Michelle Del Rey
| USA TODAYShow Caption
President Donald Trump said the Great American State Fair was “packed with happy people,” but a USA TODAY visit to the National Mall event on Monday, June 29 found light crowds, short lines and plenty of open space.Since opening June 25, the fair has drawn sparse crowds in its first days, though it remains unclear what the July 4th holiday weekend will bring. U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told Fox News on June 27 that the Trump administration was planning the “greatest and biggest celebration of fireworks ever.”But on the ground, activity appeared limited. Lines to enter the fair, browse state booths and buy food were minimal. The longest wait was at the 110-foot Ferris wheel, and even that appeared typical for a standard attraction.Few crowds, lines at the fairSmall groups gathered for events Monday afternoon, including a wood-sawing contest near the rodeo and an acrobat performance, but crowd sizes remained modest.Social media videos suggest turnout has been uneven. In one clip shared by TMZ, actor Dean Cain can be heard saying, "There's tons of people here. It's a huge space, and it's just going to get more and more crowded as the week goes on," even as the camera showed a largely empty space.USA TODAY has requested attendance figures from Freedom 250, a group tied to Task Force 250, a public-private partnership created by the White House to coordinate celebration of the U.S. 250th anniversary alongside federal agencies.Performer exits, access hurdlesAttendance concerns come after several high-profile performers including Martina McBride, Bret Michaels, Young MC, The Commodores and Morris Day and The Time withdrew from the lineup over perceived political ties to the event.Getting into the fair may also be a barrier as portions of the National Mall site are fenced off ahead of the July 4 fireworks celebrations, and attendees are required to register, though walk-ups are permitted, according to the Freedom 250 website.Security measures include a clear bag policy with size limits, and people are barred from bringing common items including outside food and drinks, umbrellas, coolers, metal containers and selfie sticks.Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at mdelrey@usatoday.com.
