Confederate flag image at NC’s Great American State Fair stand sparks backlash

Visitors hoping to celebrate North Carolina’s history at the Great American State Fair last week were instead met with an ugly reminder of its darkest chapter: an image of North Carolina’s state flag altered to include the emblems of the Confederate battle flag.

The flag, first reported by Spectrum News and seen in posts on social media, was shown on a large video screen in immediate view of the booth’s entrance. It replaced the red and white stripes of the North Carolina flag with the Confederate flag’s crossed blue bars on a red background.

The North Carolina exhibit at the Great American Fair in DC displays the confederate flag. pic.twitter.com/qyPxTHbF1D

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For many, the flag’s presence marred an exhibit meant to honor the state’s many accomplishments, such as the Wright Brothers’ historic first flight, the state’s racing legacy, and the revolutionary fervor that made North Carolina “first in freedom.”

Multiple outlets reported that the image of the flag had been removed from the stand as of Saturday.

North Carolina was one of 10 state governments that declined to send a delegation to the fair on the National Mall in Washington organized by Freedom 250, President Donald Trump’s preferred organization overseeing the U.S.’s 250th anniversary celebration.

Instead, the booth was operated through funding by private sponsors.

States show their stuff: The Great American State Fair opens in D.C.

Gov. Josh Stein’s office condemned the flag’s display in a statement to NC Newsline.

“This flag does not represent the North Carolina that we love. America 250 is about unity and bringing our nation together,” a spokesperson for Stein wrote. “We are pleased the flag that did the opposite has now been taken down.”

North Carolina will host its own celebration of America’s 250th anniversary celebration in Raleigh on July 4th.

The Carolina Journal reported earlier this month that the primary sponsors of the North Carolina exhibit at the national fair are SPEVCO, Richard Childress Racing, and Operation Helo.

In a statement to NC Newsline Monday, Operation Helo — whose name and logo appeared below one of the screens showing the flag — said they did not “sponsor, fund, or financially contribute to the booth in any way.”

“We want to be absolutely clear: Operation Helo’s video did not contain a Confederate flag or Confederate imagery. There were no Operation Helo slides featuring a Confederate flag,” the company wrote in its statement. “Because our logo was positioned directly beneath that television, many incorrectly assumed the content belonged to or was endorsed by Operation Helo. It did not.”

The company said it was invited to participate in the stand as a featured North Carolina nonprofit because of its humanitarian work aiding in disaster relief to western North Carolina.

“It has been deeply disheartening to watch an organization built on compassion, service, and helping neighbors in crisis become associated with something that does not reflect who we are,” the company wrote.

SPEVCO and Richard Childress Racing did not respond to NC Newsline’s requests for comment.

Another sponsor, Mt. Olive Pickle Company, revoked its support for the stand after the flag’s display was first reported.

“We were unaware that an image of the Confederate flag was included in a video as part of this exhibit, and we have withdrawn our participation,” the company wrote in a post on X. “Our company stands on values of human dignity, opportunity, and freedom.”

Lorie Khatod, the state lead for the North Carolina Pavilion, did not respond to requests for comment Monday on the flag’s appearance or the sponsor’s withdrawal.

She previously said she was “deeply disappointed” in Stein for declining to send a delegation for this “unparalleled opportunity to promote North Carolina.”

“Today, we have a pavilion that proudly tells North Carolina’s story,” she said in a statement following the stand’s unveiling. “It is a pavilion that I believe our fellow North Carolinians will be proud to call their own.”