WASHINGTON (TNND) — A Freedom 250 spokesperson said Friday that the Great American State Fair is “inherently nonpolitical” as artists have dropped out, citing partisan ties.
“It is inherently nonpolitical. It is a celebration of our country,” Freedom 250 spokesperson Julia Friedland said in an interview with “Sunrise on The Hill.”
Friedland said she could not speak to the exact negotiations between event organizers and performers, but maintained that the fair has always been advertised as a nonpartisan celebration of the country’s 250th birthday, The Hill reported.
“I don’t think there’s anything partisan about America being around for 250 years,” she said. “Think about the founding of our country — we have a history, obviously, but we have a president that wants to celebrate 250 years of America. And that’s exactly what we’re doing, and that’s how it was sold to performers.
“We’ll have military bands, military ensembles, as well. We will have representatives from every state and territory in the United States to come and represent their culture, what makes their state and territory unique. So it’s sold the same way to everyone — that we’re celebrating America’s 250th birthday,” Friedland noted, adding that the event is intended to celebrate American independence and is open to all Americans.
Most of the artists that Freedom 250 announced would perform at the fair have dropped out.
The announced lineup included Martina McBride, Young MC, C+C Music Factory, Vanilla Ice, Milli Vanilli, The Commodores, Morris Day & The Time, Flo Rida, Bret Michaels, and others. However, as of Friday, Flo Rida and Vanilla Ice appeared to be among the few major musical acts still expected to perform. Several others said they would not participate over concerns about political ties, misleading event descriptions, or unauthorized use of their names.
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Freedom 250’s Great American State Fair is set to take place at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., from June 25 to July 10.