(CNN) — For Barry Lee Williams, a visitor to Washington, DC, the last day of President Donald Trump’s Great American State Fair coincided with a literal religious experience.
At 81, Williams was among at least 190 people to be baptized over the past 16 days on the National Mall, as the fair, one of the centerpieces of the Trump administration’s events to celebrate America’s 250th birthday, has been taking place.
On Friday, the fair was winding to a close after weeks of scattered crowds, logistical setbacks and controversy over its offerings. But a surprising beneficiary of the event was a religious prayer ministry which was not a part of the official programming at all.
David’s Tent, a 24/7 musical prayer ministry, had operated on the grounds of the capital’s landmark since before the president held a modestly attended June 25 rally to kick off what was meant to be a modern-day World’s Fair.
Speaking after her husband’s baptism beneath the tent, Sue Williams told CNN: “Oh, this is wonderful. The setting is wonderful, and people keep on worshiping.”
“I am so thankful,” she added.
The reviews for the fair happening around them have been more mixed.
First conceived of on the campaign trail by Trump in 2023, the fair was meant to showcase exhibits from every US state and territory and was organized by Freedom 250 — a Trump-backed nonprofit tasked with putting on a series of semiquincentennial events that cater to the president’s cultural agenda.
The state pavilions have varied, with some less decorated than others. Officials from Washington, Massachusetts, Illinois, North Carolina and Connecticut told CNN they declined to organize booths for their state, citing limited finances.
While some states presented meek offerings, other states were able to generate buzz throughout the event. Popular booths on Thursday ranged from Florida — which features an immersive display highlighting its citrus industry — to Colorado, which hosts a kayak simulator and a ski-lift photo set up.
With little shade on the fairgrounds, groups of people have regularly crowded under the scaled-down replica of the president’s proposed Triumphal Arch to escape the sun and temperatures that soared into the triple digits for multiple days. Outside food, water bottles and coolers are prohibited on the fairgrounds for security purposes, but free water stations to prevent visitors from overheating had been made available throughout the event.
The two most popular attractions, outside of the state booths, have been the daily rodeo performance and the 110-foot Ferris wheel, which has had a steady line of visitors.
Meanwhile, Freedom 250’s FIFA Fan Fest, a large watch party for the World Cup on the National Mall, has consistently drawn large crowds. Earlier this week, dozens of young people packed in to watch the United States take on Belgium.
Scorching temperatures and weather delays have prompted modest attendance on the grounds, with many onstage events featuring small crowds. According to Freedom 250, the fair has been forced to close or temporarily close its doors due to weather at least four times. As the fair closed for several hours on the afternoon of July 3, CNN’s Derek Van Dam, who had been covering the event, reported the mall offered little shade with few trees or other protection, with some attendees relying on umbrellas for relief.
Freedom 250 spokesperson Julia Friedland said last week that some 150,000 people showed up in the first three days of the fair. CNN has reached out to Freedom 250 for total attendance numbers.
Trump, for his part, wrote on social media in June that the fair was “packed with happy people” and that everybody was “loving it.”
One couple from Northern Virginia went to the fair on the final day and lamented that more people had not shown up and that the nation’s 250th birthday had become politicized.
“I don’t care about Trump. I care about my country. Trump will be president for two more years, and then we move on. And we’ve got to get over this divisiveness,” said Kim, who did not want to provide her last name. The couple was married when the US was celebrating its bicentennial and pointed out that the feeling is different this year.
A wing-eating competition and a K-pop performance were canceled on Thursday after storms forced the fairgrounds to close roughly six hours early.
Most onstage attractions have featured sit-down chats with various administration officials aligning with different themes for the day. Dr. Mehmet Oz, a top US health official and former television personality, led a chat with Dean Cain, an actor known for playing Superman, to a small crowd gathered on the grounds last week for a “MAHA Monday” event.
The fairgrounds also feature pavilions for prominent government agencies, like the Department of Justice or the Department of Homeland Security, but the booths lack the lavish decorations prominent in some of the state set-ups and on Thursday, were not as well attended.
Some of the pavilions containing state booths have occasionally closed due to a lack of air conditioning.
Freedom 250’s takeover of the mall is different from what tourists in Washington usually see in the summer. The Smithsonian’s Folklife Festival typically takes place at the National Mall this time of year, and plans had been floated last year for the massive event to run for an entire month. In a budget request to Congress, the Smithsonian had detailed a massive activation, where communities from around the country would bring their local festivals to Washington.
Chef Joe Gera, owner of Keystone Cue in Pennsylvania, told CNN affiliate WUSA last month that the Smithsonian event was supposed to showcase food across the country. He had been selected in 2024 to participate in the festival but stopped receiving responses from the institution last year.
He expressed a sense of disappointment for what could have been. “Coinciding with all of our international visitors for the World Cup would’ve been an incredible opportunity for them to come here and get really good food,” he said.
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