Great American State Fair spends a day focused on faith on National Mall
WASHINGTON (RNS) — A week into the 16-day Great American State Fair, gospel music could be heard in one section of the National Mall and rodeo calls on the other.
Bible verses were recited from one stage while songs like “Macho Man” played on the speakers elsewhere.
People grabbed fans from the Museum of the Bible exhibit table while others drank beer at a Budweiser bar.
“Faith, Values, and Inspiration” was the theme for Wednesday (July 1) at the fair, a project of Freedom 250, an organization that partnered with the White House to present a number of events to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States.
The overall fair had a patriotic vibe with a gigantic Ferris wheel, a model of a triumphal arch and pavilions that included areas representing the country’s states and territories. A separate “Faith and Family” pavilion that is open throughout the fair included booths from ministries and organizations known for their focus on scripture, evangelism or conservative viewpoints.
People attend an evening with the theme “Faith, Values, and Inspiration” at the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, Wednesday, July 1, 2026, in Washington. (RNS photo/Adelle M. Banks)
Volunteers at the Museum of the Bible exhibit passed out fans and cooling towels as high temperatures prevailed outside. Signs at another booth, hosted by Revival Ministries International, a Florida ministry co-founded by onetime President Trump faith adviser Rodney Howard-Browne, proclaimed “The Great Awakening: America Shall Be Saved,” while Hillsdale College, a Christian liberal arts school, hosted a booth about the Founding Fathers.
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Before a stage in the shadow of the Washington Monument, for about five hours, a crowd that grew from about 30 to hundreds heard speeches, prayers and sermons along with songs from contemporary Christian musicians including Chris Tomlin and Maverick City Music. Executives of the Bible museum and K-LOVE, a Christian music radio network, served as hosts.
Matthew West, a contemporary Christian songwriter and artist, led a prayer to God. “Today we are reminded that we’re not just celebrating the freedom that we enjoy in this country,” he said. “We’re celebrating the freedom that you offer us in a gift called grace.”
After he sang his new song “Jesus is King,” he added: “How cool is it to be able to proclaim that right here, right now, today, Fourth of July week, the name above all names.”
The Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, described America as surviving for 250 years after being founded on particular religious ideals.
“Why are we standing? Why?” he asked. “Not because of a party or a platform. We are standing because this nation from its foundation is undergirded by a Judeo-Christian value system. The pillars of this great republic are not made of marble; they are made of Scripture.”
Some visitors to the fair, who ranged from a Dominican nun from Middle Tennessee to a member of a Baltimore Mennonite choir, said they appreciated the faith-based theme for the day and noted that there may have been fewer attendees due to the extreme heat.
Brian Claxton, a nondenominational Christian from Georgia, was unaware of the theme of the day but said the singular focus on faith was appropriate.
“Our nation was very heavily founded/influenced by religious principles, Christian principles, and it’s an appropriate thing to celebrate, as long as it’s not to the exclusion of the other things that inspire,” said Claxton, who noted he hoped the event would celebrate America without partisan divisions.
Rodriguez later read verses from the Bible in Spanish during a time in the program when other readers took turns at the microphone and read other verses in Swahili, Italian and Hungarian.
Maverick City Music performs during the evening with the theme “Faith, Values, and Inspiration” at the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, Wednesday, July 1, 2026, in Washington. (RNS photo/Adelle M. Banks)
The faith-filled program occurred a month and a half after a day-long emphasis on faith, when the “Rededicate 250” event was held on a Sunday in mid-May on a smaller section of the National Mall grounds. The earlier event drew criticism from some organizations because of the predominance of speakers who were evangelical Christians or Trump supporters and the lack of a broad representation of faiths.
Museum of the Bible President and CEO Carlos Campo, who spoke at the May event and served as a co-host on the main stage on Wednesday, said he hoped his organization’s emphasis on the Bible could be uniting rather than divisive.
“We do believe that the Bible is a powerful book, that its history has influenced the East and the West, and so from our perspective, the Bible rises above all of these criticisms, and that’s where we try to land,” he told Religion News Service.
The day concluded with an 18-minute video presentation displayed on the Washington Monument that was funded by museum donors. A museum spokesperson declined to disclose the cost.
The video reviewed American history starting with Christopher Columbus’ westward journey “for glory, for gain and for God.” It went on to recount America’s developments and achievements from the Declaration of Independence and establishment of cities to space exploration and artificial intelligence.
“For the United States of America there is no frontier too far, no dream too bold, no horizon beyond our reach,” its narrator concluded.
A mockup of President Donald Trump’s proposed triumphal arch stands at the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, Wednesday, July 1, 2026, in Washington. (RNS photo/Adelle M. Banks)
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