Grand Rapids Pride Festival

June 18, 2022

Since 1988, the Grand Rapids Pride Festival has celebrated local LGBTQ+ residents and their contributions to the fabric of our community. Each June, volunteers at the Grand Rapids Pride Center work tirelessly to make this the most fabulous and inclusive event on the Grand Rapids social schedule. Organizers are thrilled to return to an in-person format for the Festival after last year’s pandemic-fueled virtual celebration. Fittingly, this year’s theme is “Together Again.”

The 2022 Pride Festival takes place in downtown GR’s Calder Plaza and features a variety of Michigan performers taking the stage, including headliner Jax Anderson, Siena Liggins, Valentiger, Ella X, Lady Ace Boogie and more. There will be a dedicated children and family area, food court, beer tent, vendor booths and more. Come join the LGBTQ+ community members, businesses, allies and organizations who are Proud to Be!

Stick around downtown for the after-parties: The Prince Experience at GLC Live at 20 Monroe is the official post-Pride party while The Rainbow Party is a sober alternative featuring an amateur drag showcase, specialty mocktails, a DJ and dancing.

Beyond the Festival

West Michigan invites you to celebrate Pride with additional special events throughout June:

The West Michigan Whitecaps throw a Pride Night Celebration for fans at LMCU Ballpark, as they battle the Lansing Lugnuts on July 9. Stay after the game for fireworks! June 9.

Spill the T! A Naughty Bettie Workshop into Transgender Style promotes body comfort and safety with speakers from the local LGBTQIA+ community and New York-based transgender-focus apparel company Zhe. June 10.

Outside Coffee Co. hosts an Outside Pride Weekend June 10-12 with a drag show on Friday, improv class Saturday and queer dog walking club meetup Sunday. Outside Coffee also hosts a Pride Market in its beautiful outdoor garden on June 16.

The Artsy-Fartsy Drag & Paint Party at Grimsby Hollow Meadery is a paint-and-sip class hosted by local drag queen and artist Star Buxom. June 11.

The 5th Annual Pride Bar Crawl features exclusive drink specials and waived cover at all seven stops, plus an awesome afterparty. A portion of proceeds from this June 11 event will be donated to The Trevor Project.

Michigan Drag Brunch presents Queen O’Clock, a happy-hour experience at the House of Wine on June 16, and two drag brunch shows at the 131 Sports Bar on June 26.

Muskegon’s Hackley Library is the site of Pride Plays: A History, an evening of scenes and monologues from some of the most influential plays and musicals in Queer Theatre history. June 16.

Circle Theatre presents Pride Night, the latest in its Pop Up Concert Series, featuring local talents performing the music of David Bowie and Queen. June 20.

Naughty Drag Bingo! Includes bingo games, a star-studded drag show and the permission to BYOB for the 21+ crowd. June 23.

Harmony Hall brewery hosts Harmony Pride, a Drag Benefit for GR Pride Center on June 25.

The Holland Pride Festival takes place in the lakeshore community’s Centennial Park on June 25. Enjoy music, dancing, food trucks, resource booths, a selfie balloon wall and more. 

You can find even more Festival and Pride happenings in the area. And you can celebrate Pride every day of the year at GR’s LBGTQ-friendly bars, The Apartment Lounge and Rumors Nightclub.

History

The first Grand Rapids Pride Festival took place on June 19th, 1988. It was organized by a group of local residents who had attended the March on Washington for Lesbian Gay Rights on October 11, 1987. They wanted to bring the sense of pride, security and belonging they experienced in the nation's capital to the LGBTQ community of West Michigan.

That first festival was hosted in the metaphorical heart of Grand Rapids – the Monroe Amphitheater (now Rosa Parks Circle) – a rightful place for a community that contributes so much to the city’s vibrancy and creativity.

The Pride Festival has grown in size and scale over the years and is now held in Calder Plaza, which can accommodate the dazzling lineup of local and national entertainers, 100+ vendors, and thousands of attendees that flock downtown to celebrate diversity and inclusion each year.

Grand Rapids Pride Center

The Pride Festival is a program of the Grand Rapids Pride Center, which empowers the local LBGTQ community through supportive services and awareness. The Pride Festival helps generate funds to further the Center’s invaluable work.

Plan Your Stay

June is a great time to visit Grand Rapids. Why not turn your trip to the Pride Festival into a mini-vacation? Take a look at the wide range of hotels options available. Looking for something cozier? Our Bed and Breakfasts will not disappoint. Do you love the outdoors? Then check out our campgrounds.