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Illinois is skipping the Trump-backed 250th anniversary celebration on the National Mall. 

The big picture: Illinois is among several Democrat-led states opting out of the Great American State Fair, a centerpiece of the national 250th anniversary celebration that has increasingly come to be associated with President Trump's agenda.

The states: Illinois, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and North Carolina. 

The reason: States have cited high participation costs and lack of interest from potential sponsors. Also, politics. 

State of play: "Gov. Pritzker decided last year to not utilize state resources or delegates, anticipating Trump's politicization of America 250 activities," a spokesperson for the governor's office tells Axios. 

Reality check: Illinois won't have an official state exhibit, but it won't be entirely absent. The Peoria Riverfront Museum is participating independently.

"The Peoria Riverfront Museum volunteered to represent Illinois at the Great American State Fair," a Pritzker spokesperson added. "The museum will build an Illinois-centric pavilion. State funds were not used to pay for the Museum's travel, registration or exhibit design and giveaways."

The intrigue: Freedom 250, a public-private partnership established through an executive order by President Trump, organized the fair and asserts it's a nonpartisan organization.

Freedom 250 built a pavilion for every state and territory, but participating states are responsible for designing, furnishing and shipping their own exhibits to Washington.

Zoom in: Illinois isn't sitting out the semiquincentennial altogether. The state has held its own yearlong America 250 events, awarded 250 public art grants and will join every state in a simultaneous public reading of the Declaration of Independence on July 8.

Of note: The Great American State Fair runs through July 10.

Illinois among states opting out of Trump-backed America 250 fair

The Peoria Riverfront Museum will represent the state on the National Mall.

Crowd walks along a parade route with colorful flags lining the left, as the U.S. Capitol dome rises under a blue sky on a sunny day.

Attendees visit booths representing various states during the Great American State Fair on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on Thursday. Photo: Jabin Botsford/Bloomberg via Getty Images

<p>Illinois is skipping the Trump-backed <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="250th anniversary celebration" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2026/05/27/national-mall-fifa-fan-zone-state-fair-flo-rida" data-vars-content-id="186037da-e6f7-4618-8bf3-000b7a208497" data-vars-headline="Illinois among states opting out of Trump-backed America 250 fair" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2026/05/27/national-mall-fifa-fan-zone-state-fair-flo-rida" target="_self">250th anniversary celebration</a> on the National Mall.<strong> </strong></p><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>Illinois is among <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="several Democrat-led states" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2026/06/25/250th-pennsylvania-great-america-state-fair-trump" data-vars-content-id="186037da-e6f7-4618-8bf3-000b7a208497" data-vars-headline="Illinois among states opting out of Trump-backed America 250 fair" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2026/06/25/250th-pennsylvania-great-america-state-fair-trump" target="_self">several Democrat-led states</a> opting out of the Great American State Fair, a centerpiece of the national 250th anniversary celebration that has increasingly come to be associated with President Trump&#x27;s agenda.</p>

News

Politics

This Sunday, the Pride Parade will draw hundreds of thousands of spectators to Northalsted for one of the country's biggest neighborhood parades.

Why it matters: As some states become less welcoming to LGBTQ+ visitors, Northalsted is betting that Chicago's reputation for inclusion can translate into more tourism dollars.

The big picture: Two luxury LGBTQ+ boutique hotels announced plans to open in Northalsted this year. At the same time, Chicago doubled down on one of the neighborhood's most recognizable symbols by renovating its rainbow crosswalks.

Workers in orange safety vests paint a multicolored mural on a street section, surrounded by orange cones and pink caution tape, near a Sherwin-Williams store on a clear blue day.

 LGBTQ+ crosswalks are being painted on Halsted Street in November 2025. Photo: Moyo Adeolu/Axios

The latest: Ald. Bennett Lawson (Lakeview/Northalsted) took to the council floor last week to talk about the importance of the rainbow crosswalks along Halsted Street. 

Lawson argued the crosswalks are more than decoration — they're part of the neighborhood's brand and help signal to visitors that Chicago remains welcoming. 

Bennett warned Chicago not to take them for granted, citing several Florida communities that have removed or challenged rainbow crosswalks amid broader political fights over LGBTQ+ visibility.

Context: Illinois welcomed 112.9 million visitors who spent $48.5 billion in 2024. The state doesn't break out LGBTQ+ tourism, but industry estimates put annual U.S. LGBTQ+ travel spending at more than $65 billion, with research showing LGBTQ+ travelers take more trips than the general population.

Zoom in: One of the boutiques is being developed by Tryst Hospitality, a luxury brand that caters to gay travelers and tourism. Tryst has two big resort locations in Puerto Rico and Mexico, but is rapidly expanding, opening up locations in Fire Island, Provincetown and right here at 3350 N. Halsted Street.

The boutique plans to be a five-story, 21-room hotel with a restaurant, nightclub and a rooftop bar with a pool.

The Backbeat Hotel, which is planned for a block south on Halsted Street, will also feature a rooftop pool, a restaurant and a luxury lounge. 

What they're saying: "The boutique hotels that will soon be added to the street definitely fill a need," Northalsted Business Alliance's Kevin Barbeau tells Axios. "Often, visitors I speak to in my neighborhood walkarounds have told me they wish they could end their day in the same place they started it!" 

"These hotels, in addition to our district's much-loved Villa Toscana bed & breakfast, help to bring people to the street and stay on the street, so that they and our businesses can mutually benefit," Barbeau adds. 

Modern glass-front hotel centered on a city street, between red brick buildings. Large windows show interior plants and people; rooftop greenery, pedestrians, a red van, and a gray car on the street.

Zoom out: Popular gay destinations like Florida are passing anti-gay laws, including removing rainbow crosswalks, threatening to pull funding for Pride events and even trying to outlaw drag shows.

Yes, but: If tourists don't feel comfortable in those states, Illinois is swooping in.

"Whether visitors are attending a parade, supporting LGBTQIA+-owned businesses or discovering new destinations along the way, Illinois offers experiences that embrace and uplift everyone," the state's commerce director, Kristin Richards, said in a statement. 

The bottom line: Northalsted's leaders see visible investments in the neighborhood, from luxury hotels to rainbow crosswalks, as more than symbolism.

They're part of a broader strategy to make Chicago an even bigger destination for LGBTQ+ travelers.

Why Chicago sees LGBTQ+ tourism as a growing economic opportunity

The popular gay neighborhood is going to get a tourism boost from two new luxury hotels.

Crowd behind barriers along a city street, waving large rainbow Pride flags. Colorful shirts and banners line the right-side buildings while trees shade the left.

People gather to watch the Pride Parade in Northalsted in 2022. Photo: Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP/Getty Images 

<div><iframe name="opinionstage-widget" alt="Opinion Stage Embed" src="https://www.opinionstage.com/api/v2/widgets/4585ba33-10b6-47f4-8d02-413f381112ce/iframe" data-opinionstage-iframe="4585ba33-10b6-47f4-8d02-413f381112ce" data-vars-category="embed" data-vars-sub-category="embed-poll" data-vars-asset-id="4585ba33-10b6-47f4-8d02-413f381112ce" data-vars-content-id="836bd9c5-2582-4081-a0d8-a28333044aac" width="100%" height="800" allow="fullscreen" webkitallowfullscreen="true" mozallowfullscreen="true" class="gtmView" referrerPolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></iframe><div style="display:none"></div></div><p>This Sunday,<strong> </strong>the Pride Parade will draw hundreds of thousands of spectators to Northalsted for one of the country&#x27;s biggest neighborhood parades.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>As some states become less welcoming to LGBTQ+ visitors, Northalsted is betting that Chicago&#x27;s reputation for inclusion can translate into more tourism dollars.</p>

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An extended stretch of dangerous heat is testing the emergency response system Chicago built after the deadly 1995 heat wave.

Why it matters: Multi-day heat waves are especially dangerous because warm overnight temperatures prevent the body from recovering, driving up illness and deaths among vulnerable people. 

The latest: Daily highs are expected to be over 90° through at least Friday, with heat indices reaching 105°. 

Some downstate locations are projected to reach 110°.

Case in point: The 1995 Chicago heat wave, considered one of the deadliest in U.S. history, lasted five days and caused 739 heat-related deaths. 

Chicago officials have significantly expanded their heat preparedness efforts since then.

What they're saying: "Preparedness is key," the Illinois Emergency Management Agency's Theodore "Ted" Berger said in a release.

"Limit time outdoors during peak heat, check in on neighbors and those who may need extra assistance, and know where your local cooling centers are."

Zoom in: Cooling centers across Chicago have opened as the city has activated its heat response plan.

Some park district programs and outdoor camps have moved indoors, while municipalities are weighing changes to planned Fourth of July celebrations.

Flashback: After 1995, Chicago invested in trees, reflective roofs and other heat-mitigating infrastructure while requiring air conditioning in high-rise apartments. 

Mayor Brandon Johnson's administration honored the 30th anniversary of the 1995 heat wave by introducing a Heat Vulnerability Index Report, which is a data-driven tool designed to identify which neighborhoods are most at risk during extreme heat events.

The idea is that resources can be allocated to those areas, but neighbors and environmental activists weren't convinced that the new tool would change anything. 

The intrigue: One major failure in 1995 was the lack of communication between city agencies and residents. Today, the city has a comprehensive Heat Emergency Plan, coordinated through the Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC), created after the disaster.

OEMC coordinates with the National Weather Service and manages the opening of cooling centers, while also giving tips to residents. 

Of note: When extended heat waves hit Midwestern states like Illinois or Iowa, humidity from crops, sometimes called "corn sweat," can make the heat feel even more oppressive.

The bottom line: The legacy of 1995 means Chicago enters this heat wave far better prepared, but the coming days will show how well that playbook holds up against another prolonged stretch of dangerous temperatures.

Chicago's post-1995 heat playbook faces a major test

There has only been one other extended heat wave (more than four days straight) since 1995.

Silhouetted people walk through a heavy spray from a fountain on a sunny street; sparkling water droplets fill the air as trees and dark structures loom in the background.

Kids play in an open fire hydrant last summer. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images

<p>An <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="extended stretch" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/06/26/heat-wave-dome-july" data-vars-content-id="958971f6-4603-4e6b-a08c-46da2169b163" data-vars-headline="Chicago&#x27;s post-1995 heat playbook faces a major test" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/06/26/heat-wave-dome-july" target="_self">extended stretch</a> of dangerous heat is testing the emergency response system Chicago built after the deadly 1995 heat wave.</p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> Multi-day heat waves are especially dangerous because warm overnight temperatures prevent the body from recovering, driving up illness and deaths among vulnerable people.<strong> </strong></p>

Climate

This week's "History Mystery" features a long-lost photo of a neon beer sign that once welcomed people to downtown Chicago. 

The Pabst Blue Ribbon billboard lit up the night sky at Randolph Street and Michigan Avenue decades before Millennium Park existed.

Urban skyline with a large Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer sign on a steel framework above a building, tall towers nearby, and a rail yard with stacked freight cars in the foreground under a blue sky.

Photo: Heritage Art/Heritage Images via Getty Images

The intrigue: The nighttime photo doesn't offer many clues, but a daytime shot gives us everything we need.

When this photo was taken in 1943, the Carbide & Carbon Building was one of the few prominent towers along that stretch of Michigan Avenue.

You can see the Wrigley Building and the Tribune Tower in the distance. 

The railroad depot sat below Randolph Street, but it was filled in for the park, which now sits at the same level as the street. 

A GIF that combines two photos, one from the past and one that is current. 

GIF: Getty Images & Justin Kaufmann/Axios 

State of play: The sign sat above the Illinois Central Railroad's South Water Street freight terminal, which stretched to the corner of Randolph Street and Michigan Avenue.

It was mostly freight trains, bringing goods to the famed South Water Street Market and other downtown locations. 

The sign was removed in the early 1950s for construction of the iconic Prudential Building. 

Freight trains stopped operating there in the 1970s. 

Today, Millennium Park covers what was one of the country's largest downtown rail yards, but Metra Electric and South Shore trains still run beneath the park.

The giant Pabst Blue Ribbon sign that once towered over downtown Chicago

Here's another installment in our "History Mystery" series investigating archival photos of Chicago.

Night cityscape with a dark foreground and distant lit buildings; a bright neon "Blue Ribbon Beer" sign in a circular logo glows, casting purple light over railroad tracks.

The llinois Central Railroad freight cars in the South Water Street freight terminal in 1943.  Photo: Heritage Art/Heritage Images via Getty Images

<p>This week&#x27;s &quot;<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="History Mystery" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2026/05/05/history-mystery-palmer-house-construction-state-hotel-fire-potter" data-vars-content-id="bf1c97c2-1dd4-4c65-9f80-d90863844b04" data-vars-headline="The giant Pabst Blue Ribbon sign that once towered over downtown Chicago" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2026/05/05/history-mystery-palmer-house-construction-state-hotel-fire-potter" target="_self">History Mystery</a>&quot; features a long-lost photo of a neon beer sign that once welcomed people to downtown Chicago. </p><ul><li>The Pabst Blue Ribbon billboard lit up the night sky at Randolph Street and Michigan Avenue decades before Millennium Park existed.</li></ul>

History

Let's celebrate Pride with a quiz, shall we?

Two years back, I did a Pride Chicago quiz. It was only my 10th Kaufmann quiz. Today, I'm inching close to 100!

The quiz still holds up, but there's so much queer history that I'm giving you volume two!

Chicago Pride quiz vol. 2: Test your LGBTQ+ knowledge

The city has so much great LGBTQ+ history, we had to do two quizzes!

Cheering crowd along a city street at a Pride parade, waving rainbow flags and banners in colorful outfits, under a blue canopy over barricades.

Crowds cheer as people take part in the 53rd annual Chicago Pride Parade in 2024. Photo: Kamil Krzacynski/AFP/Getty Images 

Justin Kaufmann

Featured stories

The giant Pabst Blue Ribbon sign that once towered over downtown Chicago

Chicago's post-1995 heat playbook faces a major test

Illinois among states opting out of Trump-backed America 250 fair

Why Chicago sees LGBTQ+ tourism as a growing economic opportunity

Chicago Pride quiz vol. 2: Test your LGBTQ+ knowledge