Queer Things to Do: Get in One More Pride Fest, See Gina Chavez and Renée Fleming, Help Launch a New Queer Book
Now that the “Barbie” hoopla has passed, you can seek out queer energy in new places. Just kidding — it’s time to sort out your Barbiecore Halloween costume. But you can multitask, right? Don’t miss all the fun happening at Ypsilanti Freighthouse this month, including an exciting drag performance organizers are billing as a full-on “extravaganza,” musical performances by the renowned Renée Fleming and queer multilingual performer Gina Chavez, or an opportunity to meet a new queer romance author in Royal Oak. Need to get out of town? Plan a trek up north for what might be the last Pride fest of the year.
1. Watch an Electrifying Drag Performance
An upcoming drag performance at Ypsilanti Freighthouse will bring together some of the best local drag artists as part of a monthlong residency hosted by UM’s University Musical Society and the City of Ypsilanti. The residency, which runs through Oct. 7, features a pay-what-you-wish series of nine performances, family events and participatory workshops focused on wide-ranging topics. “Lighting: A One-of-a-Kind Drag Show Extravaganza,” set for Sept. 29, is an 18-plus event celebrating queer performance. You can also check out West African Dance and square dancing workshops, musical performances and several fun kid-friendly events.
Drag performance Sept. 29, 7-9:30 p.m., Ypsilanti Freighthouse (100 Market Place, Ypsilanti). Reserve tickets (free) at ums.org/performance/lightning-drag-show-extravaganza. Learn more about the residency at ums.org/season.
2. Head North for Pride
Michigan has so much Pride, the season never seems to end. That’s good news for anyone who welcomes the opportunity to support the community at a time when LGBTQ+ rights are under attack nationwide. It’s also a lovely time to visit Traverse City, the location for Up North Pride, set for Sept. 27 to Oct. 1. Festivities include what organizers describe as the largest participant-driven LGBTQ+ Pride March in Michigan, Pride Ride biking event, a poolside party, a comedy night and drag performances, including a keynote address from “RuPaul’s Drag Race” favorite Nina West. The event is celebrating its 10th year.
Sept. 27-Oct. 1, Traverse City. Details at upnorthpride.com.
3. See Renée Fleming Perform
Don’t miss your chance to see an iconic diva raise the rafters when voice-of-a-generation Renée Fleming performs at Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor on Sept. 28. Fleming has long been an icon to her queer audience and boasts an extensive list of artistic accomplishments spanning her four-decade career. She is a National Medal of Arts recipient, a five-time Grammy award winner and was a recipient of the 2023 Kennedy Center Honors. The Hill Auditorium performance will draw on Fleming’s 2023 album “Voice of Nature: the Anthropocene,” accompanied by an original video produced by The National Geographic Society.
Sept. 28, 7:30 p.m., Hill Auditorium (825 North University Ave., Ann Arbor). Find tickets at tickets.ums.org/5809/5818.
4. See Gina Chavez at The Ark
Head to The Ark Oct. 4 to catch a stripped-down performance by multilingual pop queen and out lesbian Gina Chavez. The 10-time Austin Music Award winner is known for her unique songwriting, which often combines English and Spanish influenced by Chavez’s Mexican-American roots featuring stories about her life as a married, queer, Catholic woman. Chavez will perform selections from her Spanish-language album “Up.Rooted,” which focuses on her experience alongside wife Jodi Granado volunteering in San Salvador, where the pair spent several months educating young women impacted by gang warfare. Chavez was nominated for a Latin Grammy for her latest album, “La Que Manda.”
Oct. 4, 8 p.m., The Ark (316 South Main St., Ann Arbor). Tickets at theark.org/event/gina-chavez.
5. Attend a Queer Book Launch
Queer Metro Detroit author Lisa Peers will join Royal Oak’s Sidetrack Bookshop owner Jenny Carney to debut her new work of fiction, “Love at 350 Degrees.” The book centers on two women who meet as judge and contestant on the set of a televised baking competition. As the show progresses, it becomes clear that contestant Tori and “Bake-o-Rama” judge Kendra are both hoping to win the ultimate prize: true love. At the event, Peers and Carney will discuss the book and Peers’ journey to becoming a novelist.
Oct. 10, 6:30 p.m., Sidetrack Bookshop (325 South Washington Ave., Royal Oak). Reserve tickets at bit.ly/463oRJ0.
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