Reporting by Hope Karnopp, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
While several state governments are opting out of a 16-day, mega-fair in Washington, D.C., for America’s 250th birthday, Wisconsin is moving ahead with plans to showcase America’s Dairyland.
The Great American State Fair runs June 25 through July 10 on the National Mall. The event is put on through Freedom 250, a group organized by President Donald Trump that also hosted the UFC event on the White House lawn.
Billed as a modern-day World’s Fair, all 50 states and six territories can design a roughly 600-square-foot pavilion to showcase their culture, industries, landmarks and more. South Carolina will have a putting green and cornhole, while Tennessee will highlight country music.
Even if governors or state agencies don’t contribute to the booths, the states will still be represented through companies or organizations, said Rachel Reisner, a spokeswoman for Freedom 250.
For example, representatives from the Peoria Riverfront Museum will run Illinois’ booth, USA TODAY reported. A spokesperson for Oregon’s governor cited concerns that the event is “a more partisan affair than originally presented.”
Here’s what to know about Wisconsin’s plans.
What is Wisconsin sending to the Great American State Fair?
Among other things, a Harley-Davidson motorcycle contributed by the Milwaukee-based company, and a large, fiberglass dairy cow, complete with a milking stool. The booth won’t have live dairy cows, though the Great American State Fair also includes a rodeo.
The motorcycle and cow are the big-ticket items that visitors to the booth will be able to sit on and take pictures of, said Joey Hoey, assistant deputy secretary for the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs.
Gov. Tony Evers’ office designated Hoey as the state point of contact in February, when the request came in from event planners. A spokeswoman for Evers’ office says they don’t expect any top officials from his administration to attend the 250 events in D.C.
Other state agencies will be on display in Wisconsin’s pavilion, including the Veterans Museum, Wisconsin Historical Society and Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. The booth will also highlight six tourism destinations in the state, with plenty of scannable QR codes attached.
“We’re going to try and tell the world what a great place Wisconsin is,” Hoey said.
There won’t be any free merch handed out to attendees, Hoey said, because the agency didn’t hear about the fair in time to incorporate it into their state budget request. So, no beer or cheese curd samples.
There won’t be famous cream puffs from the Wisconsin State Fair, either – the grounds don’t support refrigeration.
When is the Wisconsin State Fair?
The D.C. fair is not to be confused with the Wisconsin State Fair, though that event will be promoted within Wisconsin’s booth on the National Mall. The state fair runs at Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis Aug. 6-16.
One special feature in 2026: The America 250 Wheel, the largest Ferris wheel ever hosted at the fair and beats the typical WonderFair Wheel by 75 feet. The wheel has 45 gondolas – themed for each person who has served as president – seating six people each.
Hope Karnopp can be reached at HKarnopp@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
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