Logan Otto, 68, looks out towards the Washington Monument while riding the Ferris wheel at The Great American State Fair on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 2, 2026. REUTERS/Cheney Orr
The Great American State Fair on the National Mall closed early Friday as a dangerous, record-breaking heat wave gripped the nation's capital, forcing organizers to suspend the event with plans to reopen at 5 p.m., CNN reported.
The shutdown comes as Washington, DC, braces for highs near or above 100 degrees for a second straight day, with a heat index expected to climb as high as 113 degrees. At least 20 locations broke or tied daily temperature records Thursday, with cities including New York and Newark registering hotter conditions than Phoenix, the desert city known for extreme heat.
DC has activated an extreme heat alert through July 5 as hundreds of thousands of visitors descend on the capital for holiday events. Organizers of National Mall celebrations, including the fair, are adding water stations, cooling tents and air-conditioned buses in an effort to keep attendees safe.
The fair isn't the only casualty of the heat. Philadelphia canceled its Friday Independence Day parade, one of the nation's largest, "due to extreme heat," while Norristown, Pennsylvania, and Haddon Township, New Jersey, also scrapped their parades.
A new analysis published Friday by World Weather Attribution found that the intensity of the heat and humidity this week would have been "virtually impossible" without fossil fuel pollution driving climate change.
"When a historic 4th of July celebration is disrupted... it shouldn't take another scientific study to wake people up," said climate scientist Friederike Otto, per CNN.
The heat is also straining the region's power grid. Energy Secretary Chris Wright ordered data centers in the Mid-Atlantic to switch to backup power this week to preserve capacity for residential air conditioning, as more than 19,000 Con Edison customers in the New York area lost power Thursday.
Officials are urging anyone attending outdoor Fourth of July events to take frequent breaks in the shade, stay hydrated and watch for signs of heat-related illness, particularly among older adults, children and outdoor workers.