At Long Last, Motor City Pride Will Make Its June Pride Month Comeback This Year
It's official: Motor City Pride (MCP) is making a June comeback!
This summer, MCP will take place Saturday and Sunday, June 11 and 12, returning to June Pride Month for the first time since 2019. The festival was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and last year it was moved to the fall.
“It feels really good to be back in June this year,” said Motor City Pride President Dave Wait. “It was nice to be able to do the two events last year. But with June being Pride month, it’s where we should be and where all the excitement is.”
Wait said there were no COVID-related issues at last September’s Motor City Pride and that he expects the same this year. “Since we had a successful event back in the fall, we were optimistic that things would continue to open up and that if we could do it in September we’d be OK this June.”
Masks, said Wait, will be available for those who wish to wear them, but they will likely not be required. Attendees are also encouraged to be fully vaccinated for everyone’s safety.
Attendance in September was down but Wait said he expects the numbers to rebound this year.
“The numbers were down probably because it was not Pride month and mostly because some people weren’t comfortable being out in groups.”
A highlight of this year’s MCP, said Wait, will be the commemoration of the 50th year since Detroit’s first LGBTQ+ march, which took place in 1972. “We think that’s going to build a lot of excitement and support for continuing the LGBTQ+ movement and bring out more people as we recognize the founding forbearers of the organization and celebrate the achievements that we’ve accomplished as we continue to work toward full equality for all individuals,” he said.
Details for the celebration are still in the works.
“Our sponsors are excited to be supporting the festival and its coming back in June,” said Wait. “We’re going to be opening the application for vendors to sign up next week and for participants in the parade a couple weeks after that.”
The entertainment lineup for MCP will be announced in early May, Wait said, after all the contracts have been completed and returned.
And be sure to include Ferndale Pride in your early summer planning, too! The festival will take place in downtown Ferndale on June 4.
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