Mike and Laurie Lubinsky revealed as this year’s royal couple for La Crosse Riverfest

La Crosse will celebrate Riverfest in less than two months, and this year’s Commodore and First Mate for the summer festival were announced Wednesday.

Mike and Laurie Lubinsky of La Crosse will lead the annual Fourth of July festivities.

Mike is the general manager of Colgan Air Services. Back in January, he thought he was attending a meeting about the Deke Slayton Airfest when his hosts surprised him.

“We got about halfway into our meeting,” Mike told WIZM, “and they said, ‘We’re really not interested in Airfest. We really want to ask you a question.”

He said that question was “Will Mike and Laurie be the Commodore and First Mate?”

Laurie Lubinsky is a dental assistant at Gundersen Dental Specialties.

The Lubinskys were married on the La Crosse Queen, and they’re active in Airfest and Freedom Honor Flights.

“It’s such an honor,” Mike said. “We were in awe, Laurie and I both were.”

The couple has two grown children. Mike said in recent years the family has spent much of Riverfest out on the river, rather than actually in Riverside Park.

Riverfest is scheduled to run July 3-6 in Riverside Park. The fireworks over the Mississippi River traditionally happen the night of July 4.