who has ever attended a fair were the goats, sheep and a calf whose mooing could be heard across the Mall, all courtesy of the Washington High School Future Farmers of America from Jefferson County, West Virginia. Baby chicks, resplendent in all of their downy softness, were a huge draw, and there was the promise of a cowboy performance with bucking broncos to highlight the rise of the American cowboy.
Visitors were united by their enthusiasm for states to come together and show off their unique characters, famous natives, industries and history and geographical diversity. They were also drawn by a desire for a nonpartisan celebration of American unity.
The fair booths, all inside structures that resembled the neoclassical architecture of the nearby National Gallery of Art, offered snippets of Americana to visitors.
Dinosaur's Rib Cage
Among the items representing Montana was a gigantic rib cage, a scaled-up version of apatosaurus, which is a cousin to the better-known brontosaurus.
