A five-hole mini-golf course featuring Indiana mainstays like farming and motorsports will be the state’s exhibit at the Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C. later this month.
Gov. Mike Braun played on the course Monday at the Indiana State Museum and lauded the state’s “entrepreneurial spirit,” which he said will also “be on display at the Indiana pavilion at the Great American State Fair.”
The fair, which will run from June 25 to July 10 on the National Mall, will feature more than 150 exhibits and represent businesses, civic organizations and all U.S. states, according to fair organizer Freedom 250’s website. Flyovers, a Ferris wheel and a mock-up of President Donald Trump’s planned arch are three planned displays.
Each day will have themed programming, including “Military & Veterans Appreciation Day,” “Faith, Values, and Inspiration” and two “Make America Healthy Again” Mondays. Trump himself will speak at the fair’s kickoff the night before it opens.
Indiana’s exhibit was inspired by the mini-golf course in the Indiana State Fair’s FFA Pavilion, said Ray Allison, executive director of the Indiana State Fair Commission, which planned the project.
Each hole has a different theme. The first, inspired by the Indiana State Fair, features cutouts of a merry-go-round, cotton candy and other fair imagery. The third hole has Indianapolis Motor Speedway iconography, while the fifth is inspired by the Pacers and Indiana sports.
Each 4-by-8-foot hole will be placed in the 25-by-30-foot space, Allison told the Indiana Capital Chronicle, along with a starter shack and other signage. The exhibit will be staffed by members of the governor’s office, state fair team and volunteers from Indiana congressional offices in Washington.
Details remain sparse on what other states have planned for the fair. South Carolina’s exhibit will feature postcards, a putting green and cornhole, USA TODAY reported, while Arizona will highlight the state’s natural features using digital design, sounds and smells.
Several states have chosen not to participate, with some attributing the choice to costs. A spokesperson for Oregon’s governor additionally cited concerns the fair would be “a more partisan affair than originally presented.”
A spokesperson for Freedom 250 told the New York Times that states without official participation will still be represented and previously said the event and organization are meant to be nonpartisan.
Speaking to reporters Monday, Braun said it was “very disappointing” some states chose not to participate.
“There are 50 of us, each has got its own unique personality,” Braun said, adding he likes the “gentle competition among us.”
Freedom 250, an LLC subsidiary of the National Park Service’s nonprofit arm, follows a Trump executive order creating a 250th birthday task force last year. Trump chairs it, with members of the cabinet and other officials acting as members.
Separately, America250 is affiliated with the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission, established in 2016. Comprising elected officials, private citizens and ex officio members from the federal government, it is planning a synchronized, nationwide July Fourth block party. It’s not directly connected to the Great American State Fair, though Freedom 250 lists America250 as a partner online.
Indiana Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Indiana Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Niki Kelly for questions: info@indianacapitalchronicle.com.
