The Great American State Fair is underway at the National Mall to mark the United States' 250th birthday. But not everything is off to such a great start.

The event has quickly faced problems including power outages, melting ice cream – and a lack of representation from states that declined to send delegations.

While organizers assured visitors all parts of the nation would be represented, at least 10 states and territories refused to participate, with many citing the price tag to send staff to the 16-day event as their reason for opting out.

Booths for Connecticut, Oregon, Washington, Maine, Alaska, the U.S. Virgin Islands featured just backdrops and chairs or carpets.

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Besides empty booths, the event has also been troubled by electricity problems. On Thursday, June 25, attendees reported issues with the generator, forcing the Ferris wheel, one of the fair's main attractions, to shut down for roughly two hours. A day later, workers in the food hall were still waiting for a shipment of ice cream after their entire selection melted due to ongoing electrical problems.

Some of the food options were also unavailable for part of the lunch service, like boneless wings.

A few other attractions were also out of service on Friday. West Virginia's booth – which featured a driving simulator that let visitors compete based on both their driving skills and how well they sang John Denver's 1971 hit "Take Me Home, Country Roads" – was shut down due to air conditioning issues. Several screens in a National Geographic display also weren't working.