# Freedom 250 - The Great American State Fair **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 29, 2026, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-250-the-great-american-state-fair/1030470 "2026-05-29T03:08:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 45
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2026, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-250-the-great-american-state-fair/1030470/881 "2026-07-14T20:23:43Z")
Death Hunger Race 2000 Teams of MAGAs representing the red states drive modified cars across the country, running over as many libruls as they can and collecting points. The winner gets pardons and money for their state. But watch out for the betrayal, Mr President! ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2026, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-250-the-great-american-state-fair/1030470/882 "2026-07-16T18:26:09Z")
Well the Mall is still a mess. You can not cross from one side of the mall to the other from 3rd St until 14th St. All of the roads are closed, as are all of the sidewalks. I work south of the mall and wanted to go to the north side at lunch, they have people at all of the corners saying either 3rd or 14th are the only ways to walk across, he actually told me to take the Metro. I didn’t see it, but a coworker said he saw a full dumpster of bottled water that they didn’t sell during the “Fair”. He said it was trash since they were throwing trash in with it. So I think we found some of the waste the gov keeps talking about. ---
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2026, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-250-the-great-american-state-fair/1030470/883 "2026-07-16T19:07:17Z")
You can see from the Washington Monument live cam that the area where the stage was is just dirt now. It doesn’t look like anything is being done about that. And you can still see 86 47 if you look closely. Those trollers knew what they were doing. There is also nothing happening at the Reflecting Pool. Of course they would just leave a mess. [EarthCam Live: Washington Monument (Washington, D.C.) - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDCAAfOSqvA) ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2026, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-250-the-great-american-state-fair/1030470/884 "2026-07-16T20:35:02Z")
I notice the thumbnail for the feed shows a happier – or at least prettier – time. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2026, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-250-the-great-american-state-fair/1030470/885 "2026-07-18T17:13:18Z")
Is it my imagination, or can you see the curvature of the Earth from that camera?? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2026, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-250-the-great-american-state-fair/1030470/886 "2026-07-18T18:05:44Z")
Nope. You can see barrel distortion from the less than great lens on the camera. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2026, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-250-the-great-american-state-fair/1030470/887 "2026-07-18T18:54:50Z")
I suspected that. Thanks for setting me straight. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2026, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-250-the-great-american-state-fair/1030470/888 "2026-07-18T21:54:11Z")
I saw a pic of the Washinton Monument being mapped out by lasers in preparation for some kind of light display. Did that happen? ---
**Author:** ![abcdefghij](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/43a26b/32.png) [@abcdefghij](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abcdefghij)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2026, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-250-the-great-american-state-fair/1030470/889 "2026-07-18T22:43:21Z")
The Washington Monument? Not recently that I know of. There was a light display on the Smithsonian Castle last night that was pretty cool. ---
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2026, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-250-the-great-american-state-fair/1030470/890 "2026-07-18T23:33:07Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > I saw a pic of the Washinton Monument being mapped out by lasers in preparation for some kind of light display. Did that happen? It did. I was watching the White House live cam during the fireworks and saw it. > **[Washington Monument to be lit up for 5 nights with moments of ‘American story'](https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/the-washington-monument-illumination-returns-to-the-national-mall/4124319/)** > > The Washington Monument will be illuminated with a projection every night through Sunday, July 5. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2026, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-250-the-great-american-state-fair/1030470/891 "2026-07-19T00:12:56Z")
I was afraid it would just be his mug shot scowl. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2026, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-250-the-great-american-state-fair/1030470/892 "2026-07-21T04:33:03Z")
Shh! Don’t give him any ideas. ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2026, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-250-the-great-american-state-fair/1030470/893 "2026-07-30T17:06:08Z")
Guess we got to pay a bit more for this …show. > **[Trump demands you pay even more for his dumb Freedom 250 flop](https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/7/30/800076928/news/trump-demands-more-for-dumb-freedom-250-flop/)** > > Trump is demanding another $10 million for his pathetic birthday party. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2026, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-250-the-great-american-state-fair/1030470/894 "2026-07-30T21:06:41Z")
Surely someone will stop him! (Narrator: Nobody will stop him.) ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2026, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-250-the-great-american-state-fair/1030470/895 "2026-07-30T21:15:13Z")
Agreed. Nobody will stop him. And don’t call me Shirley. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2026, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-250-the-great-american-state-fair/1030470/896 "2026-07-30T22:37:12Z")
Now that the Great American State Fair has flopped away into the sunset, has anyone’s community been graced by one of the Freedom 250 ‘Mobile Museums’? One was supposed to show up in a barely incorporated community along my commute route, but I never saw it. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-250-the-great-american-state-fair/1030470/897 "2026-07-31T14:44:36Z")
10 million on top of what was already spent. A breakdown of what cost what would be interesting. Probably the biggest expense was that sad ferris wheel. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-250-the-great-american-state-fair/1030470/898 "2026-07-31T15:30:29Z")
Nope. The biggest expense, by far, was the skim. The fair itself was peanuts. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-250-the-great-american-state-fair/1030470/899 "2026-07-31T20:30:03Z")
All those Sad Trombones won’t pay for themselves, either, people! ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2026, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-250-the-great-american-state-fair/1030470/900 "2026-08-01T03:16:16Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Nope. The biggest expense, by far, was the skim. The fair itself was peanuts. The corruption is unbelievable. I’m now repenting of my years of smugness, believing that we had a better government. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-250-the-great-american-state-fair/1030470.md?page=44)