A look inside Day 2 of the Great American State Fair
USA TODAY’s Michelle Del Rey takes you inside the second day of the Great American State Fair, which had some issues.
- A controversial Confederate flag video display has been removed from the North Carolina booth at the Great American State Fair.
- North Carolina Governor Josh Stein’s office confirmed that the exhibit is not representative of the state and has been removed.
- North Carolina’s booth was not officially sponsored by the state, but was sponsored by a private company.
- One of the sponsors, Mount Olive Pickle Company, withdrew its participation in the wake of the flag controversy.
The Confederate flag that was displayed on a video display inside the North Carolina booth at the Great American State Fair on the National Mall has been removed, a spokesperson for North Carolina Governor Josh Stein’s office confirmed to USA TODAY.
The booth had a monitor displaying the current North Carolina state flag, but it also had a video display showing a split screen of the state flag and the Confederate flag, a video that was removed on June 26. The display gained attention after a Spectrum News reporter highlighted it on social media.
Although not part of the state’s official trade show, the North Carolina booth is part of the Great American State Fair, an event celebrating the country’s upcoming 250th anniversary on July 4th. Freedom 250, a nonprofit organization aligned with President Donald Trump that organizes the fair, touts it as “a modern-day world’s fair that celebrates the people, traditions, innovation, and spirit that make America the greatest nation on earth.”
A spokesperson for Stein told USA TODAY in an emailed statement on June 27 that the video display of the flag does not represent North Carolina. The spokesperson added that members of the governor’s team spoke with event organizers and some of the exhibits were removed.
A spokesperson for the governor said, “This exhibit does not reflect the North Carolina we love. America 250 is about coming together and uniting our country.” “We are pleased that the flag that did the opposite has been lowered.”
Stein’s office added that a state celebration celebrating the nation’s 500th anniversary is scheduled to be held in Raleigh on July 4 and “will honor the spirit of equality and freedom of the Declaration of Independence. All are welcome.”
North Carolina’s official state flag previously did not include the Confederate symbol in two designs.
North Carolina did not sponsor a booth at the trade show.
North Carolina decided not to sponsor a booth at the fair because of cost, a spokesperson for the governor told USA TODAY. However, several North Carolina-based companies have stepped forward to sponsor the state pavilion, including SPEVCO, Richard Childress Racing, Operation Hero and Mount Olive Pickle Company, according to the governor’s office and published reports.
Sponsoring the North Carolina exhibit at the fair has been complicated by some lawmakers, including Republican state House Minority Leader Brenden Jones, who claim Democratic Gov. Stein “manufactured this crisis” over funding events along party lines.
A representative for Freedom 250, a pro-Trump trade show organizer, told USA TODAY in an emailed statement that the display was not part of the concept considered, was included unintentionally, and state representatives removed it after viewing it.
Laurie Catod, a volunteer who organizes the North Carolina pavilion at the expo, echoed similar sentiments. Katod told USA TODAY that local North Carolinians “actively participated” after hearing there would be no official state representatives at the fair.
“On Friday, we became aware that a video displayed inside the North Carolina Pavilion contained unauthorized images,” said Catod, a consultant and former chief of staff to Rep. Nancy Mace (R-South Carolina). “As soon as we were made aware of it, we immediately removed the video and began reviewing how it happened. Our focus remains on celebrating America’s 250th anniversary and North Carolina’s role in our nation’s history.”
Sponsor withdraws from exhibit due to flag controversy
Mount Olive Pickle Company, one of the North Carolina-based companies that sponsored the booth, said on social media that it would no longer participate in the trade show after becoming aware of the flag issue.
“We are proud of our North Carolina roots and have agreed to participate in an exhibit that represents the best of our great state,” the company said on its X account. “We were not aware that the video contained images of the Confederate flag as part of this exhibit, so we withdrew our participation. Our company is founded on the values of human dignity, opportunity, and freedom.”
