Although Wolverine State has its own Michigan Gay Pride in the capital city of Lansing in late August, the largest city in the region, Detroit hosts its own Motor City Pride in early June (usually the first full weekend of the month) . In recent years, the festival took place in the gay-popular suburb of Ferndale, but now Motor City Pride is located in the Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit (at the junction of Woodward Ave. and Jefferson Ave., right next to the River) . One to two full days.
Note that Detroit also has a busy Black Pride celebration, hotter than July, held in late July.
The dates for this year’s Pride Celebration are June 11-12, 2016. Motor City Pride Weekend includes a number of events and activities. The festival is held on Saturdays, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and again on Sunday from noon to 7 p.m. Sunday, June 12, is also the day of the Detroit Motor City Gay Pride Parade, which takes place at noon, just before the festival. The route is along Griswold Street south from Fort to Jefferson.
There will be dance pavilions at the festival, led by several prominent DJs, and on the main pride stage and festival stage, a variety of artists will entertain the crowd.
Detroit Gay Resources
Many local gay bars, as well as restaurants, hotels, and shops in the area draw particularly large crowds during Pride. Check local gay newspapers like Metra Magazine and Between The Lines / Pride Source for more details. Also take a look at the helpful travel site produced by the city’s official tourism organization, the Detroit CVB.
