It is HOT out there! The Great American State Fair is shutting down until 5 pm today due to extreme temperatures in Washington, D.C., organizers announced Friday.
Attendees were told via a PA announcement to exit the grounds on the National Mall due to the heat. âAttention fair-goers. The event has been postponed. We open at 5 pm. Please go to Freedom 250 for the latest updates. Please proceed to the nearest exit.â
CNN reported earlier that the ground temperature at the National Mall was 135 degrees, and the feel-like temperature (with the high humidity) was 111 degrees.
Since it opened to the public on June 25, the Great American State Fair has drawn criticism and sparse crowds, with opponents criticizing President Donald Trump for tying Americaâs 250th birthday to his politics. There have been reports that AC units at the event have been failing. The heat, which seems to have peaked on Friday, has been a factor in the last several days. U.S. Capitol Police restricted Thursday nightâs rehearsal for âA Capitol Fourth Concertâ to essential personnel, posting on X that they made the decision after consulting with the Capitolâs Office of the Attending Physician.
âFor safety reasons, the public will not be able to attend tonightâs rehearsal concert,â the post read. âEveryone is sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused. The National Weather Service is forecasting an extreme heat watch with temperatures exceeding 100 degrees.â
Organizers for the Great American State Fair also were forced to cancel a rodeo demonstration scheduled for Thursday night due to the heat.
You can hear the PA announcement aired on CSPAN in the video below.
The Great American State Fair is CLOSED due to heat. Everyone must exit until 5:00pm pic.twitter.com/I3NRrXe2c0
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