250th Party Unveils Lineup With a '90s Cast

America's semiquincentennial party won't reach all the way back for entertainment, but the celebration will put 1990s throwbacks on the National Mall stage. Organizers of the 250th birthday event on Wednesday unveiled the first slate of acts for the Great American State Fair, a 16-day, World's Fair-style event scheduled for June 25-July 10 on the Mall between 4th and 14th streets NW, WUSA reports. Headlining June 26: an "I Love the '90s" bill featuring C+C Music Factory, Vanilla Ice, Milli Vanilli, and Young MC—acts behind hits like "Gonna Make You Sweat," "Ice Ice Baby," "Girl You Know It's True," and "Bust a Move."

Country star Martina McBride is scheduled to be the opening act on June 25, with the Commodores and Morris Day and the Time playing on June 27, Flo Rida on July 2, and Bret Michaels on July 3. Mainstage shows are planned for Thursday through Saturday nights, with more performers to be named. Beyond the concerts, the fair will offer military band performances, film screenings, a 110-foot Ferris wheel, the refurbished Smithsonian carousel, robotics and autonomous vehicle demos, augmented reality features, and state and territory exhibits. Admission will be free, with organizers encouraging advance registration but allowing walk-ups. Freedom 250 CEO Keith Krach in a statement called the event "a moment for America to come together," per the Hill.