Lieutenant Governor Gilchrist visits the U.P. State Fair on Honored Citizens Day
Michigan Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II speaks during a luncheon at last year's Upper Peninsula State Fair on Aug. 14, 2025 while Bay College President Nerita Hughes and Senator Ed McBroom stand nearby. (Daily Press file photo by R. R. Branstrom)
During a ceremony honoring the 2025 Upper Peninsula Veteran of the Year Raymond Carlson, Michigan Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II speaks at a podium. This year, the Veteran of the Year (to be recognized today) is Steve Kwarciany, and Gilchrist will again be present. (Daily Press file photo by R. R. Branstrom)
Michigan Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II speaks during a luncheon at last year's Upper Peninsula State Fair on Aug. 14, 2025 while Bay College President Nerita Hughes and Senator Ed McBroom stand nearby. (Daily Press file photo by R. R. Branstrom)
During a ceremony honoring the 2025 Upper Peninsula Veteran of the Year Raymond Carlson, Michigan Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II speaks at a podium. This year, the Veteran of the Year (to be recognized today) is Steve Kwarciany, and Gilchrist will again be present. (Daily Press file photo by R. R. Branstrom)
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ESCANABA -- Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II visits the Upper Peninsula State Fair, Thursday, Aug. 20, as part of the fair's Honored Citizens Day events.
Gilchrist will make an appearance at the “Lunch with Lieutenant Governor Gilchrist” event at 11 a.m. in the activities tent on the U.P. State Fairgrounds. This marks the third consecutive year Gilchrist has attended the event.
In his previous visits, Gilchrist has used the lunch to discuss state issues that impact the Upper Peninsula and its citizens, and express his ongoing support and efforts for local communities. This trend continues with Gilchrist expected to talk about issues that affect Delta County and the State of Michigan at the event today.
“For me, it’s about making sure people see that I understand how important the U.P. is to the present and the future of the State of Michigan,” Gilchrist said during his visit to the fair in 2023.
The visit coincides with the fair’s annual Honored Citizens Day promotion, which offers free admission to all veterans and discounted admission to Native Americans. The fair schedule features several dedicated events for the day, including the Veteran of the Year awards ceremony at 10:30 a.m. and a performance by the Woodland Sky Native American Dance Company at 7 p.m. in the grandstand.
The U.P. State Fair continues its full run of agricultural exhibits, carnival rides and grandstand entertainment through Sunday, Aug. 23. A complete daily schedule of events and ticket information can be found online at upstatefair.net.
Gilchrist kept busy on his way to Escanaba, with multiple community stops scheduled across the region on his way to the Fairgrounds this week.
On Tuesday, he stopped in Munising and joined small business owners and local community leaders at Upper Peninsula Inspired, which recently received $25,000 from the Whitmer-Gilchrist administration to fund an outdoor expansion.
On Wednesday, he joined residents and staff for a tour of the Jacobetti Home for Veterans in Marquette and to discuss how the state is supporting Michigan's veterans. Following the tour, he traveled to Ishpeming to celebrate their Redevelopment Ready Community Designation, an initiative aimed at supporting future investment in the city through the improvement of its planning and zoning documents and processes. Gilchrist rounded out Wednesday with a trip to join Negaunee leadership and the Michigan Department of Transportation for a tour of a road infrastructure project rebuilding more than three miles of M-35 in Marquette County and converting an intersection to a roundabout.