The Great American State Fair has reportedly been beset by problems. Thin crowds, power outages, and singing artists dropping out. That last snag was because of their supposed unwillingness to be associated with anything connected with MAGA and President Donald Trump. To those snags, add the extreme heat. Much of the nation has been baking in historically high temperatures, coupled with tropical humidity. According to Variety, "Forecasts have temperatures rising above 100 degrees in Washington, D.C., on Friday." Per Freedom 250, which is handling the festivities, the Fair has closed until 5 p.m. on Friday, July 3. The intense heat is the culprit.
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The Closure Announcement Was Made on X
Freedom 250 stated on X that, "Due to the heat, and in coordination with public safety officials, the Great American State Fair will be temporarily closed until 5:00 p.m. today. The safety and well-being of our guests volunteers, performers, vendors, and staff is our highest priority. Conditions are expected to improve late this afternoon, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back at 5:00 p.m. as preparations continue for this evening's festivities."
The announcement also mentioned that water, food, and beverages would be on hand for visitors.
There Was Another Time That Weather Interfered With the Fair
Vanilla Ice, one of the few performers who was still very eager to participate, was slated to take the stage at the Fair in June. Then, per Variety, concern about possible pending storms forced the scrapping of his show. As it turned out, there was no bad weather that night after all.
Heat Is Broiling the Nation This Holiday Weekend
The heat is being felt widely this Fourth of July weekend, per NBC. According to the outlet, "More than 110 million people are under extreme heat risk, according to the National Weather Service, while more than 150 million remain under heat alerts stretching from Kansas to Maine."
As a result, unfortunately, some holiday events have had to make adjustments. Philadelphia decided to forego its parade. Some events "delayed public entry" so people would not be outdoors for extended periods.
Hopefully, the Great American State Fair will be able to resume exactly as planned.
