{"id":2796,"date":"2026-06-15T18:34:17","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T18:34:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=2796"},"modified":"2026-06-15T18:34:17","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T18:34:17","slug":"rhode-island-skips-out-on-the-great-american-state-fair-joining-growing-list","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=2796","title":{"rendered":"Rhode Island skips out on the Great American State Fair, joining growing list"},"content":{"rendered":"<article>\n<div>\n<p><span>Add Rhode Island to the list of states that will not participate in President Donald Trump\u2019s Great American State Fair when it kicks off in Washington D.C. June 25.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=2794\">Trump says Iran deal will lead to \u2018a lot of success\u2019 for the world as he opens talks at G7 summit<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span>Faith Chybowski, spokesperson for the Rhode Island Secretary of State\u2019s office and RI250 Commission, said officials turned down the invitation to take part in the upcoming 16-day summer exhibition on the National Mall due to \u201cfinancial and staffing limitations.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cRhode Island\u2019s semiquincentennial commemoration is taking place in Providence on July 4, and staff are also supporting many other 250-related events across the state at the same time as the State Fair,\u201d she told Rhode Island Current in an email Friday.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><span>Officials from Oregon, Washington, Massachusetts, Illinois, North Carolina and Connecticut have also backed out, citing high costs,\u00a0CNN\u00a0reported Thursday. Maine has also backed out, according to the\u00a0Bangor Daily News.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The fair organized by Freedom 250, the Trump-aligned nonprofit behind several semiquincentennial events across the nation, is\u00a0billed\u00a0as a \u201cworld-class exposition and modern-day World\u2019s Fair\u201d with exhibits from all 56 states and territories showcasing \u201cthe very best of America.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div><span>Get Rhode Map<\/span><\/div>\n<div><span>A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State.<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div><label>Enter Email<\/label><\/p>\n<div><button>Sign Up<\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span>But those displays, and who will staff them, fall entirely on state delegations, Chybowski said. The RI250 Commission, formed in 2021 to promote semiquincentennial-themed programming across the state, was given a little more than $324,000 from the General Assembly last year to show off the state\u2019s revolutionary role.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Most funds were used for marketing, commemorative highway signs and holiday ornaments, banners for the\u00a0Revolution and Rhode Island exhibit\u00a0at the State House. \u00a0A little more than a third of the state\u2019s funding were toward the commission\u2019s\u00a0one full-time staffer, Chybowski noted.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cIt was a huge ask with not a lot of resources,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The General Assembly\u2019s Joint Committee on Legislative Services provided another $1 million to the commission last year, but Chybowski said those funds are primarily being used for a special July Fourth lighting of\u00a0WaterFire\u00a0in Providence. The remainder was\u00a0dedicated toward grants awarded to municipalities and other local organizations hosting their own historic events.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Freedom 250 confirmed that Rhode Island has pulled out due to budget constraints, but noted all states that are no longer participating in the fair will still have some presence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cWhether represented by a governor\u2019s office, a tourism board, or a beloved state company or organization, every community will be celebrated, and every American will see themselves in this once-in-a-generation event,\u201d spokesperson Rachel Reisner said in a statement to Rhode Island Current. \u201cFreedom 250 is a celebration for America \u2014 which, last we checked, includes all of it. Every single star on that flag. See you there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=2792\">JD Vance writes of journey to Catholicism in \u2018Communion,\u2019 his first book since \u2018Hillbilly Elegy\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span>Reisner said that all 50 states and six U.S. territories each were able to receive approximately 600 square feet of space \u201cto build immersive, interactive exhibits showcasing their unique culture, history, and contributions.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Keith Stokes, Rhode Island\u2019s historian laureate and member of the RI250 Commission, said the state is not missing out by skipping the fair in D.C.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cAt the end of the day, you control what you have,\u201d he said in an interview. \u201cWith so much uncertainty with the economy, it\u2019s about being creative inside the box.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>If anyone wants to learn more about Rhode Island\u2019s role in America\u2019s founding, Stokes said, there\u2019s more than enough to do in-state. He highlighted an\u00a0upcoming exhibition at the Rosecliff mansion\u00a0in Newport that explores how diverse Newporters experienced the tumult of the Revolution.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cAll of our residents and inhabitants should feel they\u2019re part of his experience,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat makes our republic so special is that everyone is recognized.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Even stopping by weekly planting of the state\u2019s red maple trees is enough for Stokes to feel connected to Rhode Island\u2019s history.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cYou know the spectacle of the Bristol Fourth of July Parade?\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s like having mini ones every week.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><i>Christopher Shea<\/i><i> covers politics, the criminal justice system and transportation for the <\/i><i>Rhode Island Current<\/i><i>.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><i>Rhode Island Current is part of States Newsroom, the nation\u2019s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=2790\">Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras isn\u2019t worried about hitting home runs, yet he\u2019s hitting them like never before<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A spokesperson for the Rhode Island Secretary of State\u2019s office and RI250 Commission said officials turned down the invitation due to \u201cfinancial and staffing limitations.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2795,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2796","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - 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