Vanilla Ice didn’t get to perform at Trump’s state fair after all

While Vanilla Ice, whose real name is Robert Matthew Van Winkle, was scheduled to perform at the Great American State Fair on Friday night, his concert was canceled due to "inclement weather."

Attendees were ushered out of the fair around 5:30 p.m. Vanilla Ice was slated to go on at 7 p.m.

He was one of the few artists who didn't back out of the event because of its ties to President Donald Trump's Freedom 250 organization.

Martina McBride, Bret Michaels, Young MC, The Commodores and Morris Day (and his band, The Time) all pulled out weeks before the event began due to its perceived political affiliations.

America250, a separate organization, is a bipartisan effort established by Congress in 2016 to "plan, encourage, develop, and coordinate" the commemoration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.

Meanwhile, in January 2025, the president established Task Force 250, an initiative consisting of members of his Cabinet, to plan events outside those run by the official America250 commission.

The artists said they weren't initially made aware of the event's political leanings when signing onto the program.

USA TODAY contacted Freedom 250 and Vanilla Ice's representatives to confirm whether he will perform another day.

Great American State Fair contends with weather delays

Event organizers announced Vanilla Ice's concert cancellation on social media. USA TODAY also witnessed Great American State Fair staff asking visitors to leave the fairgrounds once it started to rain.

"Due to inclement weather in the area, the Freedom 250 Great American State Fair and FIFA World Cup 2026™ Fan Zone will be closed for the rest of the day," the Facebook post said around 5:30 p.m. on Friday. "The safety of our guests, staff, and partners remains our top priority. We are actively monitoring conditions and will provide updates as they become available."

Friday wasn't the only day the event had to shut down over the weekend due to rain.

On Sunday, the event was once again plagued by bad weather, forcing it to close temporarily at around 2 p.m., but reopening two hours later.

Vanilla Ice stands by decision to perform at fair: 'Huge honor for me'

Before his performance got rained out, Vanilla Ice filmed a segment with Fox News contributor Raymond Arroyo on the event stage discussing the upcoming gig.

"This is a huge honor for me to come here and lay this event for the birthday of our country," he said standing in front of the Freedom 250 banner. "This event is made to be united, to unite us. That's what this is about, not the politics."

He continued: "It's really about an entertainer coming to entertain." The "Ice Ice Baby" rapper told Arroyo he had never performed on the National Mall before and was excited to be part of the lineup. But Friday's performance never happened.

Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected]