Exclusive: Here's what's on the menu at D.C.'s Great American State Fair
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The Great American State Fair and its 110-foot Ferris wheel are setting up on the National Mall, June 25-July 10. Photo: Courtesy Freedom 250
Corn dogs, competitive eating and "Make America Healthy Again" wellness are coming to the National Mall this week for the Great American State Fair.
Why it matters: The menu offers one of the clearest looks yet at what Freedom 250 organizers are planning for the Great American State Fair: part nostalgia, part America 250th celebration and part showcase for the MAHA movement.
Driving the news: Yes, there will be stick meat. There will also be seminars on "food as medicine."
- The food lineup at the World's Fair-inspired exhibition is an unusual mashup of classic Americana and MAHA wellness that Freedom 250 is billing "a once-in-a-generation culinary snapshot of the nation."
Zoom in: Food vendors like Mazz 'a' Mia's and Juicys Famous Fair Food will be dishing up:
- Festival bites: Corn dogs, jumbo chicken on a stick, loaded mac and cheese, Chicago- and New York-style pizza, cheesy fries with Hatch queso.
- Classic American eats: Burgers, hot dogs, Italian sausages, wings, popcorn, pretzels and fry buckets.
- Global fare: Elote, yucca fries with aji dipping sauce, teriyaki chicken, Thai iced coffees and teas.
- Local eats: Lucky Buns burgers, Chop Shop sandwiches (Peruvian-style chicken, red curry panang), and Get Baked Pretzels.
- Sweet treats: Ice cream, sno cones, Italian ice, cookies, lemonade.
Between the lines: Some states will offer nonperishable food samples, but strict health regulations mean most eating will happen at vendor stands.
The intrigue: Culinary programming mixes eating competitions with MAHA discussions about what Americans should be eating.
- Bub and Pop's food challenge (June 26): Competitive sandwich eating hosted by the popular D.C. shop known for the towering Lil' Petey — a 22-ingredient behemoth that could feed a small family.
- Farm to Fair (June 26): Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins joins Ambassador Monica Crowley and five multigenerational farm families for a showcase of American agriculture, food production and land stewardship. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum is also expected to participate.
- MAHA Mondays (June 29 and July 6): Programming devoted to "the food-as-medicine movement," featuring viral Judy's Pancakes, a beverage demo by influencer "Holistic Hilda," Polyface Farm's Joel Salatin, RFK Jr. aide Calley Means, and Steak 'n Shake's "chief MAHA officer."
- Cowboy Poetry and Country Roots (June 29): Clare Dunn, a rancher and country artist, will appear alongside Shad Sullivan, a fifth-generation cattle rancher and co-host of "Lonesome Land," who will deliver cowboy poetry. John Klar, an author, attorney and "MAHA farmer," also appears.
The big picture: The fair was initially billed as a nonpartisan, World's Fair-style celebration of America's 250th birthday.
- But it has increasingly become associated with Trump and the administration's agenda, including the MAHA movement and programming days like "Faith, Values, and Inspiration."
- Nearly all of the originally announced music headliners dropped out after the event was unveiled, with many publicly distancing themselves from what they viewed as a political event. At least seven states are opting out.
- Trump then stepped in to headline what's become a kickoff rally on Wednesday.
The bottom line: Between the rodeo, a photo-ready "Arc de Trump," a 110-foot Ferris wheel and military flyovers that will temporarily disrupt operations at Reagan National Airport, the Great American State Fair is shaping up to be a spectacle the likes of which the National Mall has rarely seen — and for some locals in deep-blue D.C., part of a 250 takeover they're happy to leave behind in the history books.
If you go: The Great American State Fair (June 25-July 10). Admission is free with optional registration; expect security screening, bag policies and restricted items.