CTO
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Billed as the star of the nation’s sesquicentennial celebration, the Great American State Fair wasn’t looking so great even before it debuted on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Big-name stars pulled out of the opening-night show on June 24, worried it was turning into a MAGA rally. Ten states declined to set up their own exhibits, citing cost or politics … or both.
Once the 15-day fair actually opened, temperatures were high, attendance was low….and reviews were abysmal. Then the July 4th extravaganza was delayed for hours after a severe weather evacuation; only a fraction of the crowd returned for what had been billed as the “largest fireworks show ever” and a dud of a speech from President Donald Trump warning of “communists” and calling for new voting restrictions.
Fittingly, the closing day of the Great American State Fair created a typical state of confusion.
On Friday, July 10, the Colorado Governor’s Office issued an announcement trumpeting “Colorado Awarded ‘Best In Show State Pavilion at the Great American State Fair, Best Pavilion for the Best State in the Nation,” which went on to tout the many reasons this state is such a prized tourist destination. A few media outlets were quick to report the honor, and Governor Jared Polis posted it on his social media sites.
But hold your wild horses!
Utah was also bragging that it had been named Best in Show. Michigan was making the same claim, too — and Ohio. And Pennsylvania…
Had Freedom 250, the organization established by Trump to counter the bipartisan America250 created by Congress to organize the country’s sesquicentennial celebration, succumbed to the woke “everyone gets a ribbon” mentality? Or was this just another example of a fair gone foul?
Asked about competing states claiming that they’d won best in show honors, Polis’ office responded with this: “On the afternoon of July 9, Colorado was notified by a Great American State Fair organizer that we would be recognized as a Best in Show State Pavilion. After that, when other states announced awards, Colorado was told we are one of ten Best in Show awardees. …. Like Christopher Guest’s ‘Best in Show,’ everyone has a compelling backstory and a claim to the ribbon. But Colorado’s claim is simple: We are obviously the Best of the Best in Show. Maybe nine other states tied us.”
Maybe. For the record, Colorado’s immersive pavilion — which cost about $200,000 — had offered “an interactive experience that invited visitors to discover our natural wonders, endless adventures, and vibrant arts and culture,” according to the governor’s office, complete with real coniferous trees, a ski lift, a kid-friendly river paddling game, a miniature Red Rocks-inspired feature and a not-at-all-ironic brown-and-white “Welcome to Colorful Colorado” sign.
While it turns out that Colorado must share its “best in show” honors with nine of the other states willing to participate in the Great American State Fair, it still has one unique bragging right: The Centennial State is the only state marking a big birthday this year.
It’s coming August 1. And it’s going to be great.
