Trio of sponsors put North Carolina in Great American State Fair

Being billed as a modern-day World’s Fair, the Great American State Fair will celebrate every state and territory in the union as the nation marks its 250th anniversary. It will run from the U.S. Capitol to the Washington Monument with classic state fair programming, featuring more than 150 exhibits from all 50 states and six territories, businesses, innovators and civic organizations, blue ribbon livestock competitions, movies, music, military ensembles, flyovers, cultural programming, and a Ferris wheel.

But states not officially participating, including North Carolina, cite that it was too costly to run the pavilion allotted within approximately 600 to 750 square feet to showcase their state for the 16-day event.

How the state got to this point is a mix of explanations.

Published reports say the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources estimated it would cost $100,000 to set up a pavilion. Schorr Johnson, communications director for the agency, didn't confirm that figure to Carolina Journal. However, a state lawmaker's office did.

Johnson, in an email, said the department informed event organizers on April 6 that the department would be unable to participate due to costs. He said other state entities were invited to participate, including the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and Visit NC, and they also determined they could not for similar budgetary reasons.

Rachel Reisner, speaking fair organizer Freedom 250, told Carolina Journal in an emailed statement that there was no set amount to showcase a state, but some did partner with organizations, companies and tourism bureaus to help to defer the cost.

SPEVCO, Richard Childress Racing, and Operation Helo stepped up to be the primary sponsors of the North Carolina pavilion.

Lorie Khatod, a volunteer organizing the North Carolina Pavilion, told Carolina Journal that the project will not cost North Carolina taxpayers any money, that participation costs were entirely at the discretion of each governor’s office, and sponsorships were encouraged to offset expenses.

When asked about why the state wasn’t officially participating, the office of first-term Democratic Gov. Josh Stein told Carolina Journal in an emailed statement, “Governor Stein is excited to celebrate America’s 250th birthday, and he is glad that our state will be represented at the fair by two North Carolina companies."

Operation Helo was a third company added after Stein's office responded.

"Two hundred and fifty years ago, North Carolina led the way to American independence, and Governor Stein is pleased to honor our state’s First in Freedom legacy,” the statement said.

That explanation didn't go far across Jones Street at the Legislative Building.

“It’s disappointing that Governor Stein is allowing petty politics to get in the way of North Carolina’s participation in a patriotic event celebrating America’s 250th birthday,” Demi Dowdy, speaking for House Speaker Destin Hall, R-Caldwell, said in an emailed statement to Carolina Journal. “Instead, he has chosen to point the finger elsewhere rather than admit the truth – that he never notified the General Assembly there was a need for funds and clearly had his own partisan reasons for blocking our state’s participation in the Great American State Fair.”

Second-term Republican President Donald Trump is considered the originator of the idea for the Great American State Fair.

In a social media post, state Rep. Brendan Jones, R-Columbus, said, “Gov. Stein has manufactured this crisis, with the likes of Connecticut and Oregon, using America’s 250th celebration as a political pawn. However, the General Assembly has worked to ensure our state will be represented at the Great American Fair.”

The office of Jones told Carolina Journal on Friday that both the governor and the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources gave the $100,000 figure to his office. Jones' office said that both have the funds for sending a delegation, in things like their advertising budget or lapsed salaries, saying they are choosing not to spend the money and using the state’s budget as an excuse, along with politics.