Inside the Great American State Fair's carnival of contrasts

Inside the Great American State Fair's carnival of contrasts

Washington has a new pastime: Roasting the Great American State Fair.

Why it matters: The Trump administration-backed Freedom 250 event stumbled before it even opened, with musicians canceling, states pulling out and food vendors jumping ship.

  • Now that it's underway, critics are comparing it to D.C.'s version of Glasgow's infamous Willy Wonka experience — so of course we had to check it out on "MAHA Monday."

    • What they're saying: Washingtonian called the event "bleak." The Washington Post deemed it "crushingly dull," likening it to "a trade show for Christian groups, tourist boards and the military industrial complex."

  • Online, people are posting photos of sparse crowds, flimsy-looking booths, underwhelming state exhibits and pricey food.
  • It doesn't help that the Ferris wheel and food hall both briefly lost power when City Cast visited.

    • The only federal bureau booth with a line when Axios visited: the Department of War. Photo: Anna Spiegel/Axios

    Reality check: When Axios stopped by, there was a bigger crowd than one would expect on a blistering weekday — the longest lines we spotted were outside the [Department of] "War" booth, and the Florida tent (credit a mini mini-golf course and "Florida Man" wall).

  • Empty booths left behind by states including Maine, Washington and Oregon have been repurposed by Freedom 250 volunteers stamping visitors' "passports."
  • In the vacant Hawaii space, in front of a mural with Barack Obama, a tourist wearing a "Surfers for Trump" shirt greeted visitors. He told Axios he's not a volunteer — but grabbed a passport stamper because "our tourism authority who has a big budget doesn't like us."

    • Zoom in: Weekend headlines added to the criticism.

  • A Confederate flag was featured in a privately funded North Carolina booth (it's since been removed).
  • Separately, police arrested a man for "lewd, indecent, or obscene acts" at the fair.

    • Yes, but: Supporters are defending the event as a success, posting pics of crowds.

  • Meanwhile, the Trust for the National Mall expects to see almost 50 million visitors to the Mall this year, up from the usual 36 million, reports the Washington Post.

    • One air-conditioned tent is split between the National Endowment of the Arts, a student art contest and conservative groups like Moms for America. Photo: Anna Spiegel/Axios

    Anna's thought bubble: The fair is shaping up to be a carnival of contrasts.

  • Here you'll find messages of bipartisan unity next to pro-Trump displays, nostalgic Americana beside AI innovation. At Maryland's booth, an AI camera sends visitors to "Colonial Annapolis" — where, thanks to a glitch, everyone becomes a colonial-era man.
  • One air-conditioned tent is split between the National Endowment of the Arts and the conservative Moms for America group, alongside signage proclaiming "The Great Awakening America Shall Be Saved."

    • Monday's theme, "Everyday Health and Well-Being," kicked off with a protein pancake-eating competition from viral Judy's Pancakes, and wound down with conservative commentator Michael Knowles taking the main stage.

  • Per the organizers: "If you're curious about feeling better, living longer, and doing it the American way, this is the place to be."

    • The giant corn dog looks better than it tastes, thanks to undercooked dough that looks like cheese (it isn't). Photo: Anna Spiegel

    Yes, but: The fair's menu tells a different story.

  • While MAHA board member "Doctor Pompa" warned about overused vaccines and breast implants, vendors nearby sold cheese-stuffed pretzel dogs and fries cooked in vegetable oil.
  • "Holistic Hilda" influencer Hilda Labrada Gore encouraged attendees to embrace the "LOGS" diet — local, organic, seasonal and traditional foods — as I bit into a $16 corn dog whose batter was partially raw.

    • Her claim that artificial light, not sunlight, is driving skin cancer landed beneath a blazing afternoon sun, where about a dozen people watched from the sparse shade of the main stage.

    Among the best eats: A cotton candy sundae from the World's Fair kiosk and a giant turkey leg. Photo: Anna Spiegel

    Dig in: The fair food is expensive and uneven. A thick-crust "Chicago-style" square pizza slice (nearly $12) arrived thin and soggy, while a nearly $29 Chop Shop Peruvian sandwich boasted a heat lamp-imparted crunch.

  • If you're craving dessert, the permanent World's Fair concession stand by the carousel has tasty cherry blossom ice cream and cotton candy sundaes.

    • Best bite: Especially for the MAHA message, a massive smoked turkey leg (protein!) that's cooked over an open fire on the fair's sidelines.

  • It ain't cheap ($30+), but it's the one Great American State Fair roast everyone can get behind.