SACRAMENTO – CalVet and the California State Fair will honor patriots during Military Appreciation Day on Thursday, July 17, at CalExpo in Sacramento.

Veterans, active duty military, guard and reserve members will be admitted to the fair for free on that day with appropriate ID. (Those with a Distinguished Veteran Pass will be admitted for free during the entire run of the State Fair, now through July 27.)

Veterans and their families are encouraged to visit CalVet information tables to learn about the state and federal veteran benefits they have earned through military service.

Those benefits can increase family income, pay for college or other types of training, provide health care, home loan financing, residential care for older and disabled veterans and much more.

More than 20 other government agencies and veteran service organizations will be at the Fair to offer information as well.

CalVet and the California Department of Human Resources will teach veterans how to transition from military service to state service during a “How to Get a State Job” workshop on the Golden 1 Stage at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Additional information and personal assistance will be available at the CalVet information table.

CalVet will also host an MRE (meals ready to eat) Cooking Challenge featuring chefs from The Foundation, Blackbird Kitchen, Hook and Ladder, Rubicon Brewing, Papa Dale’s Mobile Diner and New Moon River Inn Café.

Using randomly-selected military field rations and other simple ingredients provided, chefs will have just 30 minutes to create a culinary masterpiece.

Members of the California National Guard will judge the dishes created. Winners will receive State Fair ribbons and bragging rights.

The CalVet MRE Cooking Challenge will take place at 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. in the California Kitchen (Building B). The CalVet information tables will be located near the Main Gate entrance all day.

For more information about the California State Fair, go to http://www.castatefair.org/ .