Livestock and a Ferris wheel? Trump to transform National Mall for 250th

WASHINGTON — Livestock competitions, rodeo events and a 110-foot Ferris wheel are coming to the National Mall this summer as part of a White House-backed, “World’s Fair-style” celebration marking the nation’s 250th anniversary. 

The 16-day event, dubbed the Great American State Fair, would transform the National Mall, temporarily remaking one of the country’s most iconic civic spaces. It’s among a slew of events, including an IndyCar race and athletic competition for high schoolers, being organized by Freedom 250, a nonprofit group President Donald Trump created to carry out his vision for the country’s birthday.

In a statement, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the event would allow the mall to "serve as the stage for telling our nation’s story."

Freedom 250 is working with the Department of the Interior and other federal agencies on logistics and permitting for the massive temporary buildout, organization said. The efforts are separate from those planned by America250, the nonpartisan commission created by Congress to plan the signature celebration.

Where a world’s fair might showcase cultural offerings from nations around the globe, organizers say the Great American State Fair will feature immersive exhibits from across the country.  

Each of the 50 states and six territories will design pavilions with interactive experiences highlighting their unique characteristics and contributions. Five other national pavilions will center around the themes, Made in America, American Heartland, American Innovates, The American Canvas and Faith & Family. 

Semi-permanent "Beaux-Arts" style structures will house the exhibits, Freedom 250 said. The white buildings will line the National Mall, extending from the U.S. Capitol to the Washington Monument. A smaller replica of Trump's proposed "Triumphal Arch" is slated to sit on the fair grounds.

The fair will run for two weeks, from Thursday, June 25 through Friday, July 10.  

Other attractions will include a Ferris wheel about one-fifth of the size of the Washington Monument, a refurbished carousel on the Mall and a range of classic state fair attractions. Organizers are planning Blue Ribbon competitions for livestock and Rodeo-style events like barrel racing, where a horse and rider attempt to run around pre-positioned barrels as quickly as possible.  

Daily themes, including “Military & Veterans Appreciation Day” and “Engines of Enterprise” are designed to celebrate aspects of American life. Freedom 250 is accepting nominations for “creative artists of all ages and disciplines” to perform at the festivities, including vocalists, dancers, crafters and cultural heritage performers.  

What will state exhibitions look like?  

Each participating state is expecting to receive about 600-square-feet of space to lay out their exhibit under the large white tents that will run along the gravel paths of the National Mall.  

Arizona, for instance, is planning to use the space to create a “sensory journey” through the ways light defines the state, said Paul Behnen, a creative director who helped design the state’s pavilion.   

Visitors will walk through a space resembling the wavey sandstone walls of Antelope Canyon, with slivers of light shining on them from above. They’ll move into a room with video feeds of Ponderosa Pines and flickering, dappled light and finally into a room styled after the Sonoran Desert, with views of the Milky Way above.  

Florida, meanwhile, is hoping to create the feel of an old Spanish Fort at the start of its pavilion as it discusses explorer Ponce de Leon. “We want it to be immersive ... you'll have the coquina brick walls and sights and sounds, maybe cannon fire,” said Bryan Griffin, president and CEO of Visit Florida. 

Michigan’s agriculture-focused exhibit will feature a mechanical milking cow, said Nate Engle, who is heading up the state’s effort.  

Freedom 250 did not immediately respond to a question about how the fair is being funded.

Congress in 2025 allocated $150 million in taxpayer funds to the Department of the Interior to distribute, as it saw fit, to celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary. The agency allocated $50 million of that to America250, and $100 million to Freedom 250, according to a source familiar with the transaction. Freedom 250 has also solicited private donations.

Karissa Waddick covers America's 250th anniversary for USA TODAY. She an be reached at [email protected].