Sen. Dave McCormick (R-PA) and Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) are teaming up alongside U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins to represent Pennsylvania at the Great American State Fair, after Governor Josh Shapiro failed to find businesses to sponsor the booth. The representation will be fully privately funded with no taxpayer dollars.
Proud to partner with @SenFettermanPA, @SecRollins and a host of Pennsylvania organizations to showcase the very best of PA at the Great American State Fair 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/Ldvt7jwrSR
— Senator Dave McCormick (@SenMcCormickPA) June 27, 2026
Pennsylvania is one of the greatest agricultural states in America—and as one of our original 13 colonies, it deserves to be represented at the Great American State Fair as we celebrate 250 years of American agriculture and our nation's founding.
— Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) June 28, 2026
I'm grateful to @SenMcCormickPA… pic.twitter.com/LIUXEVwo0y
The Great American State Fair, which kicked off last Thursday, was supposed to feature representation from every U.S. state and territory. However, ten states boycotted the event. Notably, Pennsylvania, perhaps the most foundational state in the nation's history, was one of them.
"Unfortunately, due to the high cost to taxpayers and not being able to secure PA businesses to sponsor the booth, Pennsylvania will not be a participant in the Great American State Fair," a spokesperson for the PA Department of Community and Economic Development told The Hill. According to Jon Anzur, the chamber’s senior vice president of public affairs, the Governor's office reached out only two weeks ahead of the fair, leaving businesses scrambling and unable to commit.
Governor Shapiro alluded to political reasons when addressing the absence, saying, “It reflects this sad state of affairs that we find ourselves in — that the president has politicized this to a degree that businesses don’t want to participate."
After just three days, however, Senator McCormick announced his office would partner with other PA leaders to represent the Commonwealth through private means and would partner with many of the same organizations that Shapiro failed to.
Sen. McCormick spoke about the state's responsibility to represent its history:
Pennsylvania is where America’s story began, and there was no way we were going to let the Commonwealth go unrepresented during our Nation’s 250th birthday celebration...As the birthplace of American independence, home to the hallowed grounds of Gettysburg, and the engine for the arsenal of democracy, Pennsylvania has a special responsibility to preserve, celebrate, and share that enduring legacy.
Sen. Fetterman echoed the same sentiment, saying:
Celebrating America’s 250th birthday and Pennsylvania’s special role in our country is important and bipartisan. We discovered our Commonwealth wasn’t participating in the Great American State Fair on the National Mall and we should be...We are now making sure Pennsylvania’s booth will highlight the Commonwealth’s agriculture dominance, our businesses, and what makes PA a truly awesome and historic place.
Collaborators also praised the decision, stating their excitement to highlight both PA"s profound history, as well as its innovation and potential in energy and agriculture. "Pennsylvania’s small businesses have been driving innovation, creating jobs, and strengthening our communities since the founding of our nation,” said Greg Moreland, Pennsylvania State Director for the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB).
McCormick's office reiterated the importance of representation, saying "Celebrating America’s 250th Anniversary is an opportunity to honor our shared history, renew our commitment to the ideals that have sustained our Republic for two and a half centuries, and showcase the people, businesses, farmers, veterans, and industries that continue to make Pennsylvania exceptional."
The Fair, hosted by Freedom 250, will remain open through July 10th, 2026, and is a focal point of the 250th birthday celebration of America in D.C.
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