Southwest Michigan Pride events return throughout June and July
As Pride Month approaches, communities across Southwest Michigan continue to offer spaces for celebration, visibility, and connection for LGBTQIA+ residents and allies alike.
With no Three Rivers Pride festival planned this year, residents looking to celebrate Pride Month still have plenty of options across Southwest Michigan and beyond. Communities throughout the region are preparing for festivals, parades, drag performances, family activities, and community gatherings celebrating LGBTQIA+ identity, inclusion, and visibility throughout June and into July.
Kalamazoo Pride returns downtown
Kalamazoo Pride, hosted by OutFront Kalamazoo, returns to Arcadia Creek Festival Place on Friday, June 5, and Saturday, June 6. Friday’s festivities run from 6 p.m. to midnight, while Saturday’s festival runs from 2 p.m. to midnight at 145 E. Water St. in downtown Kalamazoo.
The annual event, one of Michigan’s largest Pride celebrations, will feature live entertainment, vendors, community organizations, food, and performances throughout the weekend. Tickets are $8 for a one-day pass or $15 for a two-day pass.
Kalamazoo Youth Pride planned for June 27
OutFront Kalamazoo will also host Kalamazoo Youth Pride on Saturday, June 27, from noon to 6 p.m. at Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan, 601 W. Maple St. The youth-centered event is designed for LGBTQIA+ youth and allies and will include activities, entertainment, resources, and community programming in an affirming environment.
Twin Cities PrideFest returns to St. Joseph
The fifth annual Twin Cities PrideFest is scheduled for June 27 from noon to 8 p.m. at Shadowland Pavilion in St. Joseph. The festival will feature live entertainment, vendors, food, and community organizations serving LGBTQIA+ residents and allies throughout Southwest Michigan.
Battle Creek Pride Festival expands celebration
Battle Creek Pride Festival returns Saturday, July 18, at Leila Arboretum, 928 W. Michigan Ave., from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Organizers say the event will feature nearly 100 vendors, food trucks, drag performances, live music, and community activities throughout the day. An 18-and-older Afterglow party will follow the festival later that evening. Admission is $10.
Harbor Country and lakeshore communities host Pride celebrations
Several lakeshore communities will also host Pride events throughout June.
Community Pride Michigan’s seventh annual CommUNITY PRIDE Week will take place May 31 through June 6 throughout Saugatuck and Douglas. The weeklong celebration includes social gatherings, outdoor activities, educational events, and live entertainment focused on supporting and celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community.
Events scheduled throughout the week include a paddle cruise on Lake Michigan, a Jazz for Justice Block Party, a 2-mile Pride Color Run, and presentations from author and artist Wade Rouse and Human Rights Campaign Vice President of Leadership Giving Tim Bahr.
The celebration concludes Saturday, June 6, with the annual CommUNITY PRIDE Parade beginning at 10:30 a.m. from Saugatuck High School, followed by PRIDE in the Park at Beery Field in Douglas from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. The event will feature vendors, refreshments, and live music from Chicago bands Sixteen Candles and Hello Weekend.
Cass County Pridefest will take place Saturday, June 20, from 4-8 p.m. at the Library Pavilion in downtown Dowagiac. Organized through OutCenter Southwest Michigan, the event is part of the organization’s “Pridefest On Tour” series and will feature entertainment, vendors, and community resources.
On June 27, Holland Pride returns to Kollen Park from 1-6 p.m. with food trucks, performances, vendors, family activities, and LGBTQIA+ resource organizations. Out On The Lakeshore is also organizing additional Pride-themed events throughout the week, including an open mic night, fiber arts gathering, and disco-themed ball.
Buchanan Pride will be held June 28 at The Common in downtown Buchanan from 1-8 p.m. Organizers say the event will include a vendor market, entertainment, and family-friendly activities throughout the day.
Grand Rapids Pride Festival celebrates another year
The Grand Rapids Pride Festival returns to Calder Plaza on June 20-21. Saturday’s festivities run from noon to 10 p.m., followed by Sunday events from noon to 8 p.m.
The longtime festival typically features hundreds of vendors, live entertainment, food, community organizations, and activities for all ages in downtown Grand Rapids.
As Pride Month approaches, communities across Southwest Michigan continue to offer spaces for celebration, visibility, and connection for LGBTQIA+ residents and allies alike.
Maxwell Knauer is a staff writer for Watershed Voice.
Author
Related Articles
Keep Your Voice Down: Recording Live from Somewhere
Alek and Doug provide a preview of the upcoming Watershed Voice Artist Showcase and unveil this year’s lineup. The celebration of local talent and local journalism will take place Saturday, July 25 at 6 p.m. inside the Huss Project’s Imaginarium (1008 8th St., Three Rivers).
The duo’s return to their respective mics comes two months after their last episode, as they attempted to secure a very special guest for Keep Your Voice Down’s 100th episode. They explain who they hoped to land, and why it won’t likely happen despite their best efforts.
Good Grief. The Mother Wound, Part Two
Watershed Voice columnist Aundrea Sayrie’s new series “Good Grief.” explores how loss lives in everyday lives, and its impact on mental health.
In The Mother Wound, Part Two, Sayrie looks at the “absence you can’t name,” as some grief isn’t about losing someone but rather “never fully having had them in the way you needed.”
Aundrea Sayrie: Introducing Good Grief. Creating space for awareness, honesty, and repurposing pain
Watershed Voice columnist Aundrea Sayrie is introducing a new series exploring how loss lives in everyday lives, and its impact on mental health. This month she will examine the “mother wound,” and how a month she once looked forward to feels different, forcing her to “confront the distance” between who she is and who she wants to be.
