I went to the Great American State Fair and surprised myself | Opinion

Unlike many people I know, particularly in the Washington, DC, area, I was feeling surprisingly patriotic heading into America's 250th anniversary: The Supreme Court affirmed my birthright citizenship, the U.S. soccer team was having a storybook run at the World Cup, and all my social media algorithms were feeding me positive stories of American hospitality for World Cup travelers. I was "feeling all the feels," as they say.

Rather than bemoan the controversy underlying Freedom 250 ‒ after all, is there anything that President Donald Trump does that does not generate controversy? ‒ I decided to go check out the Great American State Fair at the National Mall with a mindset of curiosity, learning, no judgment and shared joy.

Instead of looking for things that I didn't like, I thought, "Why not go with the intention of learning something about America I don't know?"

I also decided that I wanted to observe how others, others who probably thought and voted quite differently than I do, experienced the fair: What were they learning and how might they see America differently after their visits?

Finally, as a resident of the DC-Maryland-Virginia (DMV) area who goes to the Smithsonian Folklife Festival every summer on the National Mall, I wanted to learn what was different about this one.

Team DMV is missing out as families come from all over America

The first thing that struck me after I hopped off at the Smithsonian Metro stop was that, frankly, it was sparsely populated and that most of the visitors were from out of town. Good for me, I got to see everything without a wait, but it was a bit of a bummer that we had very few hometown hosts.

For all the awesome Bostonians who were hosting the Scots or the Lawrence, Kansas, residents who embraced Team Algeria for the World Cup, well, let's just say Team DMV sat this one out. More's the pity. There were lots of families of all backgrounds visiting the Great American State Fair.

Given that crowds were sparse, I took my time, got my "passport" and visited every exhibit.

I was impressed by the broad theme of "Innovation" ‒ which showcased the United States in technology, aerospace engineering and manufacturing featuring companies like Waymo, Harley-Davidson, John Deere and TikTok, among others.

I thought it entirely appropriate to feature capitalism as a cornerstone to the history of this country and amplify some of the country's iconic brands.

Did these narratives sit alongside a debate about structural inequality that is a byproduct of unfettered capitalism? No, but frankly, I wasn't expecting the criticism; I learned about frontier technologies and it was cool to check out some of these major innovations.

I was pleasantly surprised to see many federal agencies present as well:

• The Department of War, unsurprisingly labeled after the Trump administration authorized the "secondary" name for what's officially the Department of Defense, had the longest queue.
• The Department of State helped me figure out how to renew my soon-to-expire passport.
• The Small Business Administration gave me a tip or two about loans for my business.
• The Department of Agriculture didn't allow me to pet the cows they were showcasing, but I learned some fun facts.

It reminded me that in spite of a diminished federal workforce, including so many of my neighbors who were DOGEd by the Department of Government Efficiency, dedicated public servants are still serving our nation.

What was lost, and what was found

After the tour of the federal agencies, I visited almost every state. I was struck by the lack of any reference to slavery juxtaposed to positive portrayals of Native Americans throughout history, particularly in the Dakotas. There were certainly positive references to African Americans, like as part of Tennessee's musical legacy. But you could walk away from the exhibit believing that we've never had struggles in our nation.

Anyone who knows their history could see through the fallacy.

New Jersey showcased Cape May with a phenomenal sand sculpture. New Hampshire extolled its virtue as the "first in the nation," the place where politicians who want to make their mark nationally start their campaigns.

I learned about the many different areas to visit in Minnesota (and got some pollinator seeds) and finally won the Trivia Contest in Louisiana, which entitled me to a free Gumbo spice pack. I learned about Illinois' agricultural history as well as that of many other states.

My host in Montana even gave me some tips on an upcoming trip to Yellowstone National Park.

In a nutshell, I learned more about every state, whether about its history, its geography or its people, in an hour than I would on my own in part because the avenues of exploration (industry, agriculture, geography, sports, innovation) were not themes I would choose on my own.

And then there was the "Faith and Family" section as well as the tent that featured Christian music, seemingly every hour on the hour. I might have appreciated those experiences more if they included other faith traditions in America.

But instead of reacting to what was missing, I tried to observe how others experienced the exhibit. It was clear to me that for those who come from a deep Christian faith, they felt seen.

I'm glad I went to the Great American State Fair, and I would encourage you to go before it ends July 10. We all belong to this great nation, and we all have something to learn. Sitting out can be a form of protest or a great abdication – you can have agency about how you participate.

Sampriti Ganguli, born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is former CEO of Arabella Advisors.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: I went to the Great American State Fair and surprised myself | Opinion

Reporting by Sampriti Ganguli, Opinion contributor / USA TODAY

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This story was originally published July 8, 2026 at 6:03 AM.