Daily Press file photo Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist is shown with a fish he causght at the DNR Pocket Park during last year’s U.P. State Fair. Gilchrist will be speaking during the Lunch with Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist event today at the fair.

ESCANABA — Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist will attend the U.P. State Fair today. This marks the second year in a row that Gilchrist will be attending the U.P. State Fair and annual Governor’s Luncheon. Last year, he attended in place of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. This year, he is the guest of honor. The event is named Lunch with Lt. Governor Gilchrist.

Thursday is Honored Citizens Day at the U.P. State Fair. The highlight of the day is the annual luncheon in the activities tent at 11 a.m. Gilchrist is scheduled to speak at the event. Traditionally, written questions are also taken from the audience.

Before the luncheon, Gilchrist will present to U.P. Veteran of the Year Award during a ceremony at the fairgrounds. Raymond E. Carlson has been named the 2025 Upper Peninsula Veteran of the Year and will be honored during the ceremony.

Gilchrist is no stranger to the U.P. and has made numerous trips here since taking the lieutenant governor post. He is now seeking election to the governor’s seat, which will be vacated by Whitmer because of term limits

Gilchrist is not the first time a lieutenant governor to attend the fair luncheon. During the Jennifer Granholm administration, then Lt. Gov. John Cherry attended in place of Granholm. She canceled because a massive power outage caused an emergency situation in southeastern Michigan.

Last year, Gilchrist expressed his how happy he was to finally get to attend the U.P. State Fair.

“I’ve been trying to get to the U.P. State Fair for six years, so I’m so glad to be able to be here with you. For real, I needed the governor to crack a window for me to be up here,” said Gilchrist.

Gilchrist told the guests of the luncheon that a late plane delayed him in Green Bay, Wis. and that he drove the the U.P. at 1 a.m. Thursday morning. He said it made him appreciate to the special relationship the Upper Peninsula has with Wisconsin, which he described as “the state that’s not as good as ours but that we neighbor.”

He also said he was going to take advantage of his time at the fair.

“I’m going to do everything I can. I’m going to ride every ride that doesn’t have a height limit,” he said, referencing his tall stature. “I’m going to hear some amazing music, I’m going to watch some cornhole; I’m going to eat some pasty — I take mine straight.”

Like last year, Gilchrist will answer questions submitted by the audience.

Multiple questions asked by the audience revolved around the intersection of jobs and the environment.

“My vision is that this opportunity with how the climate is changing actually creates economic opportunity, it creates opportunity to our entrepreneurs and people with ideas to find ways to solve the challenges that are emerging today,” he said.

Housing was a concern raised by the audience. Gilchrist said the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) was working to increase available housing, with a goal of adding new or rehabbed 150,000 housing units in a three year period.

“Michigan can’t be a fantastic place to live if you can’t afford to live here,” he said.