MOTOR CITY PRIDE
HISTORY
Discover the rich history of pride movements in the United States and learn more about Motor City Pride’s important place within the LGBTQ equality movement in Detroit.
EVENTS
Motor City Pride hosts several fantastic events throughout the year. Find out more about upcoming event details and make your plans to attend.
VENDORS & EXHIBITORS
Motor City Pride would like to invite you to be an exhibitor at our 2019 Festival. Join the largest LGBTQ gathering in Michigan, which draws tens of thousands of attendees.
SUPPORTERS
Motor City Pride would not be possible without the assistance of our supporters. Learn more about these supporters and find out how to get your group involved.
MOTOR CITY PRIDE EVENTS
2019 FESTIVAL
Michigan’s largest pride celebration! Find out about the 2019 Motor City Pride Festival and start planning your visit today.
PRIDE GUIDE
View the 2019 Motor City Pride guide for all the information you need on Motor City Pride activities and events.
Pride in Detroit!
DATES & HOURS
Saturday, June 10th, 2023
Festival: 1:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Gates close at 8:00 PM
Sunday, June 11th, 2022
Parade: Noon
Festival: 12:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Gates close at 6:00 PM
ENTRANCES
New this year there will be one entrance to the festival. The gate will be located off of Jefferson Avenue at the UAW-Ford building on the west side of Hart Plaza.
ADMISSION
The pride parade offers free viewing along the entire parade route.
Entrance into the festival is $5.00
There is no charge for youth 12 and under.
LOCATION
Hart Plaza
1 West Jefferson
Detroit, MI 48226
PROHIBITED ITEMS
Security will check bags and wand all individuals coming into the festival. If possible we recommend leaving backpacks at home, or if you need one, to bring a small or clear bag to speed up the security lines.
These items are not allowed to be brought into the festival:
Weapons
Firearms, knives, Tasers, clubs, pepper spray, hazardous chemicals, explosives or incendiary devices of any kind. Any items that security determines may have an adverse effect on the event.
Umbrellas, larger than a golf umbrella.
Beverages, including bottles of water
Bottles of water will be on sale at market prices at the festival. Liquid medications are allowed, but they may take a few extra minutes during the screening process.
Coolers, Hydration packs such as Camelbaks, empty water bottles are allowed
Bicycles, Skateboards and inline skates
Drones or remote controlled aircraft, cars or toys.
Flyers, samples, giveaways or promotional items, unless they are from a registered exhibitor.
Air Horns
Laser Pointers
Poles, including ones used for banners
TRANSPORTATION & PARKING
Public Transportation To The Festival
Detroit Department of Transportation
https://detroitmi.gov/departments/detroit-department-transportation
The Qline
There is no charge to ride. If you know of a good parking place along Woodward Avenue, it will be a convenient way to arrive just a block from the festival entrance. https://qlinedetroit.com
SMART Bus
https://www.smartbus.org
People Mover
There is no charge to ride the People Mover in June
https://www.thepeoplemover.com
MoGo
Metro Detroit’s non-profit bike share organization wants to help you get to Motor City Pride as easily as possible. With four stations within a few blocks of Hart Plaza and dozens more scattered around downtown, you can plan to park and ride with ease. For more information, visit MoGoDetroit.org.
Bicycle Valet
Motor City Pride offers a free bicycle valet service near the entrance to the festival for guests to safely secure bikes during their time at the festival.
FOOD & BEVERAGE
The festival has 14 different food vendors and food trucks that will be selling a wide variety of foods from vegetarian items, noodles, chicken, burgers, and hot dogs. These booths will also have soft drinks and water available for purchase.
WEATHER
Check the weather – we are hoping that you will need sunscreen, but since its Michigan, you may also want to have an umbrella (remember nothing larger then a golf umbrella). Hart Plaza has a lower level that will provide some shelter from any severe weather that might pass through.
RESTROOMS
There will be portable facilities throughout the the plaza.
SMOKING
We are designating Vendor and Sponsor Rows and the lower level of the plaza as no smoking areas. If you choose to smoke in other areas of the festival, we ask you to be considerate of those around you.
PETS
NO ANIMALS ALLOWED
While we love our pets, because of the hot pavement and large crowds, only service animals that are specifically trained to aid a person with a disability will be allowed at the festival.
MOTOR CITY PRIDE FESTIVAL
Hart Plaza, Detroit
Matt Connors
Lead DevChristy Walkins
CSS GuruBrent Matthews
Project CordinatorTrisha Johnson
Design Expert
SUPPORTERS
Motor City Pride would not be possible without the help and assistance we receive from our amazing community partners and the business sponsors of the festival. We would love to find a place for your group or organization within our festival. Please reach out to us today so we can setup a time to connect and discuss your needs.
MOTOR CITY PRIDE VOLUNTEERS
In addition to assisting with the festival, each volunteer will receive a volunteer t-shirt along with vouchers for food or beverage.
ENTERTAINMENT SCHEDULE
ABOUT PRIDE
CELEBRATIONS
Raids on Gay establishments, however, were common at the time and were conducted regularly with little or no resistance. Fearful Gay patrons were often physically forced out of their gathering places, sometimes beaten, and arrested, with no just cause just for simply congregating.
On this historic night, Lesbians, Gay men and Drag Queens came together to fight back against police harassment for the first time. The crowd inside and outside of the bar erupted into violent resistance against the officers.
Word spread quickly about the confrontation and outraged crowds gathered on subsequent nights to protest the mistreatment historically inflicted on the Gay community. These protests came to be known as the Stonewall Rebellion, with the uprising serving as the catalyst for the modern political movement for Gay and Lesbian liberation.
Now, Gay and Lesbian Pride events are planned annually each June throughout North America to commemorate the anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion and to continue the GLBT community struggle for equality.
The Origins of Motor City Pride
From 1986-1988, the civil rights march took place down Woodward Avenue followed by a rally at Kennedy Square. A party took place at the McGregor Center on the campus of Wayne State University following the rally, organized by a small number of dedicated Gay and Lesbian groups and volunteers.
In 1989, the Gay and Lesbian civil rights march was moved to the more central location of Lansing to attract statewide participation and political awareness as well as to celebrate the 20th anniversary of New York City’s Stonewall Riots, the beginning of the modern day movement of equal rights for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender citizens. Metropolitan Detroit was left without a LGBT march, rally and party, so during this same year, the first official Gay and Lesbian Pride Festival was founded and chaired by Frank Colasonti, Jr. and sponsored by the Detroit Area Gay/Lesbian Council (DAGLC). It began the tradition of being held on the first Sunday of June. That year the Pride Festival took place on the Dearborn Campus of the University of Michigan in the gymnasium. In 1990, the event’s name was officially changed to PrideFest, and was relocated to the Royal Oak campus of Oakland Community College.
In 1992, the new chairman Michael C. Lary broke away from DAGLC and created the independent organization South East Michigan Pride to continue the mission of bringing the GLBT community together. His leadership continued until 2001. During this time period the official name of PrideFest became PrideFest Celebration!
In 2001, the PrideFest Celebration officially transferred to the Triangle Foundation as part of Triangle’s community outreach activities. In 2003, it was officially renamed Motor City Pride and moved to downtown Ferndale. From 2002 to 2008 it was chaired by Fred Huebener and Jackie Anding, and coordinated by Kevin McAlpine, Development Director at the Triangle Foundation.
From 2009 to 2017, Motor City Pride was headed up by a core group of Triangle Foundation volunteers that formed the Motor City Pride Planning Committee. Triangle Foundation merged with Michigan Equality to form Equality Michigan; in 2012, Motor City Pride relocated to Hart Plaza in Detroit and expanded to two days with the return of a parade to the festival lineup of events. The festival grew to drawing over 35,000 participants and featuring over 200 performers.
In 2017 Equality Michigan assisted Motor City Pride in founding its own 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization so the planning committee could concentrate on growing the festival and allowing Equality Michigan to focus on its core mission of victim services, education, and policy work. Since that time, the festival has grown to attract over 55,000 attendees.
The Mission of Motor City Pride: Fostering Pride in and respect for the LGBTQ community.
Motor City Pride works to achieve this mission by producing the annual Motor City Pride Festival and Parade and through other community events throughout the year.
We look at our work in three pillars:
Advocating – Pride grew out of the protest in the ’50s and ‘60s to today’s work to advocate for equal rights and protections for all Michiganders.
Connecting – The annual festival allows individuals to connect with organizations, clubs, companies, and other individuals to learn about services and activities available for our community and agencies working to achieve full equality for LGBTQ individuals.
Celebrating – Pride is about celebrating the advances that we have achieved while working for full equality for all.
