The Town of Plattsburgh is planning a festival to celebrate a unique part of local cuisine and use the proceeds to benefit a park dedicated to veterans.
The Town of Plattsburgh designated July as Michigan Month several years ago to celebrate the area’s unique combination of hot dog and meat sauce. Since then, Supervisor Michael Cashman has hoped to create a festival to complement that effort.
“We have been cooking up something delicious for quite sometime. Oh, get prepared folks. There are, this is going to get pretty punny,” laughs Cashman. “We are thrilled to announce the inaugural Michigan Fest, a celebration that is going to be as flavorful as it is meaningful. In addition to celebrating our favorite delicacy, Michigan Fest will be contributing to the Battlefield Memorial Gateway Project, a meaningful initiative designed to honor the service and sacrifice of our veterans.”
Two local credit unions are sponsoring the inaugural Michigan Fest next August. UFIRST Marketing Manager Meghan McGee Pelkey is co-chair of the festival committee.
“We’re still in the early stages of planning, but this event will go beyond just Michigan tasting,” Pelkey says. “It’s a family friendly event that will include fun activities for kids, music, vendors and more.”
Proceeds from the Michigan Fest will benefit the further development of the Battlefield Memorial Gateway Park. Sons of the American Legion member John Rock is excited that the festival will not only help financially but also raise awareness about the project.
“This event is very exciting for us as a way to raise funds. We’re in Stage Two of it now which we are building the structures and everything else,” Rock notes. “When this park gets done, hopefully by 2026, we are going to have a park that is probably the only one in New York state that is going to honor our veterans and allow the community to learn what the veterans gave up, their sacrifices and also what they are doing for the community. So this is a very exciting moment for us and the park and we can’t thank the North Country enough that we hope will come out and support us.”
North Country Chamber Vice President of Marketing Kristy Kennedy says the festival is being planned at a time when culinary curiosity is a growing travel trend.
“People like to find that hidden gem, what makes a location great and unique in its own and the Michigan is ours. There’s so many different stories about how did it originate, where did it come from? No one truly knows. People are engaged with it. They want to know kind of what makes it tick and what it is,” Kennedy finds.
The all- day inaugural Michigan Festival is planned for Saturday, August 2nd, 2025 at the Clinton County Fairgrounds.
